Chipeta Mountain Out-and-Back

Dogs Leashed

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This is a tough climb after Mount Ouray, the ridge is very hilly with lots of ups and downs, but that just makes the summit even more rewarding. Especially when you look over at Mount Ouray and realize that you've come all that way!

Follow the same directions as for Mount Ouray up until the 2 mile mark. Drive Marshall Pass Rd to the trailhead. There is a bathroom and a good amount of parking, plus good options for camping nearby. The trail starts on a logging road but you turn off really quickly onto a singletrack dirt path. Look for the cabin early into the trail and shortly after on the right hand side, you'll see the trail. It's not marked in any way.

After running for a while with gradual elevation gain, the forest opens up a bit, but there are many downed logs to maneuver around. About a mile in, you should see a cairn on your left. I think this is the better trail option. There are cairns placed intermittently on the faint trail as you make the climb to the ridge.

There is a cairn on the ridge to Mount Ouray just after 2 miles on the trail that marks the best spot to start rock scrambling down onto the ridge to Chipeta. After you go down this rocky slope, you run up and down across fields for a while on the ridge. There is very occasionally a faint trail, but mostly this is a choose your own adventure, or choose your route of least elevation change.

The beginning rocky slope and the last wall of rock that you must climb to reach the summit make this route Class 2. There's a pretty significant drop in elevation before you start the last uphill scramble to the summit. It looks extremely intimidating but just take your time, you'll make it! The best route is staying true to the ridge near the center of the rock mound if you can (shown in picture).

After you've spent time enjoying the views from the summit, reverse your route.

Chipeta, or White Singing Bird was a Native American leader and the second wife of Chief Ouray of the Uncompahgre Ute tribe.