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LoJ: #296 (Pre-LiDAR #300) / 13,440' Jenkins Mountain
N 38° 57' 54.29", W 106° 32' 34.86"
(Not Field Checked)
Grizzly Peak [Grizzly Peak E]
UN 13145 [Formerly UN 13140 B]
Peak Summary
Jenkins Mountain alone is a Class 2 hike that utilizes the old mining road to the Pieplant Mine for some distance before heading off cross country through forest and up steeper tundra and a rocky ridge to the summit. No particular challenges are encountered. Jenkins combines well with UN13,140 and Grizzly Peak following a ridgeline to the south for a much longer day that does involve some obstacles like a difficult ridge section, talus-filled gully and relentless boulder-talus. Lidar measurements added 8 feet of elevation.
Jenkins South Ridge Route
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Pieplant TH
From US Highway 50 in the middle of Gunnison, turn north onto SH 135 and drive to Almont. Turn right onto FR742 and follow to Taylor Park Reservoir. At an intersection by the SE corner of the reservoir, continue north on FR742 on the east side of the reservoir for 6.5 miles appx. to the "Pieplant Cow Camp." Turn right onto FR742.3D which heads in a northerly direction to the old Pieplant Mill site. The Gunnison NF map identifies the road to Pieplant as FR742.3H and another source says 742.8F, but the road is actually signed (as of 2015) as FR742.3D. It is 3.8 miles up this road to the old mill site. Along the way, there is one gate to pass through. The road starts out fairly good and never really requires 4WD, but good clearance is useful for getting through potholes, mudholes etc. The road does get a little rough toward the end.
If coming from Buena Vista via Cottonwood Pass, follow Gunnison CR209 down west from the top of the pass to its intersection with CR742. Turn right (north) at 742 and drive 4.35 miles to the Pieplant turnoff on FR742.3D as described above.
Camping
At the Pieplant Old Mill site, there is ample, primitive camping available in several spots, either in the trees or on the edge of the large meadow. There are also any number of primitive sites on the drive in as well. Most of the forest up to the mill is lodgepole. A number of deer graze in the meadow evening and morning and the old mill site offers some spare time diversion. This was quite an operation in its day.
Click thumbnail to view full-size photo + captionRoute Description
Year Climbed: 2000From the Pieplant Mill site, walk up an old road to the mill site and continue following that road as it heads uphill to the north into the forest and toward the actual mine site at 10,800 ft. At about 11,000 foot level past the mine, leave the old roadbed and head NE up an intermittent drainage, then angle SE to a minor ridge and slope that joins the main south ridge of Jenkins. Nice tundra will slowly give way to more rock, but nothing too tedious or rugged. Follow the south ridge to where it intersects the east ridge. Turn left and walk NW to the summit of Jenkins over mostly small chiprock and talus. Time from Pieplant will be about 2.5 to 3 hours.
Return by the same route or continue on to UN13,140 and Grizzly for a much longer and more difficult day.
Additional BETA
Links to other information, routes & trip reports for this peak that may be helpful. -
