SOTA outings by KØMOS and contributors

Tag: Big Thompson Canyon

  • W0C/FR-080 (Sheep Mountain) – 2576 m / 8450 ft

    W0C/FR-080
    Sheep Mountain
    2576m / 8450 ft
    Oct 7, 2015
    Sep 29, 2016

    By KX0R

    Key points:

    • City of Loveland and Roosevelt National Forest
    • Good maintained trail to the top
    • Easily accessible trailhead – eventually – closed now – see below!!
    • Moderate hike with considerable elevation gain
    • Beautiful trip through varied terrain
    • Plenty of wildlife
    • Pleasant forested summit with no fire damage
    • Starting elevation ~ 5770 feet
    • ~ 9.4 miles round trip
    • ~ 2800 total vertical feet of gain

    There are many “Sheep Mountains” in Colorado. Sheep Mountain W0C/FR-080 is a prominent summit on the south side of the Big Thompson Canyon, west of Loveland, Colorado. It’s about 2 miles from Palisade Mountain W0C/FR-084, across the canyon.

    Thanks to Brian N0BCB for first activating W0C/FR-080. This aroused my curiosity about the big mountain. When I first looked at the Google map, I assumed that there was no trail. Eventually I learned otherwise…

    The USFS Round Mountain Trail # 969 leads all the way to the summit of Sheep Mountain. This is a National Recreation Trail; it was built mostly by the CCC in the 1930’s. The upper part is called the Summit Adventure Trail. This is a well-maintained hiking trail with excellent access; the USFS says use is light.

    Driving Directions:

    • Drive several miles west of Loveland on Highway 34.
    • The trailhead is about 4 miles west of the Dam Store
    • In the canyon, pass the closed entrance to the Loveland Viestenz-Smith Mountain Park on the right
    • Look on the left for a sign
    • Immediately turn left onto a marked dirt road leading into the parking area
    • There’s space for about 20 cars
    • Parking is free

    *** In 2017 the Big Thompson Canyon Highway 34, including the area near this trailhead, is closed due to highway re-construction.  Check online before going up there!!

    This trailhead isn’t labeled on Google Maps, and the Round Mountain Trail is not shown at all!

    The Hike:

    • Start up the trail on the Foothills Nature Trail, which is property of Loveland.
    • After ¼ mile, the Round Mountain Trail splits off to the left at a sign.
    • At first the trail climbs gently east, across a steep, north-facing slope
    • Then it climbs progressively up the northeast ridge of Sheep Mountain.
    • The route leads southwest through some interesting rock formations


    • At 7380 feet, it turns south and contours into a pleasant valley
    • The path ascends the head of the valley to the saddle southeast of Sheep Mountain
    • From the saddle, the trail climbs 1000 vertical feet, up several switchbacks to the summit.

    The only water on the trail is a spring along the trail in the valley, at about 7370 feet. There’s a warning there that the water must be treated to be safe to drink. Carry enough water, or use a pump-filter or other means to purify the available water.

    The forested summit is large and relatively flat – the Activation Zone is spacious! There are plenty of pine trees for supporting a pole or a wire. I set up my gear about 100 feet north of the summit, in a pleasant spot at the edge of a small meadow. It was quiet, and I saw no one while I was up there.

    There’s no development or radio equipment on the mountain. Sheep Mountain is an ideal radio site, with no close sources of RF noise, and it’s not blocked by any higher mountains nearby. This peak has pretty good UHF/VHF coverage of much of the greater Denver metro area, as well other cities along the northern Front Range.

    My HF SOTA activations on Sheep Mountain have been easy and fun!  With an ATS-3B radio, an end-fed wire, and only 5 watts output:

    October 7, 2015, I spent more than an hour on the air, and I logged 25 CW contacts on 7, 10, 14, and 18 MHz. This session included one summit-to-summit (S2S) contact.

    September 29, 2016, I logged 44 CW contacts on 7, 10, and 14 MHz. This session included two S2S contacts.

    Later I enjoyed exploring the top of the mountain and looking for views. This forested peak has no wide vistas, but dramatic views can be found at nearby crags.

    Even though the USFS classifies the Round Mountain Trail as “most difficult”, this is a relative rating. It’s a moderately stiff trail, and it might be better to skip it on a hot day – or start really early. This is a fine climb for experienced hikers with light gear, but it might be arduous for those not used to the altitude, or carrying too much weight. It’s also too long for a good family hike. Unless you’re a SOTA activator, the summit’s slightly disappointing. I thought the hike was really nice in early October!

    Other SOTA peaks are near Sheep Mountain:

    W0C/FR-084 Palisade Mountain 2 miles north, across the canyon
    W0C/FR-192 8310 2 miles west
    W0C/FR-103 Alexander Mountain 3-1/2 miles east
    W0C/FR-057 Crosier Mountain 6 miles west
    W0C/FR-064 West Crosier 7 miles west

    Of these, Palisade is the easiest peak to combine with Sheep Mountain for a dual activation.

    Sheep Mountain is a fine SOTA peak with a convenient trailhead. Activators who like to hike with light equipment will enjoy this peak. This is another Colorado two-point summit that comes with lots of exercise and few hassles.

    73

    George
    KX0R

    ATTENTION !! WARNING !! There are old mountaineers, and bold mountaineers… there are no old-bold mountaineers. Hiking and mountain climbing are potentially hazardous activities particularly in Colorado with its extreme elevations. I am not accepting responsibility for any death or injury resulting from activations based on my trip reports. Proper training, experience, and personal capability assessment is required – enjoy!

  • W0C/FR-084 (Palisade Mountain) – 2519 m / 8264 ft

    W0C/FR-084
    Palisade Mountain
    2519 m / 8264 ft
    Aug 3, 2015

    By KX0R

    Palisade Mountain is everything its name suggests! It towers high above the Big Thompson Canyon west of Loveland, and its cliffs look impossible to climb. Until I learned about the road up the back side, I avoided this prominent mass of rock.

    Key points:

    • Roosevelt National Forest
    • Near Drake, west of Loveland
    • Easy hike
    • Maintained trail leads almost to the top
    • Little development near the summit
    • 2WD dirt road to the tiny trailhead
    • ~2.5 miles round-trip
    • ~860 vertical feet
    • The climb takes less than an hour

    Driving Directions:

    • Drive to Highway 34 and follow it west into the mountains.
    • Continue several miles to the town of Drake. This area was heavily damaged in the 2013 floods, and reconstruction is underway.
    • Check online about access before going up there
    • Turn right on Road 43 at Drake
    • Drive about ¼ miles to Storm Mountain Road.
    • Turn right, north, and follow the steep 2WD road up a side-canyon.
    • At about 7000 feet elevation, the road reaches a plateau and a mountain subdivision.
    • Turn right on Palisade Mountain Drive and drive east about 0.3 mile.
    • Turn right, south, on Snowtop Drive.
    • Follow Snowtop up a small valley about a mile to the trailhead.
    • The trailhead is west of a sharp bend in the road, on the south side, at a USFS gate.
    • This spot is on the west ridge at about 7400 feet.

    Snowtop Drive is heavily posted with signs, and parking is allowed only at the tiny trailhead. The trailhead is so small that there’s space for only two or three vehicles. Posted private land is immediately west of the trailhead. This place is mostly used by local residents. In order to park here, avoid weekends, and/or get up there really early.

    The Hike:

    • Hike past the gate at the trailhead
    • Follow a jeep road a short distance east
    • An unmarked trail leads east through a meadow toward the mountain
    • The route climbs northeast toward the peak

    The trail ascends around the forested north side of the western sub-peak, avoiding cliffs and steep slopes.

    At about 8000 feet, the route reaches the saddle between the sub-peak and the summit.

    • The path ascends east and then north, through a rocky section
    • Follow the cairns toward the summit, for about ¼ mile from the saddle to the top.
    • Scramble up a short, steep, rocky gully – there really is no trail here
    • Cairns mark the route – it’s not difficult.

    Useful Details:

    The summit’s a rocky knob with a few convenient trees. Fine views are all around. Sheep Mountain W0C/FR-080 stands across the canyon to the south, Crosier Mountain W0C/FR-057 is several miles to the west, Storm Mountain stands in the northwest, and the high peaks of Rocky Mountain National Park are visible to the west and southwest.

    The SOTA activation zone is all granite, but there’s plenty of room to set up HF radio equipment. A pole makes it easy to erect a wire antenna, but it would be possible to improvise with the small trees instead. This is a fine HF site! Palisade is extremely prominent, with no higher peaks close enough to affect HF propagation. It’s probably an excellent VHF/UHF site as well, being farther east than most other peaks in the area. It has an almost clear view out across the plains, as well as south and north across the greater Denver metro area.

    There’s very little HF radio noise on Palisade Mountain. The local houses are far enough away that the noise level is not elevated much. I had a pleasant HF activation on Palisade’s summit. I set up right on top, and the weather was stable.

    Summary of radio contacts:

    28 CW Contacts 10, 14, 18, 21 Mhz One S2S One DX – EA2LU

    Palisade Mountain’s high local prominence makes it a target for lightning. Higher mountains to the west generate thunder storms in spring and summer; it’s essential to climb Palisade on dry days, or early enough to avoid storms.

    Palisade is low enough that it should be relatively accessible in winter. If the road’s open, and if parking’s available at the trailhead, the route up the mountain would not be difficult with snowshoes, etc.

    73

    George
    KX0R

    ATTENTION !! WARNING !! There are old mountaineers, and bold mountaineers… there are no old-bold mountaineers. Hiking and mountain climbing are potentially hazardous activities particularly in Colorado with its extreme elevations. I am not accepting responsibility for any death or injury resulting from activations based on my trip reports. Proper training, experience, and personal capability assessment is required – enjoy!