Rockinghorse Ridge

Access: Pitkin Creek TH
Start: 0649, 10/6/2019
Partner: Corey Dobson
Climb Rating: 4
Duration: 1:01 to Pitkin Lake
                2:05 to Peak U (W. Partner)
                2:57 to Rockinghorse
                3:45 to Peak P
                4:35 to East Booth Pass
                5:33 to Booth Falls TH
                5:41 back to Pitkin Creek TH
Total Distance: 14.25 mi
Vertical: 7000'
Summit: West Partner (U) 13,041' ; Rockinghorse 12,680'; P 12,965'
Weather: 25-60F/bluebird
Nearest Town: Vail, CO

I'm a bit of a Gore Range n0oB. Backpacking takes too long; hiking takes too long; so it took me awhile to realize that going light, running the access trails, and power hiking the steep slopes to access the interesting stuff is totally reasonable. I only really started visiting Gore summits from the Vail side in the fall of last year (Ripsaw) and their mysterious draw has only grown in that time. I've been fortunate to befriend a group of Eagle runners that share the same running to scramble MO so this summer has been open season.

With warm high pressure extending into October, one last push deep and high into the Gore felt obligatory this autumn. Corey wanted to make a hard effort up to Pitkin Lake and West Partner while I'd been wanting to tackle Rockinghorse Ridge for awhile. So we decided to hammer the run up to Pitkin Lake then tap whatever's left in the tank for a push over to P from West Partner via Rockinghorse, concluded with a reverse traverse below Rockinghorse Ridge above the Upper Piney drainage back south to East Booth Pass and run back out to Booth Falls TH. Brandon Chalk gave great beta on this route. I thought the ridge could use a little more insight from the perspective of a rapid strike as opposed to climbing each and every spire in the course of a long day.

After originally planning on an 0530 start, we realized it's October. And Dark. And Cold. We pushed our start time back to 0630, even though... Still dark. Still cold (25F). I have no photos of the approach along Pitkin trail because I was mouth breathing through the entirety of it. Shockingly, a few flurries flew shortly before our arrival at Pitkin Lake before the skies completely cleared. The warm inviting alpenglow on the Partners hung only a couple hundred feet overhead. It taunted us while I warded off frostbite filling my bottles in a stream.

East Partner and the Partner Traverse from West Partner's south approach

Pitkin Lake with Outpost Peak and Holy Cross in the distance from the approach to West Partner

We ascended the grassy slopes south of West Partner mercifully meeting the sun halfway. After gaining the false summit visible from Pitkin Lake, the scrambling commenced. It was mostly a 3rd class blocky ridge run. Most of the exposure to the east was avoidable to the west typical of the range. I decided to have a go at a down sloping knife edge on the ridge proper. It abruptly ended in a cleft with a tricky down climb required to get off. Corey easily skirted it on a ledge west.

Navigating the knife edge leading to West Partner

Corey climbing West Partner's summit block

From West Partner, the descent onto Rockinghorse ridge started as an innocuous walk off. Before long, the terrain steepened drawing us back toward the ridge proper. Most difficulties could still be bypassed to the west.

Corey riding the ridge, Peak P in the distance

Standing on the ridge with West Partner behind

We bypassed all the towers besides Rockinghorse. From below the ridge proper, it was a direct climb from the west up to Rockinghorse. Corey gained it with some class 3-4 ledges on the west. I climbed it from the south with an awkward arm jam into an offwidth and some smearing. Felt like low 5th class without much exposure - 15 foot climb from a ledge.

A precarious tower we skirted to the left; Peak P in the background

The Rockinghorse

Atop Rockinghorse

The Spider and Fly looking down into Upper Piney from Rockinghorse

We had assumed we were past the difficulties of the ridge after summiting Rockinghorse until we walked upon the edge of a 40 foot cliff guarding a gully. I assumed I could skirt it with a short scramble down off ridge, but the cliff extended around to the west and south forming a peninsula around us. Barring backtracking and down climbing a couple hundred feet, it seemingly severed further access north.  Corey discovered a single crack in the face of the cliff that we were able to down climb at 4th-5th class. The exposure was a bit unnerving. This was near the low point of the ridge.

Down climbing to the P saddle after Rockinghorse

Down climbing the cliff bands; I'm in the center of the photo

The start of the climb from the the saddle onto the P ridge had another shorter, though equally tricky, down climb into a notch before a 2nd class ascent to P's summit. The summit of P offered impressive views of Q, L, Ripsaw, the Partners and the Spider. It's the deepest I've felt in the Gore thus far- only about 3.5 hours from the trailhead.

Corey climbing the ridge; Peak P behind

Pink Quartz

Looking down Slate Creek from P's summit; Q right; L left

We backtracked along P's ridge and started descending west from the ridge before the the last notch we had previously down climbed. From there it was traversing on grass and talus blocks above Upper Pitkin Lake over to East Booth Pass. East Booth Pass had a beautiful view into the Booth drainage and the upper tarn. From here, it was an easy descent on grass to the tarn followed by a steep grassy gully down to the lower lake and main trail where we were able to quickly descend to the golden valley below in under 6 hours roundtrip car to car.

Booth's Upper Tarn looking down from East Booth Pass

Running down along Booth

Eccles Pass via Meadow Creek TH

Access:  The Meadow Creek Trailhead on the north side of I-70 off Frisco/Breckenridge Exit 203
Start: 1004, 8/20/2013

Total Distance: 14.14 mi

Duration: 3:01:01

Avg. Pace: 12:48 

Lowest/Highest Elevation: 9,186'/11,900'

Weather: 65F/Mostly Sunny

The Route

The Route (mileage from the start in parentheses):

The Eccless Pass loop around Buffalo Mountain is located at the southern end of the Gore Range in Summit County. I opted to run it counter clockwise. It is primarily single track. Ascending steeply from Meadow Creek, the trail levels off and forks at 0.5 mi. Take the right onto the Lily Pad Lake Trail up to the unremarkable Lily Pad Lake (1.5 mi), where the trail continues north.

Looking back on Dillon Reservoir from the Lily Pad Lake Trail

Stay left on the main trail leading to a paved neighborhood road called Ryan Gulch Circle (3 mi). Descend the road to the Buffalo Cabin Trailhead. Continue 1 mi on Buffalo Cabin Trail until the trail splits. Continue straight onto South Willow Creek Trail. DO NOT turn left, as the remainder of the Buffalo Cabin Trail leads up Buffalo Mountain. The South Willow Creek Trail quickly deteriorates into a narrow descent over steep rocks. Some route finding is required here. After 0.25 to 0.5 mi of descending, the trail widens and flattens out leading to a few small stream crossings over logs. After the stream crossings, the trail merges with the Gore Range Trail, turning left (5 mi). Continue a little under a mile, where the South Willow Creek Trail splits from the CDT. The South Willow Creek Trail is a short detour to a waterfall. 

Willow Creek Falls

 Continuing right at the split to stay on the GRT, the trail starts to climb in earnest over the next 3 mi through rocky single track in alpine meadows, thick brush, and tight trees in the shadow of the north face of Buffalo. This is the most difficult, most desolate and arguably prettiest section of the loop. 

Looking North from the Gore Range Trail

Around 8 mi in, treeline is reached and the trail splits (unmarked) between the Gore Range/Eccles Pass Trail and the Red-Buffalo Pass Trail. 

At Tree Line

Stay leftish to Eccles Pass unless you want to go over Red-Buffalo Pass down to East Vail.  After another mile of climbing, Eccles Pass is reached (9 mi). 

Looking North to Red Peak from Eccles Pass

 Continuing down from Eccles Pass on the Gore Range Trail, the trail again splits (marked). 

Split of Meadow Creek and Gore Range Trails

Stay left on the Meadow Creek Trail. The next 5 mi follow the wider, more popular Meadow Creek Trail back down to the Meadow Creek Trailhead.

Overall Impression:
This is mostly a secluded scenic route through alpine meadows and lakes. The beginning near Lily Pad lake is littered with beetle kill, but the South Willow Creek section of the trail all the way up to Eccles Pass is aesthetic and completely desolate - thick forests of Aspen, Douglas Fir and Ponderosa, peppered with small streams and open meadows. I recommend the detour to the South Willow Creek Falls if not in a rush. It's a beautiful spot to re-energize before the big climb up the Gore Range Trail to the top of Eccles Pass. The 5 mi descent from Eccles Pass is fast and steap. If you charge it, you'll feel it on your quads by the bottom.

The Run:
http://runkeeper.com/user/bwayne/activity/228557662