South Ridge from Golden Bear

Overview

Hagar Mountain is on the Continental Divide north of Loveland ski area. From the Eisenhower Tunnel's west portal you climb Golden Bear, then walk north along the Divide over six humps, including Tri-County Point, to a false summit and a short ridge of broken blocks to the true top.

It is Class 2 with a Class 2+ finish that may need a Class 3 move depending on your line. Note that the 13,195-foot point on older maps is not the summit; the high point is farther northeast.

The loop is about 7.85 miles with 2,970 feet of gain and takes about 4.5 hours. The ridge north to The Citadel is Class 3.

Plan of the day

Getting to the trailhead

Heading west on I-70, drive through the Eisenhower Tunnel in the right lane and take the exit right as you come out. Park out of the way of trucks near a road that heads east behind a building.

Heading east, take the exit on the right just before the tunnel, pass some small buildings, and follow the road as it climbs and loops over the tunnel entrance to the same parking area on the north side. There is no camping nearby.

Next: the route, step by step →

The route

1. 1

   West portal parking 11,140' · 0 mi

   Walk east on a rough road that turns to gravel, past a building on the north side, then north up the valley. It narrows to a double track and then a trail on the east side of the creek, through willows and columbines.

2. 2

   First switchback 11,880' · 1.6 mi

   At a switchback, another path heads north toward Coon Hill. Stay on your trail as it climbs southeast and east more steeply.

3. 3

   Upper switchbacks 12,360' · 2.3 mi

   The old road bends south to switchbacks at 12,240 and 12,360 feet. Leave it at the second one.

4. 4

   Divide ridge 12,800' · 2.6 mi

   Climb east up steep but easy tundra to the Continental Divide.

5. 5

   Golden Bear 13,005' · 3.25 mi

   Walk north over a couple of humps to the hard-to-spot summit. Check a GPS in cloud.

6. 6

   Tri-County Point 13,150' · 3.8 mi

   Walk north along the Divide over humps of tundra, rock and gravel, with lots of flowers.

7. 7

   Point 13,195 13,195' · 4.1 mi

   The ground gets more broken near this false summit.

8. 8

   Summit 13,246' · 4.3 mi

   Follow the summit ridge north over broken blocks with a little scrambling to the highest rocky point.

   Watch for: Class 2+, maybe a Class 3 move.

Getting down

Go back to Tri-County Point, then drop into the basin above the tunnel's west portal and rejoin the valley trail. Early in summer the basin is wet and may hold snow.

If things go wrong

The basin west of the Divide leads back to the valley trail.

3D flyover

See the trail on video

Other routes

Every way up Hagar Mountain we list, with its class.

• Hagar Mountain South Ridge this routeClass 2+ 7.85 mi