Last Updated on January 8, 2014 by James Dziezynski
360 view from the summit of Mount Parnassus. Click on image for full view.
Update: check out the Watrous Gulch Trip Report for directions and maps!
After a much needed rest day on Sunday, Fremont and I set off to tackle one of our last summer projects: the Watrous Gulch 4-Pack. Despite starting from a very popular and easily accessed trailhead (Herman Gulch, exit 218 off of I-70) this collection of 13ers does not see a lot of traffic. In fact, the first peak in the pecking order, Parnassus, doesn’t even have an established trail to its summit. This despite the fact these enormous and tempting domes are prevalent from I-70 year round. Starting from Herman Gulch trailhead then turning northeast to Watrous Gulch, the day began with picture perfect blue skys and a light breeze. Our 4-pack was ready to roll: 13,574 ft Mount Parnassus, 13,641 ft. Bard Peak, 13,140 ft. Robeson Peak and 13,352 ft. Engelmann Peak.
Chances are the crowds will be heading to Herman Gulch -- to climb the Watrous Gulch 4-pack, head to Watrous Gulch!
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The "Ghost Forest of Parnassus" was a cool, creepy start to the day as Fremont and I jumped off trail and began our ascent of Mount Parnassus.
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O Holy Border Collie, bathed in light, herd our sheep so that we may wear upon our feet wool that is smart. Amen.
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Lining up the final approach to Mount Parnassus via the south ridge.
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Fremont and I pose on the summit of Mount Parnassus. This was our most successful summit shot since the winds began to blow hard and knocked my little camera around.
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The way up to Mount Parnassus was fun and uneventful. We passed a group of 6 hikers on the way up and they were the only other folks we’d see all day. The high point of our hike was Bard Peak and as we began our traverse, we stayed on the south side of the ridge because winds were starting to pick up.
Fremont gazes out at the ridge between Parnassus and Bard.
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Fremont on the summit of Bard Peak.
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As we began our traverse over to Robeson Peak, a mysterious plume of smoke began to rise from the east.
By the time we reached the summit of Bard Peak, the wind had gone ballistic. We had been lucky with the east-west ridge that was going with the “grain” of the wind. As we prepared to cross a north-south ridge, the fierce western winds sounded like jet planes as they roared up the gullies and chutes between Bard and Robeson. Constant, stinging and demoralizing, we pushed on. The sky was ozone blue, without a cloud in site.
Until we looked out to the east.
Rising from the blue canvas was a grey plume of smoke. It was just after 10 AM and it was evident whatever was stoking the flames was massive in scale. The velocity of wind made a lump in my throat as I tried to estimate where the fire was. Too far to be Winter Park, too close to be Boulder — my guess at the time was Nederland or Moffett Tunnel. I monitored the sky as we continued over to the flat and surprisingly serene summit of Robeson Peak.
Beautiful red grass and blue sky belie the fierce winds on the ridge between Bard and Robeson Peaks.
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Fremont walks in the "red tide" of small plants that decorate the alpine plateau.
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Fremont reaches the flat summit of 13,140 ft. Robeson Peak. Oddly, this flat summit was calm and offered respite from the dastardly wind.
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The windiest part of the day awaited on the traverse out to Engelmann Peak.
Our 4th summit of the day, 13,352 ft. Engelmann Peak was a vortex of swirling wind. Whereas the Bard-Robeson ridge was a constant western wind, the Robeson-Engelmann ridge winds came hard from all directions. Engelmann’s north ridges stretch down to Berthoud Pass and from the vantage of the high slopes, it was clear the fire was no where near Winter Park. From on high, we watched the endless stream of cars crawling down the pass as the gusts constantly knocked us off our collective six feet.
Fremont on the summit of Engelmann Peak with Parnassus so far away in the background.
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Retracing our steps back to Bard Peak from Engelmann in a sea of red.
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One last look out to the west and I-70.
As we retraced our steps back to finish our 13 mile, 6,400 ft of elevation gain day, the ominous clouds to the east had taken over the horizon. The wind remained as belligerent as ever. We skirted Robeson’s summit to the east and Bard’s summit to the south and crossed back over Parnassus, then headed for home.
Return to tree line 8 hours later and back to Watrous Gulch.
After a full day out in the mountains we had seen no other people, save the silhouettes of the hikers who reached the top of Parnassus when we topped out on Bard Peak. There was an odd stillness in the trees, where the wind mercifully was absorbed by the dense pine trees. The mysterious smoke hung high and we finished an epic day with a sense of apprehension of what we were returning to.
