Mt. Antero Trip Report 07/21/2017

Peak(s):	Mt. Antero - 14,271 feet
Date Posted:	07/21/2017
Modified:	07/22/2017
Date Climbed:	07/20/2017
Author:	AcornMan

Mt. Antero via Raspberry Gulch
If you're like me, you've been putting off hiking Antero because the "trail" from Baldwin Gulch is really just a rough 4WD road that allows everyone and their dog to drive almost all the way to the summit in a big truck or all-terrain vehicle, not to mention the fact that it's a whopping sixteen miles round-trip. Fortunately there's a much more peaceful and scenic way to reach Antero's summit. There are several other excellent trip reports on this web site about this route, so rather than reinventing the wheel, I'll provide links to those reports and then use this opportunity to share my own tips and, most importantly, provide a gpx file that can be downloaded. First, the links to the 14ers.com trip reports(if any of these are broken, just do a search for "raspberry gulch" and they should come up): www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=12884 www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=10173 www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=17029 www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=2463 Here's a good trip report from an external web site: www.summitpost.org/mt-antero-east-ridge-via-raspberry-gulch/669329 And here's an external site where you can download the track in gpx and other formats (this is the same track I uploaded here): www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=lbnypzxwzacvdyqh Now for my own experience and advice... The road to the trailhead is surprisingly smooth and mellow. I would say just about any 2WD car could make it, except that there are just a few spots that are rough enough that I was grateful to be in a Subaru Outback. The trailhead has a few informal spots that are suitable for camping. One thing to keep in mind is that you will almost certainly not encounter anyone else on your journey (except at the summit), so be prepared to be completely on your own. Also, there is no water along the route (though the trailhead is near a stream). The elevation of the trailhead is about 9600 feet, so the total elevation gain is 4,675 feet. The round-trip mileage is about 9-10 miles. As you undoubtedly learned from the links above, the hike starts with an old mining road that works its way up to a saddle between two prominences. From that point, there is no trail, so you're on your own to find the route. Have no fear though, because I have attached a gpx file that works perfectly for wayfinding. As long as you follow this route, you should be fine. The ascent is straightforward because once you leave the old mining road and climb the hill to the west, the remainder of the trip is along a series of ridges, which makes it darn near impossible to get lost. In fact, you can see the summit from much of the hike, especially above the tree line. However, be very careful during your descent after you reach the tree line because it is easy to get off course before reaching the old mining road. Even with a GPS, I found myself drifting to the left (north) as I descended, and I had to backtrack uphill to get back on course. Other tips: The highest difficulty you'll encounter is class 2. You will spend a lot of time rock hopping in the talus and boulder fields on the two main ridges. Thankfully, however, I did not encounter any scree. You'll spend a lot of time above the tree line because, in addition to the vertical distance, a lot of the horizontal distance is above the tree line. Plan accordingly by getting an early start to beat the weather. My ascent time was almost exactly 5 hours, and my descent time was about 3.5 hours. The descent would have been closer to 3 hours, but I got off course when I got stuck in a nasty hail storm. My GPS Tracks on Google Maps (made from a .GPX file upload): Login required to view this map... Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Mt. Antero via Raspberry Gulch Google Map Included

If you're like me, you've been putting off hiking Antero because the "trail" from Baldwin Gulch is really just a rough 4WD road that allows everyone and their dog to drive almost all the way to the summit in a big truck or all-terrain vehicle, not to mention the fact that it's a whopping sixteen miles round-trip. Fortunately there's a much more peaceful and scenic way to reach Antero's summit. There are several other excellent trip reports on this web site about this route, so rather than reinventing the wheel, I'll provide links to those reports and then use this opportunity to share my own tips and, most importantly, provide a gpx file that can be downloaded. First, the links to the 14ers.com trip reports(if any of these are broken, just do a search for "raspberry gulch" and they should come up):
www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=12884
www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=10173
www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=17029
www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=2463

Here's a good trip report from an external web site:
www.summitpost.org/mt-antero-east-ridge-via-raspberry-gulch/669329

And here's an external site where you can download the track in gpx and other formats (this is the same track I uploaded here):
www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=lbnypzxwzacvdyqh

Now for my own experience and advice...

The road to the trailhead is surprisingly smooth and mellow. I would say just about any 2WD car could make it, except that there are just a few spots that are rough enough that I was grateful to be in a Subaru Outback. The trailhead has a few informal spots that are suitable for camping. One thing to keep in mind is that you will almost certainly not encounter anyone else on your journey (except at the summit), so be prepared to be completely on your own. Also, there is no water along the route (though the trailhead is near a stream). The elevation of the trailhead is about 9600 feet, so the total elevation gain is 4,675 feet. The round-trip mileage is about 9-10 miles.

As you undoubtedly learned from the links above, the hike starts with an old mining road that works its way up to a saddle between two prominences. From that point, there is no trail, so you're on your own to find the route. Have no fear though, because I have attached a gpx file that works perfectly for wayfinding. As long as you follow this route, you should be fine. The ascent is straightforward because once you leave the old mining road and climb the hill to the west, the remainder of the trip is along a series of ridges, which makes it darn near impossible to get lost. In fact, you can see the summit from much of the hike, especially above the tree line. However, be very careful during your descent after you reach the tree line because it is easy to get off course before reaching the old mining road. Even with a GPS, I found myself drifting to the left (north) as I descended, and I had to backtrack uphill to get back on course.

Other tips: The highest difficulty you'll encounter is class 2. You will spend a lot of time rock hopping in the talus and boulder fields on the two main ridges. Thankfully, however, I did not encounter any scree. You'll spend a lot of time above the tree line because, in addition to the vertical distance, a lot of the horizontal distance is above the tree line. Plan accordingly by getting an early start to beat the weather. My ascent time was almost exactly 5 hours, and my descent time was about 3.5 hours. The descent would have been closer to 3 hours, but I got off course when I got stuck in a nasty hail storm.

My GPS Tracks on Google Maps (made from a .GPX file upload):

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

rpdawes	RT distance & Altitude Gain 07/21/2017 19:06 Wanna know what RT distance and altitude gain were.
rpdawes	No links 07/22/2017 08:55 You used a wrong code to set a link to another website, both internally and externally.

Caution: The information contained in this report may not be accurate and should not be the only resource used in preparation for your climb. Failure to have the necessary experience, physical conditioning, supplies or equipment can result in injury or death. 14ers.com and the author(s) of this report provide no warranties, either express or implied, that the information provided is accurate or reliable. By using the information provided, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless 14ers.com and the report author(s) with respect to any claims and demands against them, including any attorney fees and expenses. Please read the 14ers.com Safety and Disclaimer pages for more information.

Please respect private property: 14ers.com supports the rights of private landowners to determine how and by whom their land will be used. In Colorado, it is your responsibility to determine if land is private and to obtain the appropriate permission before entering the property.