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Showing posts from July 2, 2017

Mt. Belford, CO "It's really steep."

Erik, Rebecca and Jeff at the campsite about .25 mile beyond the trail head Monday, June 26, 2017 Erik and Rebecca Skogsberg and Jeff Byrd and I left the Missouri Gulch Trail Head headed for Mt. Belford and Mt. Oxford . This would be Erik and Rebecca's 2nd 14er, Jeff's first, and my 7th.  Sunday afternoon several hikers came down from the peaks saying they could only do Mt. Belford and couldn't make Mt. Oxford. They all described the trail with one phrase, "It's really steep." Of course, being optimistic and overly confident, we collectively thought they were weak and that we would easily knock out both peaks per the plan. We would eat our words for lunch on Monday. Approaching Mt. Belford via Missouri Creek Trail The weather was ideal, and the first leg is in the forest along the creek. The issue is that the steep part begins immediately as you cross the creek at the trail head! The 8-mile, 4500 ft. elevation gain, Class 2 Moderate trail create