チャフィー郡の絶景の山頂・トップ20

The switchbacks on the southwest ridge of Mount Columbia are steep, rocky, and sandy. Going up usually isn't an issue besides being steep and tiring, but his can be a quad busting decent. Trekking poles can be helpful on these unrelenting steeps. On a positive side, the switchbacks near the bottom of the mountain are not nearly as steep, and there are wide open views of Bear Lake and Mount Harvard nearly the entire climb.

Of the two Buffalo Peaks, East Buffalo is the shortest at 13,300 feet. That being said, it also has the tougher slopes. Both peaks require some alpine route finding and class 2 scrambling, but the ascent/descent for East Buffalo is a little rockier. This is why a proposed loop for both peaks goes up East Buffalo and down West Buffalo.

At 13,326 feet, West Buffalo is just barely the highest of the two peaks. The ridge walk between the two summits is never more intricate than class 2 moves but does require some route finding and boulder hopping. Not a lot of running happens on the peaks or the ridge, but the lower trails offer awesome singletrack. The views from the top of West Buffalo Peak gives you the eagle's eye over all the land nearby. Across the valley you will be able to see a number of 14ers in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness, and to the east you can see Pikes Peak (on a clear day).

Mount Princeton is an often underrated 14er in terms of difficulty. At 14,196 feet, Mount Princeton is located in the heart of the Sawatch Range and is one of the rockiest peaks in the range. The final two miles up to the peak heavily consists of talus hopping and steep scree hiking. There is not much exposure, but making progress on this peak is tedious. The views from the top are great, like any other Colorado 14er. Don't plan to make up a lot of time on the initial downhill from the peak (or along the ridge until you hit the road). The talus and scree move underfoot a bit, and it's easy to fall through some of the cracks.

Mount Yale is 14,200 feet tall and is one of the highest mountains towering over the town of Buena Vista. The summit can be tackled from multiple directions, but the southwest route offers the most runnable terrain without sacrificing the fun class 2 scramble at the top.

Mount Harvard is the highest mountain in all the Collegiate Peaks at 14,421 feet. Its steep, rocky slopes are similar to that of many Sawatch 14ers, but the high alpine pools and vegetation make it one of the greener high summits. This mountain can be easily paired with the nearby 14er Mount Columbia, but this is a long, tedious traverse. Don't plan to be running a lot after 13,000 feet. With that being said, the lower elevation miles in the basin are great for running when they aren't covered in snow.

At 14,203 feet tall, Mount Belford is one of three 14ers attainable from the Missouri Gulch Trailhead. The mountain is infamous for its steep switchbacks traveling up it's northwest slopes. It is the 19th highest peak in Colorado, and the views from the top are special, sharing the high elevation with many nearby high peaks. It's easy for this "run" to turn into a slow walk as you come up the switchbacks, but it's almost impossible not to run down the mountain with how steep the trail gets.

There is a bit of up and down on the trail, but this connector trail is more of just a ridge hike between Mount Belford and Mount Oxford. The initial descents off of both of the peaks are sandy and washed out dirt, but the middle of the trail is sturdy talus and packed dirt. There isn't a lot of running to be had on this ridge, but you can pick up some speed on the downhill portions.