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| Hiking | 4.01 Miles |
4,454 AEG |
| | Hiking | 4.01 Miles | 4 Hrs 3 Mns | | 1.34 mph |
| 4,454 ft AEG | 1 Hour 4 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | The trail to Mt Belford starts from the Missouri Gulch TH on the Clear Creek Rd. about 7 miles west of its intersection with Hwy 24, actually about halfway between Leadville and Buena Vista, Co. The road in is bumpy after the first couple of miles, but sedans are fine. Trailhead parking is plentiful, and parking along the road is fine. The hike begins on the Missouri Gulch Trail which splits about about half way up into a trial to Elkhead Pass and Missouri Mountain (the right turn), and the Mt. Belford Trail to Mount Belford (the left turn). The Mount Oxford Trail connects Belford to Oxford, another 14er, about 1.2 miles further.
The Missouri Gulch Trail, after a series of switchbacks, passes along a creek with lots of trees. The middle portion rises gently through lots of wildflowers and groves of wetland willows, finally leaving trees behind. The last part is a wicked and exhausting series of switchbacks for the last 2100+ feet of the climb to the summit. Views from the top are outstanding and Missouri Mountain can be seen for the last half of the hike to the west. Just reaching Oxford and returning was a full day for me, and for most of the other folks on the trail that day. I had some hope of including Oxford also, but the difficulty and the weather was too much. The number of people was fewer than I expected. Very rewarding hike with great views and diverse surroundings. A full day, but I highly recommend this hike. |
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Wildflowers Observation Substantial
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| Check out my Instagram posts at "cartershift", and videos on my Rumble channel "rvcarter". |
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