Roger J. Wendell
Defending 3.8 Billion Years of Organic EvolutionSM
 Peak One (12,805 ft) |
12ers! Thoughts, notes, and pictures that relate to peaks between 3,657 and 3,962 metres (11,999 & 13,000 ft) in height around my favorite state, Colorado, and other interesting places in neighboring states and around the world! |
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Click Here for my 14ers page... |
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Click Here for the Ten Essentials - Don't leave home without 'em! |
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Click Here for my 13ers page... |
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Click Here for my notes on technical climbing... |
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YouTube video - climbing Bison Peak in Colorado's Lost Creek Wilderness |
How many Colorado 12ers are there??
According to a December 17, 2010 Examiner.com article, by Jilly Salva, Bob Martin, Mike Garratt, Ken Nolan, Jack Dais, and Teresa Gergen were the first five people to have climbed all of Colorado's 12ers. In the article, Salva asks Gergen, the first woman to complete all 1,313 of Colorado's ranked peaks, how many 12ers there are in the state: "To answer that requires a little preliminary explanation. The elevation lists count "ranked" peaks. A ranked peak has at least 300 feet of prominence, or, in simple terms, rises at least 300 ft above the saddle connecting it with its next higher neighboring peak. Whether or not a peak has a name is irrelevant. Secondly, climbing 'all the 12ers' means climbing all the ranked peaks over 12,000 ft. There are 53 ranked 14ers (El Diente and North Maroon are unranked, and Challenger is ranked, hence the deviation from the traditional number of 54 14ers in the state), plus 584 13ers, and 676 12ers, for a total of 1,313 ranked peaks over 12,000 ft." Having lived in Colorado most of my life, I've probably climbed a couple dozen "12ers" either intentionally or by accident while looking for other peaks (especially before the days of GPS!). Unfortunately I didn't think of creating this page or recording any of those climbs until I accommpanied Sacha Bobst and Tom and Linda Jagger up Bison Peak (12,431 ft) on Veterans Day '11. |
After such a fun hike, through mixed conditions (some snow and ice), it seemed a good idea to start tracking 12ers with something more than just a "went hiking today" note in my outdoor log! So, as time permits I'll start entering my 12er data and pix here as I complete new peaks or find records of ones that I climbed in the past. Either way though, it's clear that 12ers can provide their own challenges, especially in winter, despite being considerably lower in elevation than that of the 13ers and 14ers I describe on my other pages.
Woods Mountain, Colorado Front Range (12,940 feet / 3,944 metres)
On Sunday, December 18, 2011 CMC leader Kathee Thomure led a half dozen of us up Watrous Gulch to the summit of Mount Parnassus (a 13er). From Parnassus we made our way back down to the saddle for the 400 foot (122 metre) ascent up to the summit of Woods Mountain. The weather was rather pleasant considering official winter was about to set in just two days later. Although the snow depth was moderate, and mostly windswept, there was plenty of opportunity for postholing until we stopped to put our snowshoes on.
 Linda near the top! |
Bison Peak, Lost Creek Wilderness, Colorado (12,431 feet / 3,789 metres)
The Lost Creek Wilderness (LCW) Area protects almost 120,000 acres in the Tarryall, Platte River and Kenosha mountain ranges in central Colorado. This relatively new wilderness (designated in 1980) is loaded with hiking, backpacking and climbing possibilities. Typical LCW landscape will consist of mixed and very dense forests, open meadows, small streams; somewhat the norm for Colorado's high country. Upon first sight, it's possible the casual climber or mountaineer may not be too impressed with the typical LCW mountain configuration. Dense, tree- laden slopes that frequently lead to tree-covered summits could easily rekindle a forgotten bad memory, a memory that includes your most frightening bushwhacking experience. However, despite lacking the grand alpine scenery of other Colorado wilderness areas, one can argue that LCW may be one of the most unique Wildernesses in Colorado. Upon closer inspection the LCW has its own character that no other place in Colorado can match. Character that includes some of the most bizarre rock formations you will ever see. A lot of the LCW is dominated by these incredible rock formations, including massive polished granite domes and towering spires. With elevations ranging from 8,000 to 12,400 feet, many of the mountains here sport huge, wide-open plateaus providing easy hiking and excellent views. Getting to those plateaus is another story.
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Linda near the top! |
 Tom near the top |
 Sacha takes a photo |
 Summit register |
 Summit box |
 Me on top! |
 Trailhead: What's a "Weed Scout?" |
 On the way up |
 Bison Peak Monolith with Tom |
 1894 Survey marker? |
 Concrete on the summit |
 Wooden tower on summit |
My Colorado list, so far...
(I'm still searching my old notes for climbs that still need to be recorded here!)
- Bison Peak (12,431 ft) - November 11, 2011 [Led by Tom and Linda Jagger with Sacha Bobst]
- McCurdy Mountain (12,168 ft) - June 14, 2008 [CMC trip led by Joan Engel that also included Bison Peak]
- Peak 1 (12,805 ft) - November 03, 2002 [CMC trip led by Jim Cullen]
- Sawtooth Mountain (12,304 ft) - 27 July 1997 [CMC trip led by Tim Musil]
- Woods Mountain (12,940 ft) - 18 November 2011 [CMC trip led by Kathee Thomure]
12er Waypoints
For personal safety, and just for the fun of it, I usually take a GPS "reading" on the top of each peak, at the trailhead, or some other interesting point or curiosity along the way. WARNING: I cannot guarantee the accuracy of these waypoints as my own GPS bounces around a lot or I simply take an incorrect reading! Please rely on a more accurate source for your Waypoints! That being said, I still enjoy "cataloging" Waypoints and I keep a bunch of other locations, from around the world, on my 13ers, 14ers, Hiking, Waypoints, and other pages...
| Bison Peak, Lost Creek Wilderness, Colorado | N 39° 14.301' | W 105° 29.870' | 12,431 feet | 3,789 metres |
| Woods Mountain, Colorado Front Range | N 39° 43.844' | W 105° 50.385' | 12,940 feet | 3,944 metres |
 Lost Creek Wilderness |
Some Trailheads: |
| Ute Creek trailhead, Lost Creek Wilderness, Colorado | N 39° 11.885' | W 105° 33.212' | 8,750 feet | 2,667 metres |
 Tired hikers on Mount Fuji (12,388 ft) |
Links: |
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| Warning! Climbing, mountaineering, and backcountry skiing are dangerous and can seriously injure or kill you. By further exploring this web site you acknowledge that the information presented here may be out of date or incorrect, and you agree not to hold the author responsible for any damages, injuries, or death arising from any use of this resource. Please thoroughly investigate any mountain before attempting to climb it, and do not substitute this web site for experience, training, and recognizing your limitations! |
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