Sheep Mountain and Sheep Mountain Rock 12/6
6.9mi RT, 2250' EVG
Sheep Mountain sits on one of the many long ridges that eventually build up into Mummy Mountain. The location of rounded peak may be directly connected to the Mummy Range but it doesn't really feel like it's part of the range until you search out the views at the summit. The Mummies are much more vast than they seem, and to me the distinct open forests and seclusion of the region is just as indicative of being a Mummy Range peak as line parentage and other traditional means of classifying peaks. Similarly, I was surprised to see that the prominence was only 294'...I could have sworn I counted out the other 6' somewhere on the slope but maybe that was just all of the scrambling over downed trees. I'll have to calibrate my mental altimeter better next time.
I started where I presume everyone else does to climb Sheep Mountain; at McGraw Ranch. I hadn't been to the Cow Creek valley since the flooding and was sad to see the little fish pond at the road culvert was gone(unsurprisingly). I plodded my way up to the North Boundary saddle as usual and found a little animal trail that took me up the start of the slope towards the summit. The trail led to more and more trails that crossed each other, giving me plenty of options before they all died out at a small opening covered with kinnikinnik. The climb went pretty smoothly without much snow on the open slope and I found the RMNP boundary line and a benchmark. The rest of the way to the summit was pretty uneventful until I reached the flat summit and began to search out the highest point. In some of the melted out drifts I found boot tracks that wandered to the summit cairn. The views from the ground were limited, but I found a dead tree that had gotten caught on younger trees, giving me a ramp to climb the few feet more that I needed to see the bigger mountains behind me.
I walked south from the summit to intersect the small contours at the top of Sheep Mountain Rock, from there the views were much easier to see. The LOJ summit was farther down the face at a pretty obvious outcropping, which I would definitely recommend visiting if you're up there anyways. Climbing back up to the main ridge contours I checked the other outcrops for a cairn, but there wasn't one to be found. Instead of returning back to the North Boundary Trail, I dropped towards Bridal Veil Falls and the large rock amphitheater where it forms. The route finding was a little more difficult since the forest was thick and the falls were below me but I used some of the large aspen groves and meadows as references. As I passed through the first meadow I found a scattering of elk bones near a watering hole, though the kill wasn't recent I still kept my eyes out for mountain lions looking for another easy target. After working through another aspen grove I was able to get a look down on the amphitheater and intersect Cow Creek above the falls.
The water in the creek was low but there was still plenty of ice and snow that made the falls impressive. Crossing the creek underneath the spray was difficult as the boulders had been coated in a nearly invisible ice like everything else, even the trail was filled with ice all the way down to the hitch rack. On the way back I saw the only person of the day about a mile from the ranch, it had been such a nice afternoon that I was surprised no one else was out on a quiet Saturday.
Sheep Mountain sits on one of the many long ridges that eventually build up into Mummy Mountain. The location of rounded peak may be directly connected to the Mummy Range but it doesn't really feel like it's part of the range until you search out the views at the summit. The Mummies are much more vast than they seem, and to me the distinct open forests and seclusion of the region is just as indicative of being a Mummy Range peak as line parentage and other traditional means of classifying peaks. Similarly, I was surprised to see that the prominence was only 294'...I could have sworn I counted out the other 6' somewhere on the slope but maybe that was just all of the scrambling over downed trees. I'll have to calibrate my mental altimeter better next time.
I started where I presume everyone else does to climb Sheep Mountain; at McGraw Ranch. I hadn't been to the Cow Creek valley since the flooding and was sad to see the little fish pond at the road culvert was gone(unsurprisingly). I plodded my way up to the North Boundary saddle as usual and found a little animal trail that took me up the start of the slope towards the summit. The trail led to more and more trails that crossed each other, giving me plenty of options before they all died out at a small opening covered with kinnikinnik. The climb went pretty smoothly without much snow on the open slope and I found the RMNP boundary line and a benchmark. The rest of the way to the summit was pretty uneventful until I reached the flat summit and began to search out the highest point. In some of the melted out drifts I found boot tracks that wandered to the summit cairn. The views from the ground were limited, but I found a dead tree that had gotten caught on younger trees, giving me a ramp to climb the few feet more that I needed to see the bigger mountains behind me.
I walked south from the summit to intersect the small contours at the top of Sheep Mountain Rock, from there the views were much easier to see. The LOJ summit was farther down the face at a pretty obvious outcropping, which I would definitely recommend visiting if you're up there anyways. Climbing back up to the main ridge contours I checked the other outcrops for a cairn, but there wasn't one to be found. Instead of returning back to the North Boundary Trail, I dropped towards Bridal Veil Falls and the large rock amphitheater where it forms. The route finding was a little more difficult since the forest was thick and the falls were below me but I used some of the large aspen groves and meadows as references. As I passed through the first meadow I found a scattering of elk bones near a watering hole, though the kill wasn't recent I still kept my eyes out for mountain lions looking for another easy target. After working through another aspen grove I was able to get a look down on the amphitheater and intersect Cow Creek above the falls.
The water in the creek was low but there was still plenty of ice and snow that made the falls impressive. Crossing the creek underneath the spray was difficult as the boulders had been coated in a nearly invisible ice like everything else, even the trail was filled with ice all the way down to the hitch rack. On the way back I saw the only person of the day about a mile from the ranch, it had been such a nice afternoon that I was surprised no one else was out on a quiet Saturday.
