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I got a very early start on the drive to Stillwater Reservoir West of Yampa - 2:45 a.m. I started across the dam at 6:00 a.m. in running shoes and a light pack with the plan of getting back to Arvada by 3:00 p.m. after bagging both highpoints. Speed is the mantra for expectant fathers. I was a little nippy outside, so a fast pace had the added benefit of warming me up. The gentle approach gave way to dirt switchbacks soon, as the means to acquire the saddle that introduces the western slope of Flat Top. On the right, one last bit of trail is shown; before more switchbacks to the saddle with the dramatic North Face of 11,815' in the background. There was a light breeze that cooled things off quite a bit once on the slope. The view to the south was better than I was expecting, including a distant look at Mt. Sopris.
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The sun was just peering out above Flat Top at this point (photo on left). I settled into a moderate pace and enjoyed the stroll up the 2 miles of sloping ridge, gaining 500' per mile. It was nice to hike on tundra (no trail exists past the saddle, surprising for such a popular destination) versus all the talus I've dealt with this summer. Rather than read the guidebook, I trended south about ½ of a mile toward the south end of the Flat Top. This decision was rendered by the GPS waypoint I downloaded that in reality represents a point some 300' below and half a mile from the Flat Top, yet still reading 12,345'. Since I was on top in the 12,200' contour line, I figured I'd head north to the higher ground. Sure enough, the 5' cairn appeared with the register 10 minutes later.
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| It was 7:30 a.m. and cold enough for a shell. The summit cairn and register are probably 5' lower than the highest ground. The photo on the right shows another cairn closer to the highest ground with the NW ridge of Orno Peak to the right of the split on the horizon, and Orno Peak on the right. I made my way back down to the saddle quickly, trying to make up for lost time owed to the GPS bug. There were several elk up on the slope that ran out of sight within seconds. I envied their velocity. Back at the truck at 8:50 a.m., I knew I was going to have to pick up the pace for the next objective - Rio Blanco's highpoint. My pace was a disappointing 3.2 mph so far.
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NW Ridge of Orno Peak 12,027' (Rio Blanco County Highpoint)
It took 15 minutes to drive to the lower trailhead, eat an apple, and switch water bottles. Contrary to the guidebook description, it is impossible that the elevation gain is only 1,827' since the trailhead is at 9,700'. An extra 500' makes a difference, so I went with some hesitation before tackling another 12 miles. I could feel some stiffness in my knees as I started out again. Stretching alleviated the problem temporarily. On the left, a view back to Flat Top Mountain as seen from the Mandall Creek trail after 1½ miles or so. The trail is very moderate for quite some time and crosses 3 log bridges that were very stable.
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| The trail becomes spotty closer to Mandall Pass, and some interesting cairns with naked tree limbs mark a long section. On the right, Mandall pass is seen from the trail-less meadow. A very strong trail is once again prevalent when approaching the talus on the right in the photo. This trail switches back at some points to reach the upper route to the pass. This class 1 route nicely avoids what would otherwise be a screefest. I could feel the effects of the day, and my overall pace from 3.2 mph was getting even lower. Generalized pain had taken over in my joints and running the trail down was not an option anymore. I hiked up to the pass with what speed I could, enjoying the views down into the basin to the South.
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Above Mandall Pass, NW Orno is visible to the North. The natural inclination is to head to the Northwest, as the name implies, but this is point 12,008' in Garfield County. It would make more sense for Rio Blanco's highpoint to be named the "North" ridge rather than Northwest. I walked about 30 yards before realizing why my GPS navigation wouldn't stop pointing North. The grassy slope went by quickly and without too much effort, and a cairn appeared above on the slanted slope. It was 11:25 a.m. on the summit, though it felt like 2:00 pm after so many miles. An upside-down coffee can covered by a rock inside the cairn held a Mission Tortilla zip-lock package with the register inside. The photo on the left shows the highest ground and cairn with Orno Peak proper in in the background. After 15½ miles, it was time to return down Mandall Pass to the trailhead to complete 21 miles in 6 hours and 57 minutes.
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