Dark Mountain 10859' 6/8
3200' EVG 8.8mi RT
Of the three 10ers(Dark, Needles, McGregor) forming a triangle around the Black Canyon junction, Dark was the one I was least excited about. No matter how you climb it you face a 1700+ foot bushwhack up pretty steep terrain, and while I don't mind bushwhacking as much as some people there are limits to the amount of vertical gain I'm interested in tackling up forested slopes. In the end, it wasn't as bad as I had assumed and thought the views were well worth the effort. It felt good to add a quality peak to this year's resume, especially after spraining my ankle a little over a week ago.
Starting at the Cow Creek Trailhead at McGraw Ranch we hiked through the flat terrain to the Dark Mountain Trail intersection, followed that small path to the intermittent stream(no water at the crossing, but it was flowing in other places) saw a few late spring orchids, got passed by guy asking about McGregor Falls and slowed our pace as the climbing to the saddle that holds the junction began. After a quick break at the saddle we began the 1700' bushwhack.
The first 400' went quickly but as the steepness of the slope increased our pace decreased. About a quarter of the way up I saw a coyote pass above, which reminded me of the howls I heard along the East Longs Peak Trail near Chasm Junction last year that announced that coyotes do indeed climb mountains on occasion. I'd seen the rock outcroppings we were approaching from the valley earlier in the day and guided a route up so to pass between them, done on natural bushwhacking instinct of course since GPSs are for wimps. Above the outcroppings the terrain flattened out into a large and convenient bench where another long break was taken after checking out an opening in the trees for direction.
The last stretch of bushwhacking went quickly on rested legs and as the 3000' gain mark and some granite boulders crossed our path the final summit push began. Clouds were passing above quickly with the wind, though upon topping out at the summit the winds subsided and returned to pretty optimal summiting weather. Views were excellent in all directions, with the nearby giants of the Mummy Range taking most of my attention. The 20 year old register had a healthy history of entries for a peak that neither dominates the horizon or sits in a super popular area. A few groups had summited this year, including a group on the 1st.
We took a different route on the way down, avoiding some of the steeper descents for a string of more mild ones that would drop us into the drainage along the Dark Mountain Trail. There was significantly more deadfall this way, but like on Green Mountain on the west side many of the downed trees were small and easily stepped over. When we returned to the trail it became apparent that it was a Saturday in RMNP after all with the multitude of hikers on their way to see Bridal Veil Falls.
Of the three 10ers(Dark, Needles, McGregor) forming a triangle around the Black Canyon junction, Dark was the one I was least excited about. No matter how you climb it you face a 1700+ foot bushwhack up pretty steep terrain, and while I don't mind bushwhacking as much as some people there are limits to the amount of vertical gain I'm interested in tackling up forested slopes. In the end, it wasn't as bad as I had assumed and thought the views were well worth the effort. It felt good to add a quality peak to this year's resume, especially after spraining my ankle a little over a week ago.
Starting at the Cow Creek Trailhead at McGraw Ranch we hiked through the flat terrain to the Dark Mountain Trail intersection, followed that small path to the intermittent stream(no water at the crossing, but it was flowing in other places) saw a few late spring orchids, got passed by guy asking about McGregor Falls and slowed our pace as the climbing to the saddle that holds the junction began. After a quick break at the saddle we began the 1700' bushwhack.
The first 400' went quickly but as the steepness of the slope increased our pace decreased. About a quarter of the way up I saw a coyote pass above, which reminded me of the howls I heard along the East Longs Peak Trail near Chasm Junction last year that announced that coyotes do indeed climb mountains on occasion. I'd seen the rock outcroppings we were approaching from the valley earlier in the day and guided a route up so to pass between them, done on natural bushwhacking instinct of course since GPSs are for wimps. Above the outcroppings the terrain flattened out into a large and convenient bench where another long break was taken after checking out an opening in the trees for direction.
The last stretch of bushwhacking went quickly on rested legs and as the 3000' gain mark and some granite boulders crossed our path the final summit push began. Clouds were passing above quickly with the wind, though upon topping out at the summit the winds subsided and returned to pretty optimal summiting weather. Views were excellent in all directions, with the nearby giants of the Mummy Range taking most of my attention. The 20 year old register had a healthy history of entries for a peak that neither dominates the horizon or sits in a super popular area. A few groups had summited this year, including a group on the 1st.
We took a different route on the way down, avoiding some of the steeper descents for a string of more mild ones that would drop us into the drainage along the Dark Mountain Trail. There was significantly more deadfall this way, but like on Green Mountain on the west side many of the downed trees were small and easily stepped over. When we returned to the trail it became apparent that it was a Saturday in RMNP after all with the multitude of hikers on their way to see Bridal Veil Falls.
