SOTA outings by KØMOS and contributors

Tag: Swan Mountain

  • W0C/PR-107 (10450) – 3185 m / 10450 ft

    W0C/PR-107
    10450
    3185 m / 10450 ft
    First Activation
    Sep 12, 2016

    By KX0R

    Peak 10450 is a fun SOTA peak hidden in the forest near Breckenridge, Colorado

    • White River National Forest
    • Good marked trail much of the way
    • Very moderate off-trail final climb, about 0.6 mile to a pleasant forested summit
    • Nice hike partly along the Colorado Trail
    • Interesting, popular trailhead
    • Obscure summit, rarely visited
    • ~ 5.5 miles round-trip
    • ~ 1000 vertical feet

    Driving Directions:

    • Drive west from Denver on I-70 to Frisco
    • Turn south on Highway 9 and drive toward Breckenridge
    • Turn left, east, at a stop light north of Breckenridge onto Tiger Road
    • About 2.1 miles from the stop light, look for a trailhead on the left (north) side of the road, at a small lake
    • This is the Horseshoe Gulch Trailhead
    • Galena Gulch leads south on the opposite side of the paved road from the Trailhead
    • This is called Blair Witch Trailhead on Google Maps (click the link for Drone Video!)
    • It’s also the site of the Tiger Gold Dredge, sitting in the small lake


    • It’s a very popular mountain bike trailhead with convenient access to the Colorado Trail
    • Parking is free, but the lot may fill up on summer weekends

    The Hike:

    • Hike around the east end of the lake by the dredge and follow the excellent Horseshoe Gulch Trail 9131 north up the valley. Keep an eye open for mountain bikers!
    • At about 0.5 miles, the trail intersects the Colorado Trail No. 1776

    • Follow the Colorado Trail east as it climbs switchbacks up a hill
    • The trail leads around the north side of the hill
    • Next it crosses an open, clear-cut saddle at about 9850 feet


    • The trail ascends around the north side of a higher ridge to a saddle at 10,200 feet


    • At the saddle, leave the trail and head south up the big forested ridge
    • Follow the ridge about 0.2 miles to a sub-peak at 10,400 feet
    • Continue southwest through the forest for 0.4 additional miles, along the relatively open ridge to the actual summit
    • The correct summit is obvious, because the land falls away steeply to the west, south, and east

    Additional Details:

    While you’ll probably see hikers and bikers on the Colorado Trail, Peak 10450 sees very few visitors – it’s an average summit surrounded by much higher peaks. However, 10450 is very accessible – I was surprised that it had not been activated for SOTA.

    Most of the route along the ridge is through open pine forest, but there are a few spots of thick lodge-poles with a little deadfall. Be sure to hike all the way south to the actual summit. There’s a pile of rocks near the peak.

    The large Activation Zone is open forest, with plenty of trees for supporting a pole or a wire. It’s possible to set up in a sunny spot with some shelter from wind. There are partial views through the trees off the south side.

    Because there’s no development near the peak, the HF noise level is low. It’s a fine HF site – I made 40 contacts on 4 HF bands. VHF/UHF coverage probably is limited to the area around Breckenridge and Frisco.

    Peak 10450 is close to Swan Mountain W0C/PR-098, and the two mountains could be climbed in a long day for a dual activation.

    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/PR-098 (Swan Mountain) – 3291 m / 10796 ft

    W0C/PR-098
    Swan Mountain
    3291 m / 10796 ft
    Aug 2, 2016

    By KX0R

    Swan Mountain is a somewhat challenging summit near Breckenridge. An old closed power-line road provides efficient access.

    • White River National Forest
    • Steep closed power-line road most of the way
    • Moderately short, off-trail climb to peak
    • Some navigation required
    • Good game trails near the top
    • Very prominent summit
    • Fine HF site
    • ~3.7 miles round-trip
    • ~1800 vertical feet

    Driving Directions:

    • Drive west on I-70 from Denver
    • Go through the Tunnel and continue to Frisco
    • Exit and follow Highway 9 south toward Breckenridge
    • At the southwest corner of Dillon Reservoir, turn east on Swan Mountain Road
    • Drive about 0.2 miles
    • Park across the river in a large parking area on the east side of the road.
    • Parking is free
    • The parking area is mostly used by fishermen

    The Hike and Climb:

    • Look for a social trail, and hike northeast from the parking spot a short distance
    • Head for the large power lines
    • Go through the woods and find the power-line road under the lines
    • Climb steeply up this closed road


    • Follow the power lines all the way up to a huge meadow at 9800 feet
    • Continue northeast along the road through the meadow


    • Swan Mountain is visible to the east
    • Follow the road as it ascends northwest of Swan Mountain, up to a saddle and power line junction at 10,300 feet
    • Leave the road and hike east up to the ridge at about 10,400 feet. There is some deadfall as you go up through the forest. Try to follow game trails near the ridge-top.
    • Continue southeast along the ridge and over a sub-peak at about 10650 feet
    • Continue across a shallow saddle at 10,600 feet and follow a game trail southeast, up through open forest to the peak.

    Additional Details:

     

    You’ll know you’re on top when you come to the classic old triangulation station still standing up there!

    There’s also a benchmark at that spot with the initials DMWW (Denver Water), the date 1931, and “N. SWAN”.

    The broad top of the prominent mountain is covered with widely-spaced pine trees. It’s easy to set up radio gear and a wire antenna. It’s relatively friendly, and there are few rock outcrops; the summit appears to be made of soft shale. Few people visit the summit. Views are limited by the trees, but where you can see off the peak, it’s very impressive.

    Swan Mountain is a good HF peak. The major power lines are some distance from the summit, and the RF noise level is low. No nearby peaks block skip signals significantly. I had no problem making 33 contacts on four HF bands from up there. VHF/UHF coverage is probably limited to the area around the Blue River Valley.

    Swan Mountain has a sister summit about 0.2 mile southeast of the main (north) peak. Both peaks have similar elevation, and the activation zone appears to include both of them, along with the shallow saddle between.

    It’s possible to access this peak more directly by climbing up to the saddle northeast of the summit from the meadows and forest below.

    I descended this way, and it was more pleasant than the northwest ridge route. GPS is recommended for navigation on Swan Mountain.

    This peak can be combined with several nearby SOTA peaks for a dual activation:

    10450 W0C/PR-107
    Mount Sniktau W0C/PR-031

    Be aware of hunters in the fall – wear bright orange.

    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!