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Aug 21, 2021 — Bison Peak is a prominent 12k-foot mountain with some really unique scenery that I haven't seen before in Colorado. I was looking forward to hiking this peak and take a little break from my mad dash at the 13ers. The Ute Creek Trail has a big paved parking lot and is complete with a nice bridge to cross over Tarryall Creek. Past here the trail continues to be easy to follow and well-maintained. First I started through some nice meadows along the trail as it paralleled Tarryall Road, the road I drove in on. The trail winds around into the canyon formed by Ute Creek and ascends through forest, with a brief section of sparse trees that feel more like a meadow. The trail leads for a few miles up through the forest, leaving Ute Creek and continuing up the ridge to the west of Bison Peak. After the majority of the ascent was finished, the trail leveled out for a bit and reached a junction, where I kept right to start along the Brookside - McCurdy Trail. This trail heads east for a short wihle before ascending above treeline and gives an introduction to some of the cool rock features to come. After a few switchbacks, I emerged in wide open tundra. The trail continues east, but I left it at a cairn to head north when Bison Peak came into full view.
The short hike north to Bison Peak took me forever because I couldn't help but take a ton of photos. The gorgeous tundra was littered with amazing rock formations, including a particularly cool tower called the Bison Monolith. On the way down I wandered around extensively, but I took a more direct route down on the ascent, which is the route I included on my attached map. There are hints at social trails, but really the route requires just following tundra around the left of a major grouping of large rock outcrops/towers. Once just beneath Bison Peak, a wide rock face prevents easy access. To keep the route Class 1, continue along the base of the cliffs and reach the summit area. Spiral around the peak for a social trail to the summit block. The views were outstanding, especially with the fog I experienced.
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