{"id":5341,"date":"2015-02-28T13:16:55","date_gmt":"2015-02-28T20:16:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.schnizer.com\/SOTAblog\/?p=5341"},"modified":"2017-01-28T21:01:40","modified_gmt":"2017-01-29T04:01:40","slug":"w0cfr148-buckeye-mountain-3085-10140-ft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.schnizer.com\/SOTAblog\/sota-trip-report\/w0cfr148-buckeye-mountain-3085-10140-ft\/","title":{"rendered":"W\u00d8C\/FR-148 (Buckeye Mountain) – 3091 M \/ 10140 ft"},"content":{"rendered":"

W0C\/FR-148
\nBuckeye Mountain
\n3091 M \/ 10140 ft
\nAug 10, 2013 First Activation
\nJan 25, 2014<\/p>\n

Buckeye Mountain<\/a> is a prominent sub-alpine summit between South Boulder Creek and Middle Boulder Creek, about three miles southwest of Nederland. The peak is on the south side of the Eldora Mountain Resort<\/a>; access is tricky because of private land.<\/p>\n

\"Buckeye<\/a>

Buckeye Mountain West Side<\/p><\/div>\n

Some of the Nordic trails controlled by the Eldora Resort<\/a>\u00a0lead close to the summit of Buckeye, so the easiest and best way to activate this peak is to climb it using those Nordic trails! This wild and beautiful mountain offers a fun, unique winter activation.<\/p>\n

To climb Buckeye, start by driving to Nederland, and follow Highways 119, 130, and 140 about 3 miles west to the Eldora Mountain Resort<\/a>. To avoid crowds and parking problems, get there early. Park on the east side of large parking area and walk over to the Nordic Center, east of the main ski area. Walk inside and purchase a day pass from the friendly folks, and be sure to get a copy of the trail map.<\/p>\n

Eldora Nordic Trail Map<\/a><\/p>\n

The groomed ski trails and the snowshoe paths overlap somewhat, and a map is needed in order to navigate this complex Nordic recreation area. Skiers don\u2019t want snowshoe tracks on their groomed trails, so separate snowshoe trails are provided and marked.<\/p>\n

The Eldora Nordic Trail Map<\/a> provides much key information required to approach Buckeye, but there are a few points to note:<\/p>\n

1) The Nordic map is upside down \u2013 south is at the top. Compass directions are not shown on the map, and there is no distance scale either! Just remember that Buckeye is south of the parking area, and you\u2019ll be going uphill to the south. When comparing to a GPS or topo map, turn the Eldora map upside down to reduce confusion.<\/p>\n

2) The Nordic map does not show Buckeye or the route to the summit. Good navigation is required for the last part of the climb. You must leave the marked trail, travel on unmaintained trails, and climb off-trail through the woods to the peak.<\/p>\n

3) Although the lower parts of the Nordic area are busy with skiers and hikers on snowshoes, few people visit the upper trails near the top of Buckeye. \u00a0Almost no one summits Buckeye in winter – you\u2019re on your own up there!\u00a0The return trip could be tricky if you make a navigation error.<\/p>\n

4) The Google map on the SOTA page for Buckeye shows the Buckeye summit incorrectly – the summit is about 1000 feet south of where it’s shown – this is obvious from the contours. \u00a0The Google map also doesn’t show any of the trails up there.<\/p>\n

I recommend using snowshoes for this expedition. If you\u2019re good on Nordic skis, go for it! The last part of the ascent is off-trail and somewhat rough, and snowshoes are useful. If the snow is not too deep, it certainly would be OK to ski most of the way and then hike to the summit.<\/p>\n

From the Nordic Center, ski or snowshoe generally south up toward Buckeye. Depending on whether you skiing or snowshoeing, you will use differently named trails to ascend the first half mile or so. Then either climb via the eastern Rising Sun Trail or one of the western trails (Setting Sun, or Lone Star). You need to end up at the southern Lone Star Loop, shown as a red snowshoe route at the top of the Nordic Center map (south).<\/p>\n

Here’s my somewhat incomplete GPS Track:<\/p>\n

Buckeye Mtn SOTA 1-25-2014<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Eldora<\/a>

Eldora Nordic Area Lone Star Loop Sign<\/p><\/div>\n

There are unmaintained trails south of the Nordic trails, off the Nordic map, and these trails provide access close to the Buckeye summit. I climbed up the Rising Sun trail to the intersection with the marked cutoff to the Tennessee Mountain Cabin. Buckeye is somewhat visible once you get up there. I headed south along an unmaintained trail, and after about 1\/2 mile, I reached a saddle at 10,000 feet, only about 1000 feet west of Buckeye\u2019s summit. Then I left the trail and headed for the northwest ridge of Buckeye. It gets a bit steep and rocky near the top, but it\u2019s no problem to reach the peak.<\/p>\n

\"Off-trail<\/a>

Off-trail Route to Buckeye<\/p><\/div>\n

The summit is a rocky ridge with many live and dead trees. The activation zone is large, and there are several places where you can set up and get on the air. I went to the eastern part of the ridge to minimize wind. On a calm, sunny day the views east, south, and west are spectacular! Be prepared for wind on top.<\/p>\n

Click this Image!<\/p>\n

\"View<\/a>

View Southwest from Buckeye Mountain<\/p><\/div>\n

I didn\u2019t take a pole, because I wanted to be inconspicuous on the Nordic trails. There are plenty of trees on the summit ridge that can be used to support a wire for a successful HF activation \u2013 a pole is unnecessary.<\/p>\n\n\t\t