Author:
Gary Swing
Participants: Gary Swing and Mark
Laity-Snyder
Guidebooks:
100 Hikes in Colorado by Scott Warren, and
Colorado's Indian Peaks Wilderness Area:
Classic Hikes and Climbs by Gerry Roach
Statistics:
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Elevation 13,223 feet
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Standard Rank: 457
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Round Trip Distance: 8 miles
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Difficulty: Class 1, Easy Hiking
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Starting Elevation: 10,500 feet
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Elevation Gain: 2,723 feet
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USGS Map: Ward 7.5 minute
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Round Trip Hiking Time: 4 hours, 25 minutes
Mount Audubon is a popular hiking destination due
to its easy access from a paved road and its relative
proximity to the Denver-Boulder metropolitan region.
While Audubon is undistinguished by its altitude, it
offers an easy trail to a high summit with extensive
views in every direction.
My friend Mark and I did this trip as a full moon
hike. I had hiked either up or down mountains at night
before, but this would be my first time hiking a high
peak entirely at night. Indian summer had brought an
extended period of warm, clear, and sunny days to
Colorado, melting off much of the early season snow in
the high country.
Mark and I had originally planned to do a night
climb of Pettingell Peak from Interstate 70, but
logistical problems caused us to make a last minute
change of plans. I drove up from Denver to Boulder to
meet Mark at a restaurant called Zucchini's. From
Boulder, we drove 16 miles west up Boulder Canyon to
Nederland, then north about 14 miles to the town of
Ward on Highway 72 (the Peak to Peak Highway). We
turned left from 72 onto a paved road marked with a
sign to Brainerd Lake. We took two right forks from
the west end of Brainerd Lake to reach the Mitchell
Lake and Blue Lake trailhead parking area. These roads
are paved all the way to the trailhead. There is
supposed to be an entrance fee for visitors to the
Brainerd Lake area, but we didn't pay it. I'm not sure
if the fee is seasonal, or in effect only during the
daytime. Perhaps we were supposed to pay on a
self-service basis, but if so, this was not evident.
We started our hike at 7:05 pm, nearly an hour
after sunset. We had one pack which I brought, stuffed
with layered clothing, water, snack foods, a map which
we didn't need, crampons which we didn't need, and a
headlamp and batteries which we also didn't need.
The trail to Mount Audubon started from a
signpost at the north end of the parking lot. The
route followed the Beaver Creek Trail for 1.5 miles to
a signed junction for the Mount Audubon Trail at
11,300 feet, shortly after climbing out of the trees.
The Mount Audubon Trail turns left at this junction.
The moon shone brightly, without a cloud in the
sky. The trail was good, with intermittent patches of
thin, hard-packed snow. On the way up, we were walking
in our own shadows, which made the footing a bit
trickier to see, but we didn't need to use the
headlamp.
Above treeline, we headed west-northwest up the
broad, sweeping east slopes of Mount Audubon. In the
distance to the east of us, we could see the eastern
plains dotted with the lights of more than two million
Boulder-Denver metropolitan residents. There was a
cold, stiff wind above the timber that forced us to
bundle up. We took a rest break around 12,400 feet.
While we were sitting, a small dog passed us, leading
its three companion humans back down the mountain.
We reached a small saddle northeast of Mount
Audubon around 12,580 feet. From here, the route was
more difficult to see at night, and we strayed from
the trail. The wind became stronger as we approached
the summit. It was especially harsh when we reached
the ridge top. There were several breastworks around
the summit area, providing shelter from the wind. We
reached the summit at 9:30 and took a snack break for
about ten to fifteen minutes until we felt too cold to
remain sitting. We did not see a summit register.
The return route was easy, but the wind was
picking up. It was all downhill, so no particular
exertion was needed, and we were no longer walking in
our own shadows. Some of the hard-packed snow patches
proved slippery on the way down, and the rocks tried
to trip us from time to time. Soon after we re-entered
the trees, we saw another dog coming up the trail,
taking its man for a nice evening walk. We reached
the parking area at 11:30, just under 4 ½ hours after
we started.
