"11/16/24: Started on Ute Creek Rd (CR118) at approx. 9600’; there’s a locked gate at 9800’. Needed snowshoes on unbroken road and continued up the creek to a large, cool old mine camp (Great Divide Trading Co?) at the end of the road and then forced to bushwhack 400’ up to Lamartine Rd which promptly took me to a spur road on the right. This short spur ended on FR712.2G where I took a left and this ended promptly at FR712.1 at which point I stayed in a southwest heading to the high point of the trail on the southeast slopes of Ute. An enjoyable open bushwhack led from a possible great camp in a clearing to the summit perch which rewarded amazing 360 front porch views of every mountain group in the vicinity from Blue Sky to Grays&Torreys to Bard to the entire James Gang. Truly one of the top perches I’ve been atop on the Front Range. I generally took the same route back and returned to the Taco right at sunset. (5.8/1930)" — LoneWolf • Nov 16, 2024