Jefferson County High Point Trip Report

Buffalo Peak in Lost Creek Wilderness (11,589 ft)

Date: December 28, 2003
Author: Layne Bracy

My first trip into the Lost Creek Wilderness! Having read recent trip reports, I decided to go for the Stoney Pass direct approach. I knew I was on track when I saw this store John Kirk photographed in Bailey.

My Toyota couldn't quite make it up to the pass due to snow, and I had to drive over a mile back to find a suitable parking space. This turned out to be a blessing, because by the time I returned there was enough fresh snow that I think I would have got stuck if I'd parked higher up.

Left my car around 9 AM, taking about 25 minutes to get to Stoney Pass (8,562 ft). This was my first hike since maybe junior high using a compass. I decided to use Bob Dawson's approach, fixing the setting at 220 degrees and just plowing ahead.

The hike is a complete bushwhack! I both whacked and got whacked all the way up and down. The compass was helpful, as most of the time I was surrounded by forest with no visibility of the greater area. At about 10,000 feet I got a sight on the next shoulder, at 10,700 feet, and from there I briefly saw the summit.

As I hiked, fragments of Green Dreams continuously played in my mind. Snow flurries started but I enjoyed clear skies on the summit, which I reached at 12:58 PM. The register was placed in June 1998 by John Mitchler.

I gnawed on hard chocolate while perusing the register and came up with the following numbers of ascents:

1998 12
1999 03
2000 15
2001 11
2002 08
2003 16

After spending 20 minutes on top at 35 degrees F, I descended over the lesser east summit, then found my tracks in the snow. Later I came across a white hare who seemed to have left tracks all over the mountain. As I descended, the flurries began again, turning into a light snowfall. Fortunately, I could follow my tracks all the way back to the road, which I reached at 3:36 PM. Hurried back to the car, worried that I might be stuck, but there was little new snow where I parked and I escaped to hike again!