We are building more snow fences on the mountain this summer. We use these to help protect certain slopes from wind scouring and to gather snow piles on the leeward side of the fence. These piles can then be pushed around by our snowcats to the areas where we need it the most such as top lift ramps and along other bench areas…
The CDNST/CT segment south of Monarch Pass is known as the “Crest Trail”. It encompasses 10 miles of primarily singletrack along the Continental Divide. Much of the ride is at or above treeline with huge views to the west. It is prime season for getting in some rides on this sweet trail. There are five great options for descending off…
I found a few old snags while hiking out in Mirkwood Basin a few weeks ago. Obviously the forest is working on making many more with the dead and dying trees due to the spruce beetle infestation. These trees create ideal habitat for woodpeckers and mammals. The sound of woodpeckers is quite prevalent when hiking in the Monarch Pass area.
The Monarch trail maps have evolved over the eight (and counting) decades of operation. I don’t know about you, but I absolutely LOVE trail maps. Every time I visit a mountain I am sure to pick up the latest version on hand and add it to my collection. I have a large aerial photo in my office of the whole…
What a nice spot we have to call home. Here is a photo we took last summer ahead of the 2nd phase of the MPVMP.
Here are a few looks at the mountain as we roll into August. Last weekend’s rain helped to green up the place.
The Monarch Pass Vegetation Management Project (MPVMP) has been underway for a few years now. This timber project aims to clear out dead and dying engelmann spruce trees affected by the spruce beetle. During the summer of 2018 we focused on ground based removal primarily around the trails served by the Garfield, Pioneer and Tumbelina lifts. Last summer we targeted…
A few of us visited our friends at Rocky Mountain Outdoor Center this week. They offer just about every type of river experience out there in addition to many land based activities. We were interested to see how they are conducting summer operations under COVID-19 guidelines. They appeared to have it dialed in with solid social distancing rules where appropriate…
I took a walk up the Egress Road at the end of the day to check out Mirkwood Basin. The runout below the bowl is lush and green. Not as wet as it usually is and the normal creeks and boggy areas were missing. Always neat to see how different this area feels in the summer vs. the winter. There…
Mt Ouray rises just to the southeast of Monarch Pass. At 13,961′ it falls just shy of “fourteener” status. The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail/Colorado Trail passes just along its western flank. This mountain is named for Chief Ouray, a Native American Chief of the Ute Nation. Chief Ouray’s second wife was named Chipeta. The summit of the large prominent mountain…
