More Cimarron
This post is a continuation of my previous post featuring the Cimarron River region of the San Juan Mountains in southwest Colorado . Enjoy.
Scruffy Turret Ridge separates Middle Fork Cimarron River from West Fork Cimarron River. Some technical rock climbing takes place here. However, rock climbing is minimal, as the conglomerate can be crumbly and loose. On the other hand, high alpine mountaineering is common, especially on classic peaks such as Coxcomb.
The entire West Fork looked like this – even more colorful in places.
Paintbrush
Castilleja rhexifolia (rose)
Figwort family
Dunsinane Mountain rises above West Fork Cimarron to 12,742 feet. The peak also makes an appearance in the original True Grit movie with John Wayne and Kim Darby. The peak to the right is 13,144-foot Precipice Peak; it is aptly named when viewed from the Middle Fork.
Point 12,260 is the highest peak of Turret Ridge (upper right). It was not summited until 1979. It rivals Lizard Head as the most difficult summit to reach in Colorado. The last I checked, less than ten climbers had summited all of Colorado's peaks exceeding 12,000 feet. That's about 1,200 peaks, plus a few. Peak 12,260 is included in that list, as is Lizard Head.
Adios
I'm in heaven. Literally. This was one of the best wildflower trips ever!
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