NoCo Chris
  • Home
  • 2012 & 2013 TRs
    • 2012 Trip Reports >
      • UN 6674 'Triangulation Point'
      • Shipler Mountain/Trail Ridge
      • Storm Peak
      • Panorama Peak and Sugarloaf Mountain
      • Lookout Mtn/Horsetooth Pk
      • Thatchtop
      • Green Mountain and Chickaree Lake
      • UN 7432 'Kelly Flats Peak'
      • Mount Bierstadt and Sawtooth Ridge
      • UN 6176
      • Clark Peak
      • Prohibition Mtn, Pingree Hill, UN 8079, UN 9740
      • "The Sabre"
      • Moriah, Manhead, 8340, 8555, 8435
      • Desolation Peaks
      • Round Butte
      • Pole Hill
      • The Needles and Lumpy Ridge HP
      • Pine Ridge
    • 2013 Trip Reports >
      • Eagle Rock and UN 8220
      • Kenny Mountain
      • Deer Ridge East
      • UN 8820
      • Dark Mountain
      • Mount Dickinson
      • UN 11002
      • Little Matterhorn
      • Snowdrift Peak
      • Crystal Mountain Group
      • Cameron Peak
      • Copeland Mountain
      • 8300, 8161, 8140, Sheep Mountain
      • UN 7383
      • UN 9986 and UN 9634
      • UN 10100 and UN 10013
  • 2014 Trip Reports
    • Prospect Mountain and Checkerboard Rock
    • UN 6823 and 6176
    • Panorama Peak
    • Livermore Mountain and UN 6975
    • Round Mountain, UNs 8092 & 8310
    • Fairchild Mountain
    • DeCaLibron
    • Ramsay, Sugarloaf and Skull
    • Sheep Mountain and Rock
    • Laramie-Poudre Tunnel and UN 10060
  • 2015 Trip Reports
    • Storm Mountain
    • UN 6945
    • UNs 7231 and 6485
    • UN 7380
    • Turkey Roost
    • UNs 9460S, 9495 & 10088
    • Nokhu Crags
    • High Dune
    • San Luis Peak
    • Bald Mountains and Laramie Mtns. HP
    • Mount Ida, Chief Cheley Peak, UN 12820
    • Lookout Mountain and UN 10582
    • Hell Canyon
    • UN 10020
    • Palisade Mountain
  • 2016 Trip Reports
    • UN 6740
    • UNs 9166 and 8806
    • The Monastery
    • Lonetree Mountain
  • External Sites

Prospect Mountain and Checkerboard Rock 1/19

4.2mi RT, 2000' EVG

My brother and father came with me to hit these two peaks. I'd climbed Prospect Mountain about two years ago, and not much has changed. We started behind the green shed off of Peak View Road and followed the trail around a neighborhood and behind a rock outcropping. The trail then leveled out a bit as it headed towards The Thumb and The Needle, two rock fins with climbing routes on them. Beyond The Thumb, the trail climbed gradually towards the summit where we met a few patches of snow. On LOJ the highpoint is given as the western contour, but having been to both before I still feel like the highpoint amongst the radio towers is the true summit, and it was windy enough that I didn't feel like hitting the other point.

After driving across Estes Park to the Gem Lake TH, we took the west trail down to the base of the Twin Owls. We then took the Batman Rock/Checkerboard Rock access trail, which had been much improved since dropping down the drainage trail two years before when I'd climbed The Needles and Lumpy Ridge highpoint. The trail took us to an intersection with the Checkerboard spur, and at the base of the rock I climbed up the sandy east side of the rock and scrambled up to the 2+ top. There are great views of Lumpy Ridge, Batman Rock, Twin Owls and Estes Park from the summit, and with a well built climbers trail it's worth visiting even if you aren't a climber.
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.