Ascent of Flat Top Mountain on 2018-07-21Others in Party: | Dennis Stewart -- Trip Report or GPS Track
| Date: | Saturday, July 21, 2018 | Ascent Type: | Successful Summit Attained | Motorized Transport to Trailhead: | Car | Peak: | Flat Top Mountain | Location: | USA-Colorado | Elevation: | 12354 ft / 3765 m |
Ascent Trip ReportDennis Stewart out of MO and I have been reading TRs for years so when he came to CO this year to do a whirlwind tour of CHPs and 14ers, we made arrangements to climb some together. This was the first one. His son Marshall will be flying out to join him later in the trip but I jumped on the chance to get some company along with some of these remote Colorado CHPs.
We parked at the trailhead at Stillwater Reservoir The trail across the dam is well marked and called #1122. It meanders up and down and through some woods briefly and then climb up a saddle between the flattop mountain and another small peak below 12k to the right. The trails essentially decline from there and it is mostly an open country climb through grassy terrain with good views.
We beat the thunderheads by getting up there before 10 AM, had a long lunch and started down around 10 AM. Rain followed us. The peak is made up highly vesicular basalt - so it is as slow cooled slug of thick magma at the surface that cooled rapidly and had a lot of gas escape. The rocks, thus are full of holes. Wild flowers were in full bloom. Trail conditions very well maintained. We had one party running down the mountain and rangers coming up as we were coming down. Pretty remote and uncrowded but well maintained. About 9 miles total and 2400 feet or so vertical. We estimated over 200 feet of additional gain each way. |
Summary Total Data | Total Elevation Gain: | 2564 ft / 781 m | Total Elevation Loss: | 410 ft / 124 m | Round-Trip Distance: | 9 mi / 14.5 km | Grade/Class: | 1,1+ | Quality: | 7 (on a subjective 1-10 scale) | Route Conditions: | Maintained Trail, Unmaintained Trail, Open Country | Weather: | Pleasant rushed down before rain/thunder | Ascent Statistics | Gain on way in: | 2359 ft / 719 m | Gain Breakdown: | Net: 2154 ft / 657 m; Extra: 205 ft / 62m | Loss on way in: | 205 ft / 62 m | Distance: | 4.5 mi / 7.2 km | Route: | US forest trail #1122 | Start Trailhead: | parking at Stillwater Reservoir 10200 ft / 3108 m | Descent Statistics | Loss on way out: | 205 ft / 62 m | Gain on way out: | 205 ft / 62 m | Distance: | 4.5 mi / 7.2 km | Ascent Part of Trip: Dennis Stewart Weekend
Complete Trip Sequence: Total Trip Gain: 6546 ft / 1996 m Total Trip Loss: 3665 ft / 1117 m |
This page has been served 361 times since 2005-01-15.
|