Distance: ~5 miles
Elevation Gain: ~3000’
Time: ~4 hours
Date: 12/24/2011
After communicating with Forrest Thorniley who climbed Vasquez Peak last month, we knew the peak would not be skiable, but decided to take skis for the approach. Julie & I met in Golden and drove to the Butler Gulch/Jones Pass Road winter trailhead. We started skinning up Jones Pass Road until we encountered a closed road heading up the drainage between Vasquez Peak & 12316. We left the road and started heading northeast towards the Vasquez Peak-12316 saddle, then directly up the southwest face of Vasquez Peak to snowline. We dropped our skis and continued on foot to the summit while enjoying the beautiful views. We returned to our skis and made a quick descent down the drainage finding a thin snowpack, but an enjoyable descent nonetheless.
12316 from Jones Pass Road
Vasquez Peak from Jones Pass Road
Vasquez Peak
12316
Looking west from the summit
Tracks
Vasquez Map
Distance: ~2 miles
Elevation Gain: 224'
Time: ~40 minutes
After a quick stop at Tommyknocker Brewery, we decided to hike up Genesee Mountain. I was surprised to find the Genesee Mountain Road closed at the intersection with Genesee Drive due to snow. The hike was easy enough and we joked that there was more snow on Genesee at 8000’ than Vasquez at 12,000’!
Genesee Map