LoJ: #194
(Pre-LiDAR #204)
/ 13,591'
Mount Evans B
Quadrangle ›
Climax
Peak Summary
With 4WD access on Mosquito Pass, this peak can be quickly dispatched with a minor amount of gentle ridge walking in at most an hour. If you want to make it more sporting, lengthen the approach from either the east or west sides of Mosquito Pass or combine with a fuller day of bagging other summits like London, Pennsylvania, Dyer, Mosquito Peak, Treasurevault, Tweto and Arkansas. Warning: The west side of the pass is now so rough, stock-type, utility 4WD vehicles may have difficulty in making it. The east side also has its challenges and is slow going. Pre-Lidar elevation was 13,577.
Mt. Evans B Mosquito Pass Route B Route
Medium Day // Take a Lunch
RT From Mosquito Pass TH (West):
9.4mi
/
2,380'
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Trailhead
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From I-70 at Copper Mountain, take State Highway 91 across Fremont Pass to Leadville. In Leadville, turn east onto East 7th Street from the "downtown" area which will become CR3 and drive to the vicinity of Diamond and Mountain Lakes. The road is well-maintained and easily passable for passenger cars up to about 11,200' near some old mines, after this point, it quickly becomes rough & rocky. Vehicles with higher clearance may be able to proceed further, depending on the driver's disposition. We suggest parking out of the way by driving on a spur road toward the Conley Lakes. See TH coordinates, or park where convenient or where the road begins to become even rougher before it begins its climb to the pass (approx. 12,000').
If attempting to 4-wheel all the way up the pass, the road is decently passable (although relentlessly rocky) in stock high-clearance 4x4s up to a switchback at 12,440'. The section of road between the two switchbacks located at 12,440' & 12,600' is the roughest section on this side of the pass. The switchback at 12,600' has deteriorated in recent years and, depending on current conditions, stock SUVs may scrape bottom a bit going over a few rocks here. We hiked this road in 2015 and saw a Ford F-150, Nissan XTerra, and stock Jeep Wrangler all navigate this section, but none did so without contacting rock on the undercarriage at some point. Past this point the road remains quite narrow with very few pull-offs, but the degree of difficulty relents a bit as it approaches the summit.
Also, after the last switchback, there is a spur road that heads off to the right and in a SSE direction to access some radio tower facilities. In 1989, it was possible to drive this road all the way to the central ridge and begin hiking from there. Current condition of that road is unknown.
Camping
Along CR 3, you may be able to find a place to park overnight, but be careful about Private Property all through this area.
Route
Map
Route Info Mt. Evans B Mosquito Pass Route B
Route Description
Year Climbed: 1989
From the vehicle park at or near the Conley Lakes, start walking east up the Mosquito Pass road or walk off the road on the side of your choice. The road soon becomes much rougher. The road leads toward a low pass just above 12,000 ft. where it begins gaining elevation more seriously. At 12,200 feet, the switchbacks begin. You could keep walking the road but it may be easier to get off and walk more directly east going up a mostly tundra & scree slope. This way you can avoid the rubble on the road. Simply stay south of the road walking uphill to the east and you should intersect an old road that heads SSE toward the ridge and some radio tower facilities.
Once you intersect the main ridge south of Mosquito Pass, Mount Evans B is a simple stroll along the ridge to the south for about one mile. You will pass some other radio, broadcast facilities along the way. Most of the terrain will be tundra with embedded rocks and some scree and chiprock. Enjoy the expansive views both east and west. Overall, if you're going to use the Mosquito Pass road on either side to access Mt. Evans B, we consider the west side approach to be the most desirable. See the next paragraph for another more adventurous hiking suggestion.
Alternate route suggestion: Start on the west side of Mosquito Pass using the same trailhead near the Conley Lakes. Instead of following the road, head up the valley to the east passing by Diamond and Mountain Lakes. Continue upstream as the drainage turns more to the SE and then almost south. The tundra begins to play out amid rock glaciers. Follow a narrow tongue of tundra along the drainage SE until the tundra plays out. Head generally south, avoiding several cliffs and gullies to the west. Work your way up to a saddle between West Dyer and Dyer Mountains. At the saddle, head east up a 3rd & 4th class, solid rocky ridge to near the summit of Dyer, then veer north to follow the Dyer-Evans ridge to Evans. This next section may also hold 3rd to 4th class difficulties. This would not be a "family-friendly" route and we have not tested it ourselves. It would have the advantage of being able to include Dryer Mtn., another ranked 13er.
Additional BETA
Links to other information, routes & trip reports for this peak that may be helpful.
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