レイク郡の絶景の山頂・トップ19

To be honest, it's a bit disappointing that they haven't managed to install a decent summit cross or other special marker on Colorado's highest mountain. Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico are much better at that on their highest mountains.

A wonderful hike in the "tundra", for a long time above the 4000m mark, former mines are falling into disrepair along the way; often visited but always nice conversations at the summit; be careful with the thunderstorm warning! Open mountain flank!

Chalk Mountain is the western summit looming 500 feet above Fremont Pass off of Highway 91. At 12,017 feet, Chalk Mountain is not the highest mountain in the area, but because it's above treeline, it offers great 360 degree views. The summit proper is in a wide open alpine meadow and offers views of the Climax Molybdenum Mine, Mount Democrat (14,155 feet), Mount of the Holy Cross (14,009 feet), and much of the Mosquito range running down the northern Arkansas River Valley.

At 11,319 feet, Freemont Pass is one of the highest roads in Colorado. It connects the towns of Copper Mountain and Leadville.

At 11,318 feet, Fremont Pass is the high point between Summit County and Leadville. The pass tops out at the entrance of the Climax Mine, which is the largest operating mine in the area. You get views of both the Tenmile Range and the Mosquitos from the top (on a clear day, you can even see some of the Sawatch peaks).

A seldom visited peak, Horseshoe Mountain sits at 13,898 feet and is easily combined with other peaks on the same ridge in the Mosquito Range. There is a summit registry at the top accompanied by 360 degree views over Weston Pass, Horseshoe Pass, and into the Buffalo Peaks Wilderness. The approach to the peak is very doable, but it's really rocky, and the trail seems to disappear at times. On your way to the summit, don't forget to stop at Horseshoe Pass and take in the views down into California Gulch.

At 14,043 feet, Mount Sherman is one of the highest peaks in the Mosquito Range. Like the other peaks in the grouping, Sherman is a rocky pile of talus. The trails reaching the summit ridge are steep, and the ridge itself is a mess of scree and sandy trails. With its short and straightforward approaches, Mount Sherman is one of the most frequently climbed 14ers in the state. There is limited running up the steep slopes to the peak, but the ridge itself and the way down serve as a fun, rocky trail run.

At 13,861 feet, Dyer Mountain registers just under the classification of a 14er. There are no real trails on this summit, but the ridges and slopes leading to the summit are pretty straight forward. That being said, this peak should only be tackled by those with alpine route finding experience. Dyer, with its multiple humps, is an easily recognizable mountain from the town of Leadville and is the mountain often blocking the view of the 14er Mount Sherman. There is limited actual running once you get up to the summit, but the ridges leading to Dyer can offer some fun, alpine jogging and scrambling.