Missouri Mountain

Northwest Ridge

Stoke Meter
4.5/5

Distance

10.5 Miles

Highest Elevation

14,067ft.

Lowest Elevation

9,650ft.

Ascent

4,500 ft.

Difficulty

Class 2

Overview

Mt. Missouri’s ridge is something out of a dream. You’ll feel like an eagle as you run along the ridge at 14,000ft, catching views that expand to the ends of the earth. You’ll see the remote lakes of Elkhead Pass and Mt. Harvard across the valley from the top.
Brandon Yonke, Kaitlyn Yonke

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Trail Directions

From the Missouri Gulch Trailhead on SR390, cross the bridge that is just after the informational signs. The trail will take you through dense forest complete with aspen and pine trees. The trail becomes steep enough where even top runners will be reduced to a hike.

There is a stream and an avalanche chute near 10,800ft, about mile 1.1. Cross a crude bridge made of plenty of large, fallen trees and continue to rise. Colorado Fourteeners Initiative has done extensive work on this area including restoring the trail, installing steps, and mitigating erosion. Thank them if you see them!

There are remains of an old cabin near 11,000ft. Not long after this the trail forks. Ultimately, this is a loop. To get directly to Missouri, take the fork on the right. You’ll enter a talus field and a steep few switchbacks. Just beneath the crest of the ridge the trail tends to hold snow for much of the season. There is typically a bootpacked trench for this 100ft or so.

The ridge itself is about .7 miles long and of of the longest runnable sections of trail over 14,000ft that we know of. The trail has a gentle upward slope and is quite buffered most of the way to the peak. Return back the way you came. Note that immediately beyond the summit, the terrain becomes subject to cliffs and loose rock.
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