Jefferson County High Point Trip Report
Buffalo Peak
Date: June 27, 1998
Author: David Covill
We set out for Buffalo Peak on Saturday, as part of a Colorado Mountain Club hike.
We left the parking lot at 7:00 AM with 11 hikers, and fortunately arrived back
at the parking lot around midnight with the same number. Long day!
There is an easy trail into the Lost Creek Wilderness for 4 miles,
then another faint trail up to a saddle on a ridge for a mile.
We then bushwhacked 2.5 miles back east on the ridge, at first through
evergreen forest with little downed growth, then among boulders and brush
on the narrow and higher spots on the ridge.
The summit block was a small challenge,
as we had a few hikers who weren't entirely comfortable with the class 3 rock scrambling,
but we topped out around 3:30 PM. It was extremely hot, even at the top,
and we all made it back with no water left. We got back to the car at around 8:45 at night,
11 1/2 hours after leaving, having gone up 3,500' in ~15 miles.
We stopped afterwards at the Bucksnort, a funky little bar in the middle
of nowhere that people hear of, but never actually find.
We enjoyed some great live music while we inhaled water & soda,
followed by beer when we could regain the strength to heft a mug to our lips.
Glad this one is over with.