W0C/FR-171
Green Mountain
2818 m / 9245 ft
First Activation
Nov 13, 2016

By KX0R

Green Mountain is a relatively easy, fun SOTA peak in the Laramie Mountains of Northern Colorado.

Key Points:

• Access via Roosevelt National Forest
• Dead Tree State Wildlife Area
• Gentle climb to a pleasant, prominent summit
• Nice scenery
• Fine HF site
• Long dirt road access
• Forest road runs close to the peak
• Google Maps don’t show the road access adequately
• Beware of hunters in fall
• ~ 1.6 miles round-trip
• ~ 250 vertical feet

Driving Directions:

• Start up Highway 287 northwest of Fort Collins
• Drive about 23 miles from the northern edge of Fort Collins
• Turn west on Cherokee Park Road 80C
• This road is a pretty good 2WD dirt road
• It gets rougher and steeper as it climbs into the mountains
• Drive northwest on Road 80C for about 28 miles
• Turn north on FR 315 – the junction is marked by a sign.
• Drive northeast about 1.9 miles and ascend about 600 vertical feet
• FR 315 is a small 2WD road – too rough for many cars
• Park slightly west of the high point of the road, between 8940 and 9000 feet
• There’s no trail or marked trailhead

The Hike:

• The route is up the southeast slopes of Green Mountain
• Study the satellite image and the topo map
• GPS is strongly recommended for this hike
• The peak is the highest summit of many sub-peaks, several of which are above 9200 feet, on a long forested ridge running WSW-ENE
• Be sure you climb the correct summit
• Hike through meadows in a logged area, first north, and then west
• Short-cut through some thick remaining stands of trees, or go around them on the east side
• Climb the southeast side of the peak
• This route’s fairly open, with good game trails running right up to the top
• A huge rock cairn and a benchmark mark the summit.
• If you don’t see the cairn, you’re not at the right summit!

Additional Details:

This is another remote, seldom-climbed Colorado summit that provides a fine experience and a good SOTA activation. The most challenging task is locating the peak. The summit is listed as Dead Tree Benchmark on some maps.  The southern approach to the peak is from the Roosevelt National Forest.  The peak itself may be in the Dead Tree State Wildlife Area.  It’s not posted.

Green Mountain is only 2-1/2 miles from Wyoming. There are fine views of northern Colorado and southeast Wyoming.

There’s no development nearby, and the RF noise level is very low. The SOTA Activation Zone is large and pleasant. Good spots for setting up gear are available near the top, as well as on the ridge.

Many good trees grow up there, and shelter from the wind is easy to find. The day we climbed Green Mountain, it was cool and windy, but we were both comfortable during our joint activation – we set up our gear in sunny, sheltered spots.

The area around Green Mountain has many deer and elk, as well as many hunters in the fall. Definitely wear safety orange if you go there during hunting season.

This is a good summit to combine with nearby W0C/FR-183, 8740, for a dual activation with little extra driving.

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!