Mr. Garratt

[RyanSchilling]

I've signed more than a few Mike Garratt registers, the most recent of which was atop Waugh Mountain, I believe. So I was happy to see he's joined the lists pages and this forum. I've been checking out his bewildering peak tallies in the various list sections this evening.

One in particular (among many) that impressed me was his having completed 41 of the 42 Gunnison County 1K' prominence peaks. Mike, any plans to bag that Cimmaron Ridge HP? :lol: Thanks for sharing your accomplishments with us! I'm sure I'll have a question or two for you in the future...

[Mike Garratt]

With other priorities, the drive time to get to the area by Owl Creek Pass in the short snowless and mudless season has made a visit to that area difficult.

Actaully I have about 30-40 11ers left to do. All are in San Jauns.
There are quite a few in that Owl Creek area.

I tend to do 11ers in the spring and fall and go above treeline in the summer so they remain as 'to do's'.

[John Kirk]

I have passed on the opportunity several times to bag Fishers Peak near Trinidad on drives to NM. Mike, since you're our only completer of this peak, I thought I'd ask you for beta. I have read on the internet that the area is privately owned, but I have heard things to the contrary. On a trip to scope out access for Mesa de Maya, the ridge to the summit looked less intimidating than I'd previously noted, but I'm guessing it still isn't cake. Where is a good place to access/approach from?

[kirkmallory]

I'll be curious to hear about this too. This spring I drove all around that thing and didn't find any access without a No Tresspassing sign - even the route mentioned in the Ormes book.

[Mike Garratt]

Catching up after a 3 week trip to Peru.
Trekked with Peter Frost of NG Explorer fame.
Visited Cerro Victoria and the lost Inca site of Corralpata.
See the 2004 article in National Geographic.
Still I liked Cusco and Macchu Picchu best.

Fishers Peak?
Access is from the SE.
You can get at the area from Raton, NM.
Go to NM Sugarite State Park.
Follow the road through the park till you cross into CO.
Here a trail leaves going west onto the top of Fisher Mesa.
This is all CO state trust land clear up to Fishers Peak.
You have to drop down off the mesa on the north side.
(There is a pipeline there.)
Then bushwack up the SE side of the peak.
There is a non technical way up through the cliffs which surround the peak.
It is a long walk say 15 miles or so from the trail head.
I did the hike over Thanksgiving weekend a couple of years ago when there was little snow.
Left a register jar at the benchmark which is a little lower than the high point.

Never been to Mesa de Maya.
It appears to be private from looking at the CO gazeteer so access may likely be a problem.

Mike

[John Kirk]

Thanks Mike, that definitely answers my question. 15 miles each way then (30 miles total)? Sounds like it would be a good one to save for Fall considering the temps at that elevation for that kind of duration. Anyone up for a venture down that way (Kirk?) on a weekend this fall? I still need to bag Little Costilla down there, which would be my primary motivation, but could rotate days to accomodate.

[Mike Garratt]

Oops!
I meant to say the round trip is 15 or 16 miles.
I remember it took my 7 or 8 hours.
The area is not state trust land.
It is a CO State Wildlife Area.
A lot os the walk is flat and in the open at 8-9000 feet.
Over a basalt flow so it is a bit rocky.
To beat the heat do it in the fall or spring.

[kirkmallory]

Possibly November for Fishers Peak? I'm pretty busy through October. I've done Little Costilla - it's a nice hike. I might rather do something else on a 2nd day down there - we can figure that out later.