LoJ: #303 (Pre-LiDAR #302) / 13,427' Grizzly Peak Grizzly Peak D
N 39° 38' 39.26", W 105° 50' 54.48"
(Not Field Checked)
Mount Sniktau
"Cupid" [Formerly UN 13117]
Peak Summary
Grizzly Peak on the east side of Loveland Pass is a solid Class 2 hike over mostly tundra terrain with a rocky finish. The trailhead is Loveland Pass, so it is accessible by pavement for all passenger vehicles. Grizzly combines well with Mount Sniktau and UN13,117 (Cupid) for a short, triple-header day that can easily have you back to your Front Range home well before dinner.
Grizzly Peak D NNW Ridge Route
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Loveland Pass TH
Loveland Pass is on a paved road accessible to all passenger vehicles. From the Front Range, proceed west up I-70 and watch for the Loveland Pass exit just before the final climb to Eisenhower Tunnel. The road is the old US Highway 6. The exit is on the north side of the interstate, then crosses under the interstate, heads west to the entrance for the Loveland Ski area, then makes a wide turn to the left to begin the climb to the pass.
If coming from the west on I-70, there are two ways to reach the pass. Option 1: Drive east on through the Eisenhower Tunnels. Very shortly after exiting the tunnel, there will be an exit on the right for US Highway 6 to Loveland Pass. Take the exit which will bring you to a stop. Make a right onto US 6 and head for the pass. Option 2: Take the main exit off I-70 for Silverthorne and proceed east toward Keystone on US 6, which is also designated "Blue River Parkway." Just follow the highway through all the development past the shores of Dillon Reservoir, then Keystone, then gain elevation up to A-Basin and begin the final pull to the pass with a big, wide curve first to the right, then to the left and a switchback to the right.
Parking at the summit of Loveland Pass can be an issue since this is a favorite stop for summer tourists. We suggest driving south from the pass a short distance and taking a short road on the right to Pass Lake. Fewer people know of or stop here and there is usually some parking available. Then you will need to walk back up to the pass to begin the routes.
Camping
There is no close by designated campground, but you may be able to get away with overnight parking at "Pass Lake," just south of Loveland Pass. Otherwise, finding a place to camp anywhere close with all the development around Silverthorne & Keystone is not likely. With the close proximity to the Front Range, camping will not be an issue for most. It's much more of an issue for those travelling from the western slope.
Campsite Locations
Pass Lake › N 39° 39' 18.45", W 105° 52' 41.21"11,860 elevation.
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From Mount Sniktau "Cupid"
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Sniktau - South Ridge Class 2 / 1.95 mi / 1,470’ One-Way
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Open This Route in a New WindowFrom the summit of Loveland Pass, walk uphill to the NE along the very well-used trail that leads up to Pt. 12,915. Most of the tourists will not continue on beyond that point and many will give up even sooner, not being accustomed to the altitude and typically cool winds. The wide path carved through the tundra is braided at times. Do what you can to minimize further damage. The elevation gain to Pt. 12,915 will be 925 feet.
From Pt. 12,915 walk north following more trail as it passes through the tundra to the Sniktau false summit of 13,152 ft, gaining another couple hundred feet after losing about 100 feet. From the false summit, continue another .4 mile to the Sniktau summit over what continues as mostly tundra terrain until the final 200 feet of gain to the summit. This last section becomes rockier, but still has well-defined trail.
Summit view: You can peruse from a distance the Citadel to the NNW, Hagar and Pettingell; Bard and Parnassus to the NNE, and to the east and southeast, Grays, Torreys, Grizzly and Kelso, and the less-visited Kearney and Grizzly Gulches. Then of course, there's the ever-busy I-70 far below.
Return as you came for a 1.5 hour roundtrip hike, or at Pt. 12,915, continue hiking SE toward Cupid and Grizzly.
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Cupid Peak North Ridge Class 2 / 2.0 mi / 630’ One-Way
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Open This Route in a New WindowNote: This hike barely qualifies as a Class 2. Personally, we would be more inclined to classify it as mostly Class 1 with a little Class 2 thrown in. UN 13,126 ("Cupid") is sequenced with Sniktau and Grizzly Peak. One way mileage and elevation gain are measured from the summit of Sniktau. Round-trip mileage and elevation gain assume completion of the sequence.
From the summit of Sniktau, walk back along the ridge to the south to Pt. 12,915.
From Pt. 12,915 a trail continues along the ridge to the SSE for the .9 mile to Cupid Peak. Drop about 200 feet in elevation to the saddle, then regain 400 feet to the Cupid summit. The terrain is mostly broad tundra slopes with large rocks scattered around. In about an hour from either Loveland Pass or Sniktau, the broad, relatively flat summit of Cupid Peak should be welcoming you.
There is a variation to this route that begins about half way up the trail to Pt. 12,915 from Loveland Pass. A well-defined, cairn-marked trail breaks off the main trail on the right. This alternate trail contours across the south face of Pt. 12,915 and intercepts the Pt. 12,915/Cupid Ridge at about the low point. From there, you can join in with the trail mentioned in the paragraph above. This will save at least 200 feet in elevation gain/loss. You may want to use this trail on the return from Grizzly to avoid going back over Pt. 12,915.
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Click thumbnail to view full-size photo + captionRoute Description
Grizzly Peak is sequenced with UN13,117 (Cupid Peak). See the Loveland Pass Trailhead description and the route description for Cupid, first. Our route begins at the summit of Cupid Peak.
From the summit of Cupid Peak, walk south down along the ridge crest, losing close to 350 feet in elevation to the first saddle. There is still a well-defined trail that cuts mostly through tundra. At one point, the trail drops you onto the east side of the ridge, then regains the ridge. The tundra will continue most of the way to the base of the final ascent section to Grizzly. You will need to ascend to Pt. 12,936, then lose another 100 feet in elevation before you reach the final ascent of nearly 700 vertical feet. It is on this last stretch that you will encounter more rock - that is broken rubble, talus, etc. The trail will become more faint and several possible paths may become options. When you arrive at the summit, Torreys Peak will seem to loom above you, still 700 vertical feet higher, and Grays will be seen just a little farther away. Grizzly Peak sits at the head of Chihuahua Gulch to the south. That willow-filled basin is used by some to approach Grays & Torreys Peaks, and is also the access we propose for reaching Lewanee Mountain.
To return, simply follow the ridge back north over Cupid, then Pt. 12,915, or avoid that last point and an additional 200 feet in elevation gain by following the contouring trail that cuts across the south face of Pt. 12,915 and rejoins the main trail about half way back down to Loveland Pass.
Additional BETA
Links to other information, routes & trip reports for this peak that may be helpful. -
