Mount Parnassus, Woods Mountain

Description

Elevation: - Mt. Parnassus - 13,573'; Woods Mountain - 12,940'
Location - Northeast of Loveland Pass in Colorado.

Trip Report(s)

The Watrous Gulch trail shares a trailhead with the Herman Gulch trail, and hence is easy to get to from I-70, about an hour from Denver. Therefore Mike and I have been up it quite a few times, both together and each solo. We've climbed Mt. Parnassus, a 13er that makes the east border of Watrous Gulch. We also climbed Woods Mountain in the early summer of 1999, which terminates the valley on the north end.

During one of my solo hikes I climbed Mt. Parnassus in fairly record time on July 18, 2000. Mike and I have both done the same route independently (it seemed obvious to both of us), using the more pedestrian route most people take for our descents. Here is the trip report I wrote after that climb. Photos follow.

I needed to get out of the house today and clear my head over some things, so I drove up into the mountains and did a 13er.

I arrived at the Herman Gulch/Watrous Gulch trailhead (10,300') at 12:30PM - this is the last exit before the Eisenhower Tunnel on I-70. I took the Watrous Gulch branch which angles NE with the goal of summiting Mt. Parnassus (13,547'). After walking along the trail for about 1.5 miles, I decided to head straight up the side of Mt. Parnassus, as opposed to going the typical way, farther on up the trail and then to a 12,500' saddle between it and Woods Mountain (12,940' - Mike and I summited it last summer). I followed a creek drainage first (sliding down the bank into it at one point and really bruising my right palm), and then started an angling traverse up the 40-45 degree slopes, until I made a shoulder at about 12,500' at about 2.5 miles, one hour after leaving the trailhead. From there, I went on up to the top with little mishap. I summited at 2:15PM, making that 3 miles and almost 3,300' of elevation gain in one hour and 45 minutes. Not bad. Not quite the 6MPH John and I pulled off in the first hour on Sat., but then, there was much more elevation gain and slope angle today (I'd estimate the route I took, after leaving the trail, averaged 40 degrees overall).

The views from the top were excellent - Pettingel Peak (13,553' - a goal of mine, since Mike and I have been to over 13,200' on it, and then turned back because of snow conditions) clearly visible on the Divide up Herman Gulch drainage immediately to the W. The Flat Tops were barely visible to the NW, then the Gore range in the W distance, then the Sawatch range (very clear view of Mt. Holy Cross) and Ten Mile/Mosquito ranges. I had very good views of Torreys and Grizzly Peak right across the Clear Creek drainage (and I-70) to the S, an excellent view of Bierstadt and Evans and the Sawtooth Ridge between them to the SE, and good views of the Front Range all the way up past Longs Pk., and Middle Park and the Never Summer Range to the N. There was some cloud buildup, but nothing dangerous - in fact, it is more cloudy here, now, then it was on the peak up there at 2:30PM.

I descended by running to the saddle (as well as one can run in mountaineering boots), and then came back by the normal trail, breaking into a jog once in a while, just because it felt good. Returned back to the car at 3:30PM, resulting in a six mile round trip in three hours total time (counting breaks and a 20 minute sojourn on the summit). Other than my wounded paw, I feel great, and my head is clearer. Amazing what a little real perspective can do for your internal perspective. No pictures this time - I went fast and light, reveling in my new ultralight knapsack John and Sally gave me for my birthday.

Photos

The following photos are from our climb of Woods Mountain in the early summer of 1999.

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