W0C/FR-156
9986
3044 m / 9986 ft
First Activation
Sep 15, 2016

By KX0R

Peak 9986 is a challenging SOTA peak near Barnes Meadow Reservoir in the Poudre Canyon of Northern Colorado.

Key Points:

• Roosevelt National Forest
• Obscure summit, rarely visited
• No obvious trailhead
• No marked trail
• Steep, off-trail ascent through thick forest with plenty of deadfall
• Challenging navigation most of the way
• Excellent HF radio site
• ~ 5.4 miles round trip
• ~ 1000 vertical feet

Driving Directions:

• Drive to Fort Collins
• Go north on Highway 287 about 10 miles
• Turn west on Highway 14 at Ted’s Place
• Drive up the Poudre Canyon to where CR-103 heads off to the north to Chambers Lake, Gledevey, etc.
• This junction is about 51 miles from Ted’s Place
• Pass this intersection and go about ¼ mile further up Highway 14 to Barnes Meadow Reservoir.
• This reservoir is not visible from the highway, but the dam is visible; there’s no marked trail-head.
• Park just off the highway, near the southwest corner of the Reservoir.
• The parking spot is northwest of some red rocks piled along the shore – see the Google satellite image.

The Hike and the Climb:

• Hike from the parking spot to the southwest corner of the reservoir.
• From there, a trail leads east along the south shore of the lake. This is easy to see on the satellite image.
• This trail is mostly used by fishermen.
• The south shore is open to the public.

• Follow the path along the shore for a bit more than a mile, all the way to the northeast corner of the reservoir.
• Even though it’s tempting, DO NOT hike across the dam on the west side of the lake to access the north shore – the entire area is posted and closed to the public.
• The south shore is not posted, and it provides good legal access to the National Forest and Peak 9986 northeast of the Reservoir.
• The path gets primitive toward the east end of the lake.
• At the northeast inlet, cross the small creek and head north into the forest.
• The remaining route to 9986 is off-trail.
• The general idea is to climb steeply north to about 9600 feet, and then follow the moderate east ridge of the mountain up to the summit.
• The summit is not visible until you get on top of the ridge.

Useful Details:

GPS is helpful for navigating up through the rocky gullies, thick forest, and deadfall on the route to 9986.

Only strong hikers with backcountry, off-trail experience should attempt to climb 9986. Avoid steep, cliffy areas southwest of the summit, as well as the deep Cache la Poudre River Canyon east of the mountain.

There are many game trails that help make the southeast ridge route work. Most of the gulches and ridges have game trails. This is a good area for deer, elk, and moose.

The actual summit of 9986 is a large boulder; I didn’t see a register in a jar, etc.

The activation zone extends a long way along the east-west ridge-top, so many good spots are available for setting up and operating on the radio. The summit is essentially in the wilderness, more than a mile from a bit of development near the highway, and the RF noise level is very low. While not the highest point in the area, it has enough prominence to be a nice HF site. Because of the surrounding mountains, the peak probably has poor VHF/UHF coverage.

With wet weather moving in quickly, I set up my radio gear just east of the summit under an evergreen tree.

 

In spite of some snow flurries and wind, my activation went well, with 30 CW contacts logged on the 40-30-20M bands.  The sun came out after I was done!

9986 is not far from several other SOTA peaks near the Poudre Canyon; it might be combined with another hike for a dual activation. Nearby possibilities include:

W0C/FR-131 10980
W0C/PR-072 North Diamond Peak
W0C/PR-061 Iron Mountain
W0C/PR-006 Lulu Mountain
W0C/FR-027 Cameron Peak

It would be a long day. A trip up 9986 and back is a pretty good workout by any standard.

Here’s an excellent report of a winter expedition to 9986.

Numerous campgrounds and other facilities are available in the Poudre Canyon area. North Park is only a half-hour drive to the west. Opportunities for recreation are numerous!

73

George
KX0R

Aspen Gallery:

 

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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!