Waugh Mountain

[Ryan Kowalski]

Does anyone know the best (shortest?) way up Waugh Mountain? There is a mess of forest roads up there but looking at sat photos makes it look like some of these might cross private. Looking to be down there this weekend and would like to not drive a long ways and get stymied by locked gates! Thanks for any help!

[TeresaGergen]

Search for "Waugh Mountain STL" here to see a map of public land (State Trust Land and BLM):
http://ndis-flex.nrel.colostate.edu/HuntingAtlas/

STL access information here:
http://wildlife.state.co.us/SiteCollect ... tLands.pdf

"WAUGH MOUNTAIN - Park, Fremont Cos.
Directions: From Cañon City, go W
on Hwy. 50 for 12 miles. Turn right on
Hwy. 9 and go 9 miles. Take CR 2 W for
15 miles. Foot access through BLM land
on E and S. Use BLM parking lot.
GMU : 57/58, Salida Svc. Ctr.
ACRES : 18,253
OPEN : From the first day of archery
pronghorn season through May 31.
HUNTING : Elk, deer, pronghorn, bear,
coyote, grouse
NOTE: Exchange of use on STL. Part
private land, part state trust land."

[John Kirk]

Based on what I know, I'd recommend doing Waugh with Stoney Face from the top of county road 12 at the saddle with Jack Hall Mountain here (BLM). I did Waugh from the NE along County Rd 2 in February 2005 and saw some signs about permitted access during winter/spring months only - edit - see Teresa's note above. Less effort from location at the saddle, plus you'd get an extra peak. Waugh Mountain Road leading up to the east shoulder of Waugh seems like the shortest option if it goes, but it probably only gets there from the south judging by the lack of road presence from satellite imagery, however the subdivision en-route to get there from the south has unfriendly signage.

[Ryan Kowalski]

Thanks Teresa and John.

We had a successful ascent of Waugh this weekend and I think we discovered a relatively quick way of going up Waugh if that's all you're after. I had the wife and kiddo with me so going up and over Stoney Face might have been a bit much. Instead we drove up to the NW of the mountain on CR 12 to a four-way and took BLM Road 5760 to the east. The road was in remarkably good condition. We stopped where the road crosses the 10,280' elevation topo line at a steep rocky section but could have easily made it past it. We left the road to east of the marked 10,752' point and bushwhacked up the slope E-SE straight to Point 11,402 and then traversed the ridge to the summit. Have to say that this was not one of my favorite peaks in terms of views/route/enjoyment, but it was still a good day out.

I'll put this in as a TR as well for future folk who feel the need to go up this mountain.

[Steve Knapp]

Thanks for the info Ryan. I would like to get this peak later this fall. I was hoping to be able to reach the 10,600 saddle east of Waugh in order to combine with Dead Benchmark and Loco Mtn. It seems like I've read a sign about seasonal access to Waugh Mtn Road when I've been the area, but could be mistaken. Seems like its open during hunting season only? If anyone has any info on how to reach this saddle please let me know.

[Ken Nolan]

I drove to the saddle, and farther east, from the south in August 2006 for Waugh Mtn.-Dead BM and again in October 2007 for Loco Mtn. I don’t recall the wording on the sign, but I believed the access was legal. Note that after bushwhacking the long North Ridge of Loco, I was surprised to find a summit register chock full o’ entries. I conclude that an approach from the south is worth exploring.

[mikeofferman]

Do you still need to buy a STL habitat stamp/permit to hike on STL open spaces?

[Steve Knapp]

Thanks for the info Ken! I'll check that out sometime and report back it its still viable. Really good to hear from you too.

Mike, I'm not sure about the stamp issue. Of course I've never bothered to purchase one. Which may be a reflection of my tendency to take risks in this area more than the legalities of needing one or not.

[TeresaGergen]

I bought a habitat stamp once and then found information somewhere that it was not needed for hiking anymore - think it's only for hunting and/or fishing. I'm afraid I can't remember where the info was - probably somewhere in the State DOW website.

[mikeofferman]

Looks like you are correct Teresa. The last point states the following "• A Habitat Stamp is not required to hike or camp on State Wildlife Areas or State Trust Lands."

http://wildlife.state.co.us/SiteCollect ... tflyer.pdf

[Steve Knapp]

Update on the approach from the south, it worked out very well. From Hwy 50 at Cotopaxi take CR-12 north to CR-16, then a left on Waugh Mtn Road. It's a decent road all the way to the 10,600 saddle east of Waugh. Probably not advised for a car, but any 4WD or Subaru will make it just fine. The only signage we saw was "Public road through private land next 3.5 miles". Just over the cattle guard is public land, which may be part of the state land trust that is only supposed to be accessed in the fall, winter, spring (realisticly only fall as the road is likely snowed in most of those months). Waugh Mtn was a quick 2m RT, 1100' of gain from this saddle. Easy bushwhacking on moderate slopes. We then drove east for Dead BM and were able to get into the saddle between the two summits for another short hike.

Loco Mtn took more creativity, it might be best reached from public land along the road between Waugh and Dead BM. Most of the west side of Loco is heavily signed for Loco Mtn Outfitters, no hunting or trespassing. We drove to a house at 9,900' on the SW flank with the intent of asking permission. Clearly nobody was home to ask so we climbed the peak from there.

These three peaks took only an afternoon, the morning was spent on the Bruno/Park Mtn group south of there. Overall, a very nice day on some of the higher peaks of Fremont county. Ken, thanks for the indication that a southern approach works well.

[TWorth]

I can confirm Loco goes fine along the N ridge, from the BLM road heading towards Dead BM. Longer walk than it looked from the start point, but the bushwacking is not bad, and there are some old logging roads to follow. About 2 hours RT. BLM and state lands all the way.

Makes sense now why I didn't see any of your guys footprints in the snow dust patches going up that ridge. Sounds like about the same effort/times either way.

[Steve Knapp]

Tim, how funny that we keep missing you by a day. We noticed your register signatures on the Sheep/Hyannis group in northern Grand county a few weeks ago, and I believe we saw you at your campsite that Sunday morning 10/7 when we drove by in Brian's white Land Rover, but we didn't know it was you at the time. Your route is probably best for Loco to avoid any property issues.

Waugh Mtn needs a register if the next party up can take one. I figured it would have one for sure as the 2k prominence leader of those three peaks, but it didn't while the other two did.

[PaulStratmoen]

Steve and Tim - We too had Waugh Mtn. (as well as Stoney Face) in our plans for last weekend, using Ryan's route. Ended up not going because of some crud that I started coming down with on Saturday morning. We may try it again this weekend (crud permitting), and if we do, I'll take a register.

Thanks for your route descriptions. We may decide to go that way. How was the road to the Dead BM saddle? Subaruable, or should I plan on taking the Jeep?

We were also concerned about the level of hunting activity there. Did you encounter many of them? Seems like they've really been out in force this year in other areas that we've been to.

[TWorth]

Talk about parallel thinking. Steve, John mentioned to me that you might be going down there, but I didn't know if I would have the weekend clear till after work friday. Would have been great to run into you guys...the well traveled Kalet/Knapp, Decker/Stratmoen summit teams. Always amazing to bump into folks climbing these obscure summits, had several near misses though the years, and even some meet ups, see here.

Fremont Co was dry, and made for a great couple days out. Warm in the afternoon too, t-shirt weather on Sunday. Dry all this week so should be a good weekend ahead if you decide to go for it, Paul. Hadn't been in that area in probably 5 years at least, nice to get back.

I saw no hunters on Waugh, Dead, Stoney Face or Loco. For Jack Hall, there is a cabin at the end of the access road, and the whoever is staying there likes to shoot. A lot. Had my orange on, and stayed on BLM land the whole time, but as I returned to the truck and the property line, the shots seemed to increase. Not sure if I was seen. I just got the hell out.

Last maybe quarter mile on the Dead BM road is bumpy, but no problem for a jeep. Never driven a Subaru, so not sure if that would go. I did not drive the road to the end. Hiked up the false summit to the W first, which has a fenced-in weather station. Its shown as being only a few feet lower than the BM but looked considerably lower from both vantagpoints.

Lots of little summits to the S towards US 50 to check out as well. Of all those I picked 9393, a steep, loose, scrubby mess up the S side. Pretty awful way to close out the day.

Steve -That Rabbit ears trip was with a warm weather camping only partner, so we stayed at Kremmling. Very cold that night. Next day we went back up to the pass. Hiked Little Haystack and Dennis Hump. Was going to wait for those Muddy Pass peaks till spring, since running into hunters on private land in the fall can be risky business, but you guys made it OK.

Last weekend I headed up the the Waugh saddle late afternoon Saturday, you were probably on Loco at the time.