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.
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.
