LoJ: #282 (Pre-LiDAR #280) / 13,465' Quail Mountain
N 39° 01' 04.61", W 106° 23' 41.52"
(Not Field Checked)
Mount Hope
Peak Summary
Quail Mountain offers a typical Sawatch Range summit with mostly trail access and Class 2 hiking. Combines well with Mount Hope. Pre-Lidar elevation was 13,461.
Quail Mtn. West Ridge Route
-
-
Sheep Gulch Trailhead
Once again you'll access this summit by driving up from Clear Creek Reservoir toward Winfield. From US 24 between Leadville and Buena Vista, turn west on CR 390, a graded dirt road. This road is just short of 15 miles north of the main light in Buena Vista - town center; a little over 19 miles south of Leadville; or 4.3 miles south of the US 24/SH 82 junction. Drive west on CR 390 for 9.25 miles appx. to a road that turns off to the right, just after some large beaver ponds. This short road leads to a trailhead parking area. The trail you'll be using is #1776, and is one of the segments of the Colorado Trail. 4WD vehicles can make it another .2 mile before having to park. This segment is usually a part of the Leadville 100 foot race and is considered a "crux" section, in part because of the 2,670 foot gain to "Hope Pass." If you come to the turnoff for "Rockdale," you've gone too far. Turn back about .4 miles. The parking area has room for several vehicles and sits amid lodgepole forest.
Camping
There used to be some primitive sites at the trailhead, but if they've been closed, then you can probably "car camp" at the trailhead. There are numerous primitive sites all along CR 390 on the drive in. Weekends though can make it tough to find a spot to stay for the night unless you arrive early. The only designated camping is back at Clear Creek Res.
Route Description
Year Climbed: 1994(Quail Mtn. is sequenced with Mt. Hope). From the trailhead parking, hike north on the well-used trail that begins to gain elevation immediately. Like many of the other trails in this section of the Sawatch, there is steep hiking out of the lower valley (the first mile) followed by a little more mellow terrain in the upper valley sections. The trail heads up through lodgepole forest that eventually gives way to the more pleasant aspen and conifers higher up. At about 11,300 ft., the trail crosses to the east side of the gulch and the basin mellows out a bit before the final gain to "Hope Pass" on some switchbacks.
From the pass, trudge east directly up the west ridge of Quail Mountain. You will probably encounter multiple paths at times. They all offer a means of finding your way through the mostly rubble-covered ridge to the summit. At one time, there was an old cabin with a collapsed roof here. I doubt if much of any of it still stands. Quail Mountain was once the summit of a proposed ski area overlooking the Twin Lakes. When we climbed it in 1994, a number of entries in the summit register objected to this proposed development. Total time to summit: 3.5 hours with an 11 and 13 year old in tow.
From the summit, enjoy inspiring views of the Twin Lakes and Arkansas River Valley far below and of the expansive Sawatch Range. Return by the same route, but if you have not already climbed it, you should certainly add a trek up Mount Hope to the west of the "Hope Saddle" to your day. It too, is an easy Class 2 ascent and from the saddle can be completed in about 2 additional hours.
Additional BETA
Links to other information, routes & trip reports for this peak that may be helpful. -
