Mt. Emmons Trail

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Up in Crested Butte, many intermediate level peaks are accessible to you. Just west of Crested Butte, just past Lake Irwin, you can run up Scarp Ridge to Mt. Emmons (12,343'), also known as Red Lady. The drive to the Irwin Lodge where the run starts is a little rough; 4x4 is recommended, but you can always park where you feel comfortable and just add mileage.

The roundtrip run is a little less than 9 miles in total with nearly 3,000 feet of elevation gain. Once you gain a lot of the elevation, you're following the ridgeline to a short rock section before the summit. The ridgeline does have both uphill and downhill in some rolling hills.

At the top there are prayer flags and a geological survey marker. This route offers awesome 360° views of the town of Crested Butte, Mount Crested Butte, Gothic, the Ruby Range, West Elk Wilderness and many further ranges on a clear day.

You likely won't see many people on this trail, but if you're lucky, you'll get to see a marmot or two!