W0C/PR-006
Lulu Mountain
3727 m / 12228 ft
First Activation
July 20, 2015

By KX0R

Lulu Mountain is a prominent alpine summit in the northwest part of Rocky Mountain National Park.

• Wilderness summit
• Trailheads near Cameron Pass
• Access via Thunder Pass, west of Lulu
• Unmarked climbers trail up the northwest ridge
• This trip is Grade I, Class 2, with Class 2 on part of the summit ridge
• Wonderful views
• Fine HF site
• The total one-way distance ~ 4.8 miles
• The total elevation gain ~ 2400 feet
• SOTA Classic !

Driving Directions:

• Drive to Fort Collins
• Follow Highway 287 about 10 miles northwest to Highway 14
• Drive up the entire 60 miles of Poudre Canyon to Cameron Pass
• Continue past Cameron Pass about 2 miles
• Turn left on marked Road 62 into the Colorado State Forest.
• This 2WD road is passable by most cars to the American Lakes Trailhead
• Drive about 1-1/2 miles east from the turnoff at Highway 14
• The American Lakes Trailhead is at about 9800 feet
• There’s room for several vehicles
• A Colorado State Parks Pass is required for parking and entry
• There’s a fee for a day pass.

An alternate place to park and enter this area exists – a large parking area off the main highway is just north of Cameron Pass. This is a popular spot; get there early, especially on weekends. There is no fee to park.

Cross Highway 14 and look for a gated dirt road that parallels a ditch. A fee is requested to walk this road into the State Forest. Follow the almost level road for about two miles southeast along the ditch to where it intersects the American Lakes Trail near 10,400 feet elevation. The route is mostly the same as via the American Lakes Trailhead.

The “ditch route” adds an easy mile each way, but it avoids several miles of driving on the highway and the dirt road. The total time to the summit is about the same with either route.

Note: The “ditch route” was closed for construction during the summer of 2016. Hopefully it will be open in 2017.

The Hike:

• Follow the pleasant American Lakes Trail up the grade to American Lakes at 11,200 feet

• This is a beautiful area, with moose, deer, elk, trout, lush vegetation, and wildflowers in summer.
• Continue southeast via the trail to Thunder Pass at about 11,340 feet.

• Climb up the moderately steep west ridge of Lulu Mountain to the peak.
• It’s almost 900 vertical feet, and less than half a mile, from Thunder Pass
• The route’s somewhat rocky near the top – follow the ridge all the way up

Additional Details:

The summit of Lulu Mountain is small, with a large rock shelter on top. Incredible views are all around. Most of Rocky Mountain National Park is to the south; Mount Richthofen and the Nokhu Crags stand to the west; neighboring Thunder Mountain is northeast; Iron Mountain is two miles north; the Diamond Peaks are about four miles northwest; and Clark Peak stands high up north in the Rawah Wilderness. The Park Range reaches up beyond North Park in the west; Longs Peak is visible far to the southeast. The views enhance the radio operating!

There’s plenty of space for an HF activation right on top. It was sunny and just breezy when I was there, so I set up at the rock shelter. I guyed my pole to three rocks – this is sometimes the only good choice on alpine summits. A pole is required for a wire antenna. Lulu Mountain is miles from development – it’s a very quiet site on HF.

Lulu Mountain is a SOTA Classic for several reasons:

• Spectacular views
• Fun sub-alpine and alpine hike
• Prominent summit
• Less traveled
• Wilderness site
• Low RF Noise

Lulu Mountain is one of the highest summits for several miles around. The area around Thunder Pass breeds lightning storms in summer. Get an early start, and don’t climb Lulu if storms are likely!

Lulu might be combined with other nearby SOTA peaks for a dual activation. It would be a long day:

Iron Mountain W0C/PR-061 2 miles northeast along the ridge
North Diamond Peak W0C/PR-072 4 miles northwest, near Cameron Pass

There are many opportunities for camping, backpacking, fishing, and other recreation in the nearby National Forests, the Colorado State Forest, and Rocky Mountain National Park.

Lulu Mountain also is accessible from the Colorado River Trailhead, in Rocky Mountain National Park, off Highway 34. This long, scenic route is 7.7 miles one-way, with a vertical gain of about 3200 feet; it’s Grade II, Class 2.

73

George
KX0R

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!! 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!