May, 2002: Evans' north face seen from Summit Lake. Summit Lake is nestled into a glacial cirque between the north face of Mount Evans and the east face of Mount Spalding. Evans, during an ascent from Echo Lake on July 17, 2019. As you head to the start of going towards Mt. Getting there: From Denver, head West on I-70 to Exit 240 for CO-103 towards Mt. I backtracked a minute to the saddle and then saw more footprints heading somewhat downhill and forward to a very large cairn. Colorado, United States, North America. Summit Ridge from Summit Lake . From there it was evident enough where to start on the hike up towards Mt. Summit Ridge from Summit Lake. The habitat surrounding the lake is one of the few locations in North America with arctic permafrost habitat outside of the arctic circle. Summit Lake on with Mt Evan ridge like in the background. Ironically, the footprints in the snow here made routefinding a cinch and I made great time moving through the somewhat now familiar rock along the west ridge of Evans. Mount Evans Pål Jørgen on the summit. West Elk Loop; South Central Colorado ... Mount Evans 6. There were just two or three short mid class 2 sections that would leave kids or other less able hikers challenged and needing perhaps an extra hand. This lake is 13,200 ft. The sign says "Mt Evans Trail." In 2010, the trail was renamed Summit Flats to avoid confusion with the Denver Mountain Parks trail at Summit Lake. Summit is pretty cool even if the fishing usually isn't very good. Evans - West Ridge via Mt. I started into this path and quickly found it was a no go. Abyss lake to the left. Turn right (west) onto Mt. Mt Evans allows you a great view of the Rocky Mountains. It was fun joking with them having done the route last year and warning them of the fun Willows descent on their way home. To reach the summit, turn right at the saddle/lake and use the Mt. Continue under the cliff bands to reach the saddle between Mt. The Summit of Mount Evans Interpretive Site. Warren ridge. Spalding sits just to the north of Mt. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, nature trips, and backpacking and is best used from April until October. This trail is the primary hiking trail to the summit of Mt. Evans. Here at the saddle I made my first wrong move. From here the remaining hike is a bit slow going. Search Catalog Data Catalog Data & text in Documents Search By Date Range; Advanced Search The views to the west from here are breathtaking. Beyond Echo Lake, the Mount Evans Highway passes above tree line where you’ll notice a grove of Colorado bristlecone pine (Pinus aristata).). Spalding Route. It's a little class-2 hike with a fair amount of exposure, especially to the north. Stop by Echo Lake and enjoy the view. Mt. Mount Evans West Ridge via Chicago Creek is a 15.6 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Idaho Springs, Colorado that features a lake and is rated as difficult. On your way up the mountain you can see some of the oldest trees in the United States as well as Fall Sheep some people call them Mountain Goats. The Mount Evans hike starts at Summit Lake, which is the highest lake in Colorado at 3912 m above sea level. 14,264 ft,) West ridge from Guanella Pass After my initial unsuccessful attempt to hike up Mt. Several other routes on the mountain merge with and finish to the summit via the upper part of the West Ridge Route. The snow covered the trail and so I was left looking either for foot prints or what remnants of trail could be seen through the snowcover. Reviewed July 18, 2018 . At that cairn I could see the footpath in the snow heading southeast along the ridge. Evans Recreation Area Website (USFS) Chicago Lakes via Summit Lake Trail Map (Google Maps) Directions: From Idaho Springs, go south on 103 (Squaw Pass Road) for 14 miles to Echo Lake. My original plan was to ride my bike to the top again. June, 2005: Evans seen from the summit of Mt. Evans Road Entrance Sign. Tip: Leave early to catch a spectacular sunrise on the drive up. The trail leaves the north end of Summit Lake and climbs steeply west up the ridge toward Mount Spalding. Both lakes offer excellent views of surrounding peaks. Since my shoulder injury ruined those plans, I decided to hike up the side of Mt Evans on the summit trail. The Sawtooth just before sunset. Evans. This lake is 13,200 ft. Down the back west side through the boulder field over Spaulding my and down to the summit lake … Evans Trail and climbs up the East Ridge of Mount Spalding. Evans (elev. to the fee station. Dates of Access: Open Memorial Day to Labor Day to the Summit. Spalding, From there, the trail descends to a saddle, then climbs the west ridge of Mount Evans to a point just below the summit, where it joins the Mount Evans National Recreation Trail. Leave Evergreen, CO and access the Mount Evans Road and Mount Evans Recreation Area from Squaw Pass, CO 103 at Echo Lake. I've also been wanting to scout out this route as a possibility for my kids and perhaps even my nephews to try some day as an easy 14er hike. From the Summit Lake parking lot, follow the trail north, past a historic rock building, to an overlook of Chicago Lakes. There's a … For a longer hike you can continue hiking south to Summit Lake and on up to the summit of Mount Evans. In this section I radio-ed my wife Sarah (who was driving up the Evans Rd) to see if she had made the summit and she was actually already parked and walking her way up the tourist trail to the summit. To get here you need to drive Mount Evans Scenic Byway (Mt Evans Rd) which costs 10 dollars to the summit. I have a track and waypoints from the hike all contained in a KML file that you are welcome to download and use (at your own risk). Today I wanted to look for less mileage, an easier toll on the legs, yet still high altitude time. Review of Mount Evans. This drive was pretty hard for me. Initially, there's a mix of tundra, small scree & gravel. Sun, Aug 21, 2016, 6:00 AM: Mt Evans seen from Mt Spalding with Summit Lake on Lower LeftMt Evans : 14,264 ft, Summit Lake TH : 12,850 ft,~4 miles Round-Trip via Snapshot Route, 1414 ft Elevation Gain Evans, head back and follow the Mount Spalding Trail to the not-so-obvious summit. Echo Lake is on Highway 103 and 12.7 miles from Exit 240 on Interstate 70 in Idaho Springs and 18.9 miles from Bergen Park. Also note slightly to the left and behind the Sawtooth, the top of Mt. This plan really worked out because I ended up making the mistake of giving myself some pretty sore quads after a quick descent of La Plata. The Mt Evans Trail banks left and climbs steeply with several short rock scrambles to the top of the Summit Lake cirque basin (1.0 miles : 13,717'). From the top of Spalding (13,000 ft or so), you'll follow the ridge in a counter clockwise motion. NER : North East Ridge ... reaching the summit ridge about 30 metres left of the high peak. From Summit Lake the trail climbs steadily to the summit of Mt. Hike from summit lake up the east side, steep but intermediate climb to the top. Evans road. Once crossing the ridge you'll be hit hard with some stunning views of the lake, Mt. Take Exit 241 off Interstate 70 for 1 mile. The Sawtooth as seen from the Mount Evans side. 5.9 miles into the hike, hikers will reach Summit Lake at just shy of 13,000 feet. I eventually found my way up to a saddle at the start of the west ridge. From the Summit Lake parking area, hike along the trail on the east end of the lake and then veer ENE onto the Mt. Evans- Summit Lake. 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