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Fishers Peak this Fall
Posted:
Mon Aug 25, 2008 11:45 amby John Kirk
http://listsofjohn.com/PeakStats/Climbers.php?Id=3498
I know some folks have been interested at several points in time to nab Fishers Peak. I'd like to pin it down this year (Nov. most likely) with a potential second day to pick up some northeastern NM volcanoes.
Posted:
Mon Aug 25, 2008 2:06 pmby petekrz
John,
I'm definitely interested in this trip and group of peaks. Fishers Peak caught my eye this spring as a good off-season hike.
November would work for me.
Pete
Posted:
Mon Aug 25, 2008 6:10 pmby TWorth
I have tentative plans to do Zwishen/Fishers the weekend of Sept 20th-21st. If that doesn't happen, November would be great. It would be nice to find a quicker way in than using the long south approach.
Posted:
Tue Aug 26, 2008 9:52 amby Jeremy Hakes
I'd be interested, too. There is a trail and a description in one of my many many books, that I think goes up from the NE, but I don't remember for sure... I believe I actually do own the book that described the hike, though.
Posted:
Tue Aug 26, 2008 11:38 amby John Kirk
There is a description in the Ormes guide, but like many other descriptions in it, this is out-of-date (Chama Peak/Banded Peak access for instance). I plan on the long route Mike G describes (18 miles RT), unless there's is some definitive evidence that another route works. Tim, it will be interesting to get your perspective if you try another route this Sept.
Posted:
Tue Aug 26, 2008 12:05 pmby Jeremy Hakes
Actually, the route I'm thinking of is in one of the "Hiking Colorado" books, I think. I don't remember if it is Vol. 1,2, or 3. Much shorter hike... Where does Mike G describe the hike?
Posted:
Tue Aug 26, 2008 1:10 pmby John Kirk
Jeremy Hakes wrote:Where does Mike G describe the hike?
Per Mike (he says 15 miles, but a line in TOPO from where he is talking about is 9.7 miles one-way):
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.
Might be worth checking out the road that goes to the top of Bartlett Mesa (from there can pick up that NM ranked peak and ranked Bobblers Knob, CO). The Ormes route is actually from the West, closed off from public access now I believe:
google books link
Posted:
Tue Sep 02, 2008 11:46 amby Jeremy Hakes
Hiking Colorado II, Boddie, Caryn, Peter. 1997.
Pg 251.
6.4 miles RT
1300' gain
Near Raton Mesa area.
Wildlife closures Nov.1 - April 1
From Raton NM, X-452 east on NM-72 to Sugarite Canyon S.P. North on NM 256. Continue past Lake Dorothy State W. A. to TH on W side just after a bridge.
Basically, from the TH, head NW past the lake up onto the mesa, then head back SE a tiny bit to the HP.
Posted:
Tue Sep 02, 2008 11:56 amby Jeremy Hakes
Upon further review, I believe the book has a definite misprint of the elevation shown. I think they meant 8750'. Whoops.
The route is the same as Mike indicated, at least getting up onto the SE part of the Mesa.
So... evidently the jeep trail or pipeline from Trinidad is a no-go? That would be a lot shorter...
Posted:
Wed Sep 03, 2008 5:43 pmby TWorth
Jeremy Hakes wrote:Hiking Colorado II, Boddie, Caryn, Peter. 1997.
Pg 251.
6.4 miles RT
1300' gain
Near Raton Mesa area.
Wildlife closures Nov.1 - April 1
Fishers Peak from Lake Dorthy is definitely more than 6.4 miles RT. At the northern tip of Fishers Peak Mesa, my GPS showed I was 9 air miles away from the TH at Lake Dorthy. I saw nothing indicating a wildlife closure. My notes have a gain of 2900' for the day, which included a walk to the Fishers Peak Mesa HP(9626). Had to bail on Fishers due to incoming snow.
Posted:
Wed Sep 10, 2008 4:38 pmby kirkmallory
Is there an access issue for Banded Peak? That's high on my list.
Posted:
Wed Sep 10, 2008 7:13 pmby RyanSchilling
kirkmallory wrote:Is there an access issue for Banded Peak? That's high on my list.
I only know of the Ormes Guide's reference to private land at Chama Lake due to an oddly cut grant/FS boundary. Anyone know whether there's more to it?
Posted:
Thu Sep 11, 2008 6:26 pmby TWorth
I'm not sure about Chama Lake, but I had no trouble getting to a TH for a SE approach to Banded Pk. There is a good FS road coming in from NM, SW of Cumbres Pass. It goes through private land a few miles before hitting FS boundary at the state line. I was there 6/29 with the intention of doing Chama and Banded, but the Chama River was too high to make a safe crossing at that time.
Posted:
Fri Sep 12, 2008 11:40 amby kirkmallory
Thanks for the info - a route from the southeast was how I figured I would do it.
Posted:
Tue Sep 23, 2008 7:22 pmby TWorth
Nothing to add on alternate approaches to Fishers Peak. We used the south route on 9/19. Long day, no access issues.
Be sure to visit the 9600 ft contour
here. This spot may be higher than the Fishers Peak Mesa HP(a cairn E of the 9626 spot el and E of the pipeline) and Fishers Peak itself, in which case it would get the 1800+ ft of prominence. Sighting with my crappy level was inconclusive. The south approach is probably best to nab all three points.