Mount Antero
What a treat today. Hiked up Mt. Antero (14,269 ft) today with Mom and a very special guest of honor! I love getting to share beautiful places like this with dear, dear friends.
We got off to a bit of a late start, but we weren’t terribly worried as we would be driving most of the way up this peak. It’s pretty difficult to find motivation to do the entirety of a 16-mile round trip on foot when all but the final 500 vertical ft is a 4wd road. We opted to drive Bob the Jeep 4.5 miles up to 12,000 ft and split the difference. When you’re decidedly not a morning person, sitting in the cramped back seat of a Wrangler up a very bumpy, narrow road for an hour is not the most fun. I’d much rather be on my feet. Next time I do Antero, I’ll definitely find a different route!
The hike up the rest of the road went quickly and easily, as it’s not steep. The views of the southern Sawatch, in particular ruddy Cronin Peak, are spectacular. I’ll have to return to climb that one. We didn’t meet a ton of vehicular traffic, but the road itself and resulting erosion are a bit of an incessant bummer.
There’s essentially a parking area at 13,800 ft, and the single track begins. The final push up the ridge is pretty fun, and there are a few scrambles around the jagged bits. We got some great photo ops on the summit, but the clouds were coming on quickly. We were essentially chased back down the ridge by thunder. Once back down the road a bit, though, the threat seemed to dissipate.
I got to drive the downhill leg, which went quickly. I only met one other vehicle, and it was luckily close to a spot just wide enough to squeeze both of us through (with us on the drop-off side, of course). All things considered, though, I’d rather figure out a better way and walk it all!
Stats
Mt. Antero: 14,269 ft; #10 in CO
Distance: 7 miles
Gain: 2,269 ft
My 21st 14er