W0C/SP-098 (10140) – 3085M / 10140 ft
Oct 24, 2013  First Activation

by KX0R

Summit 10140 is the little sister of W0C/SP-090 (Crooked Top Mountain) 3183 M / 10465 ft. 10140 is about 1 mile west of Crooked Top. Both mountains can be climbed using the same approach to the 9550 foot saddle (pass) between them. When climbed and activated along with Crooked Top, 10140 provides a rewarding dual SOTA outing.

The route to 10140 and Crooked Top begins with a drive west from Denver on Highway 285. 10140 is located about 4 miles NW of Bailey, but the best road approach is via Road 43, the Deer Creek Road. The marked turn to Road 43 is about one mile east of Crow Hill. From 285, turn right (north) on 43A, continue north about 0.4 mile to 43, and then drive northwest on 43 about 6 miles. Find Saddlestring Road, turn left, cross over Deer Creek, and follow Saddlestring past several other roads to a large parking area and a marked 4WD road (997/P-63) leading uphill – south – into the Pike National Forest. The entire route is shown accurately on Google Maps. Follow FSR 997/P-63 about two miles, first west and then south, to a marked junction with FSR 105, where it becomes FSR 101. Continue left, southeast, on 101, approximately along the 9400 foot contour line, for more than a mile.

Road 101 has two junctions with FSR-105, a 4WD loop road leading over the ridge to the SW. There is a large gate at the second (SE) junction. When I went up there in late October, that gate was closed across road 101. If the gate is open, you may be able to drive all the way to the Pass at about 9550 feet between Crooked Top and 10140; if the gate’s closed, just park there and walk up the gentle road to the Pass.

A couple of key points:

1. The route from Saddlestring Road to the Pass at 9550 is called a 4WD road on signs, but it’s not a true 4WD road – 2WD vehicles with medium to high clearance can handle this road, as long as conditions are OK and the driver is careful. There are plenty of rocks and other problems, and it’s over 4 miles of bumps, but there are no really steep spots, big humps, mud-holes, or large rocks. It appears that dispersed camping and fires are permitted along the road.

2. There is no open road from the 9550 Pass to the southeast. You cannot drive NW from Crow Hill (285) and reach the 9550 Pass from the south. There may have been such a road (101) through Crow Gulch – as shown on some maps – but it’s no longer an option. Google Maps is correct – FSR 101 continues SE down from the Pass for about 1.5 miles, but it’s closed. There also was a locked gate at the Pass the day I was there, and there’s a fence across the Pass. Despite the barriers, much of the land immediately south of the Pass, including 10140 and Crooked Top Mountain, is in Pike National Forest.

From the Pass, head west up the moderate east ridge of 10140. This forested slope is easy to climb, and it’s less than 600 vertical feet and about ½ mile to the top. The route is more open just south of the ridge, and there are game trails near the summit. Note that there is another summit about 2000 feet south of 10140 that is almost as high – but the SOTA summit is the northern one, as shown on USGS maps. 10140 is a local maximum on a long, high ridge that runs for miles, from Mount Logan to Crow Hill.

The 10140 summit has convenient spots to set up a rig, with good trees and some shelter from wind. The view is nice, but the view from higher Crooked Top is more impressive. It looks like there’s another hiking route up 10140 via the NW ridge, from either FSR 101 or jeep trail FSR-105.

10140 and Crooked Top offer a classic dual SOTA activation – weather and time permitting. These two peaks are very convenient to each other. Start early and do them both!

George Carey Fuller
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!