BALD MOUNTAIN
(13,684’)August 18, 2010
By Tim Briese
4.9 miles, 2800’ elevation gain, 4:55 roundtrip time
I drove through Como and headed for Boreas Pass on this beautiful August morning. Como has to be one of the wackiest and more unusual places in Colorado, with its wildly painted ramshackle old buildings, an indication perhaps that it attracts residents who fit into mainstream society with difficulty, including a young man who committed a murder at the Big O Tire in my hometown of Monument a couple of weeks before.
I drove over the pass and continued about a half mile down the north side before parking at a pull-off on the west side of the road, at about 11,380 feet elevation. Great weather allowed for a late start this morning. At 9:45 I struck off to the northeast and bushwhacked up through scattered trees and then up grassy slopes all the way to the crest of the ridge above, where I arrived about 11. I turned north and followed the easy ridge on scree and talus over a minor point and continued up to Pt. 13,679. From here I could see the rest of the route to Bald, about a half mile away. It took another 25 minutes to make the run over to the summit, where I arrived at12:05.
Two young fellows from Breckenridge were lounging on the summit, and they told me they had fourwheeled up an old road to the peak’s north ridge in their jeep, which I could see parked on the tundra some distance below. After they left I relaxed in the warm sun, marveling at the pleasant and calm conditions. I noticed an odd rainbow-colored horizontal cloud in the sky to the south, the colors apparently resulting from the refraction of the sun’s rays. I couldn’t recall seeing such a cloud before and wondered what unusual conditions had caused it.
After a relaxing 45 minutes I left the top and began my descent. I took my time going back along the ridge and down the slopes so as to fully enjoy such a beautiful day. I paused to take some photos of scenic flowery meadows on my way back down to the truck. I arrived back there at 2:40 and sat and listened to the pleasant music of a nearby stream for a while before heading for home.
