Lizard Head Peak

Description

Elevation: - approx. 12,500' maximum altitude; Lizard Head Peak 13,113'
Location - Southwest of Telluride in Colorado.

Trip Report(s)

The following is extracted from the trip journal notebook I wrote while on an unscripted solo tour through the mountains in February and March of 2000. Photos follow.

Thursday, March 2, 2000

This day was what makes snow shoeing, winter camping and this vacation all about. What a perfect, perfect day!

I got to Lizard Head Pass about 8:30AM. Uneventful other than the overnight snow which made it slick in places. I parked at the Cross Mountain trailhead right by the "Lizard Head 13,113'" sign. Lizard Head was playing hide and seek with me in the clouds, and wouldn't give me a good view before I got into the thick trees. I also couldn't get clear views of El Diente, Mt. Wilson or Sheep Mountain across the valley, all clearly visible yesterday when I drove over the pass to Dolores.

I went up the Cross Mountain trail (once I found it). It had ski tracks for quite a ways, but they seemed old (at least last weekend) and were covered with 6"-9" of powder, making them barely discernible. I followed them until they stopped (or faded) then plowed on making new trail. I estimate my total mileage to the meadow where I set up camp was about 2.5 miles, with a starting elevation of approx. 10,000', campsite elevation approx. 11,800'. I picked a campsite at about 11:30AM and had camp set up by 12:00PM. After relaxing and eating (good, Jim!), I then broke trail another mile and 500' to 700' in elevation until I was as close to the base of Lizard Head as I dared go (the slopes beyond that were steep and iffy for avalance, as far as I was concerned). I took a lot of pictures of Lizard Head, Mt. Wilson, El Diente, Sheep Mountain and even Wilson Peak (I think - it could have been Gladstone Peak).

The weather this afternoon was perfect (45° in the tent) with just enough clouds for contrast to that deep, deep high elevation blue (sky). The firs and spruce under their coats of snow were so deep green they looked black. Feeling fit, I then stamped another trail west from camp towards the 14ers, but after a mile and no views, I turned back. The campsite is well sheltered, but has great views of the 14ers, Lizard Head, Black Face, etc.

Photos

Sheep Mountain

Looking at Sheep Mountain (13,188') southeast across the valley from Lizard Head Pass (10,222').
(Photo by Jim Lehmer)


Mount Wilson Group

The Mt. Wilson group of 14ers is on the left of this shot looking northwest from Lizard Head Pass. Lizard Head is the spire on the right hand side of the photo.
(Photo by Jim Lehmer)


Above Ophir

Looking east across the valley from near the campsite. The mountains are the range of 13ers above the old mining town of Ophir. A perfect example of why the San Juan mountains end up on so many postcards!
(Photo by Jim Lehmer)


Lizard Head approach

Approaching the base of Lizard Head. You can easily see that it is the neck of an ancient volcano that has eroded away.
(Photo by Jim Lehmer)


Lizard Head

The closest I got to Lizard Head. I am actually looking across a snow bowl with slopes as steep as the ones on the right side of the picture - the snow line running under Lizard Head is the far side of the bowl. Since there was no tree cover, it felt like the avalanche danger here and beyond with all the new snow was high. As the " Guide to the Colorado Mountains" (Ormes) book says, speaking of the chossy rock on Lizard Head being not the best for climbing, "when you reach the base, take picture and go home". Given the avalanche danger, that's what I did, but not quite as close to the base as I would have liked.
(Photo by Jim Lehmer)

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