Afternoon storm risk is the line that matters. Everything else is comfort. In summer, plan to be off the ridge before the build-up starts, not as it starts. Forecast for the summit point, adjusted for its elevation · data from Open-Meteo.
Colorado 13er · From Pingree Park over Mummy Pass
Overview
Rowe Peak is a remote summit in the northern Mummy Range, on the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park. From Pingree Park you hike to Mummy Pass, drop to the river below Rowe Mountain, and climb tundra up to the Rowe Mountain-Rowe Peak saddle.
The whole climb stays Class 2, right up to the rounded top. The difficulty is distance and route-finding off the trail.
The round trip is about 20 miles with about 5,300 feet of gain. Mileage and gain are our estimates. Rowe Mountain is a short Class 3 add-on.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 5 a.m. Very long day.
Turnaround
Be at the Rowe saddle by 11 a.m.
Crux
Distance and off-trail route-finding.
Route-finding
Moderate. Follow the river west to its source, then climb to the saddle. On the way back, mark the right drainage and the marker rocks near 13 miles that show where to climb back to the pond.
Water
Streams and the river below Rowe Mountain. Filter it.
From Fort Collins, take County Road 38E to Masonville. From the south, take US 287 to Highway 34 west, go about 6 miles and turn right on Buckhorn Road (Colorado 27) to Masonville.
From Masonville, head west about 10 miles and turn left at the Pennock Pass sign onto County Road 44H. Follow it about 18 miles over the pass to County Road 63E and the Pingree Park sign. Turn left and go about 3 miles to FR 145 and Tom Bennett Campground, on the right. About a quarter mile up the hill is the Emmaline Lake trailhead sign.
Regular cars park here. A rough half-mile 4WD track with 12- to 18-inch rocks continues to a gate with room for a few cars.
Trail in the treesRidgeTundraExposed to lightning
The line is elevation, the band underneath is the ground, and the numbered dots match the steps below. Mileage and elevations are approximate.
1
Gate 9,000' · 0 mi
Past the gate, follow the dirt road down and through aspens, gaining a few hundred feet.
2
River crossing 9,300' · 1.6 mi
Cross a river.
3
Mummy Pass Trail 9,500' · 2 mi
Turn onto the Mummy Pass Trail. It climbs gradually through woods.
4
Treeline 11,000' · 4.5 mi
Break out above the trees. Cairns lead toward Mummy Pass.
5
Mummy Pass 11,450' · 5.9 mi
Cross the flat meadows of the pass. Rowe Mountain and the route come into view to the southwest.
6
Landmark pond 11,200' · 6.7 mi
Drop west through tall bushes, pass left of a small lake, and continue about half a mile to a pond.
7
River source 11,200' · 7.5 mi
Leave the trail and head south down a drainage through light woods to the river, then follow it west to its source below Rowe Mountain. This avoids thick brush north of the peak.
8
Rowe saddle 13,000' · 9.4 mi
Climb tundra up to the saddle that joins the two Rowes.
9
Summit 13,390' · 10 mi
Head southeast up Class 2 slopes to the rounded top.
Getting down
Head north to pick up Rowe Mountain, or go back down to the saddle. Head northwest across rough Class 2 rock to the western part of the saddle, then back down the correct drainage to the river source. Go east along the river and, near 13 miles total, look for marker rocks showing where to climb the drainage back to the pond and the Mummy Pass Trail.
If things go wrong
Mummy Pass and its trail are the way home.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
Past Mummy Pass the route is trailless. A flyover only works when there is a set trail to trace. Without one, the line would be a guess, and a guess could send you the wrong way on the mountain. Use the step-by-step route with a good map and GPS track instead.
See the trail on video
No video yet
We haven’t found a good video of this route that matches the way we describe it. The route strip, junctions and 3D flyover show the way in the meantime.
This describes the route on a dry summer day. Most 13ers see few people, so there may be no one along behind you. Check recent conditions the week you go, carry a map, tell someone your plan, and turn around when the day tells you to.