Ruby Creek Traverse - Engelmann, Robeson, Bard, Parnassus, And Woods Peaks

Ruby Creek Traverse - Engelmann, Robeson, Bard, Parnassus, and Woods Peaks

Got up and ran the Ruby Creek Traverse this morning. I wanted to put in a hard, semi-long effort and see what time I could get on the traverse. It involves running up from the URAD mine area just outside of Jones Pass up and over Engelmann Peak (13,362'), Robeson Peak (13,140'), Bard Peak (13,641'), Mount Parnassus (13,574') and Woods Mountain (12,940'). Only the first and last mile of the loop are on any trail, the rest is either bushwhacking or running tundra and ridges. I've done this loop a couple times, and it is always spectacular as you circle around the Ruby Creek basin going from one peak to the other. Unlike many other locations in the Colorado mountains (namely 14ers), hardly anyone does these peaks and I did not see a single person all morning. From the pull out right near the "Danger, Avalanche" sign, run up the rugged old mining road for about a mile to a small clearing. From here, turn east and begin the big march straight up Engelmann's western slopes to gain it's northwestern ridge. Once on Englemann's summit, you can see the entire traverse. Continue south, making the significant drop down and over to Robeson, then onward to Bard Peak where you have spectacular views of all of the surrounding peaks, including G & T and beyond. The ridge from Bard to Parnassus is fun, with a few scrambling sections, as it drops and then climbs to the summit. From Parnassus there is a big drop down to Woods Mountain, before angling north again and tagging a final unnamed 12,700' point. From here, you drop almost straight down, gaining an old mining road that is fairly hard to follow. I ran into a bit of snow here, and had to do some postholing and wallowing through willows and soggy marsh land to make it through the basin and onto the eastern side of the creek. From here, it is a bomb of a run back down to the car. The loop is 11.78 miles and 6,430' of gain, which I completed in 3:19:27. A solid time, although when the snow all melts it might go a bit faster.

 I time the loop from the sign...

 Gained 1,000' by running up this hard snow avalanche shoot to Engelmann.

 Straight up the slope to gain the ridge.

 Summit of Engelmann, with Robeson, Bard, and Parnassus (on the right) in the background.

 Looking over from Bard to Parnassus - just follow the ridge.

 Looking back from Woods at the Traverse, with Engelmann on the far left and Parnassus out of the photo on the right.

Ruby Creek Mega-Traverse: Engelman Peak, Robeson Peak, Bard Peak, Mount Parnassus, Woods Mountain, and One More

Panorama of the Ruby Creek Mega-Traverse: First Part with Engelman, Robeson, Bard, and Parnassus

Second Part: Bard, Parnassus, Woods, and an un-named peak

Although I seem to be doing a lot of posts lately on the great mountain trail running Tara and I have been doing this summer, we have also been getting out bouldering - at least a couple days a week. It's just that we have not gotten any photos or have had anything worthy of posting. We did go up to Upper Chaos last week and climb many of the problems up there, including Riddles in the Park. However, the flowers seem to be trumping the boulders this year...

The Ruby Creek Mega-Traverse is an excellent full mountain day that sees very little traffic. Perhaps it is because there is no trail for the entire route (other then the first mile or so), it is all above 11,000 feet and covers six spectacular peaks, making it a long day.

Mine reclamation project: see the sprinklers...

Tara climbing up the ridge to Engelman Peak

Lots of people either do Bard Peak (13,641 feet) or the traverse between Bard Peak and Mount Parnassus (13,574 feet), mostly from the Bakersville exit. However, to really get the full effect and to experience a ton of mountain solitude, one really should do it from the north via Ruby Gulch. This is also an excellent backcountry spot in the winter (shhhh, keep it quiet)

Looking at Bard Peak (number three) from Robeson Peak (number two)

Looking at Woods Mountain (number five) and the no-name peak (number six)

Basically, one heads up to Jones Pass, but rather then going to the Henderson Mine area, hand a left and go to the Urad Mine. Right by the mine, there is a parking spot and you can see the access road with a big DANGER, AVALANCHE sign. Head up the road for about a mile until it splits. Follow this spur road as it degenerates into a trail. Right below treeline, you will run into a mine reclamation project with automatic splinkers at ~10,000 feet. Here is where the fun starts....

Tara climbing up Bard Peak from Robeson Peak

Pointing to Mount Parnassus (number four) from Bard Peak

Get onto the north side of the creek, and head northeast up slope until you get above the trees. Here you will run into several ridges and gullies. Take the middle ridge as it climbs via grassy slopes and talus up to the summit of Engelman Peak (13,362 feet). From here, head due south along the broad open alpine tundra down and then back up to the minor summit of Robeson Peak (13,104 feet).

The traverse between Bard Peak and Mount Parnassus

Four down, two to go...

On Robeson Peak, you keep heading south, descending once again as you cross the wide upper tundra valley between Robeson and Bard Peaks. The climb to Bard has a little kick to it, as it reaches 13,641 feet. From here, head west along the ridge and traverse over to Mount Parnassus (13,574 feet). This is the only place you are likely to encounter people, with the views of Grays, Torrey's, and the surrounding mountains proving to be spectacular.

Flowers on the slopes of Woods Mountain

Looking across Ruby Gulch at Engelman (on the left) and Robeson Peaks (on the right)

Once on the top of Mount Parnassus, head down the broad, steep grassy slope due west for almost 2,000 feet to the saddle between Parnassus and Woods Mountain (11,703 feet). Cruz up the little climb to Woods Mountain, and then you only have one final summit to tag. It doesn't have a name, but still deserves your attention as it completes the Ruby Gulch Mega-Traverse. From here, head down some of the old mining roads (none of them really link up), past the fields of alpine flowers, past the old mining ruins (the wheelbarrow made of solid metal and weighing in at over 50 pounds!!!), across Ruby Creek, and finally onto the final descent road. Run down the closed road and back to your car.

Bard Peak from the no-name peak

Alpine flowers on the descent

Now that is what a high-country traverse is all about and why the Colorado Rockies are so amazing.

Try carrying rocks with this old solid-steel mining wheelbarrow!

Columbine fields on the way down...