Magdalene Mountain - Just Hiking

Statistics

Date - 10/04/2024
Elevation - 13,762'
Route - Northeast Ridge
Miles - 10.0
Elevation Gain - 4,700'
ACME Mapper - Link
CalTopo - Link
Partners - Not Applicable

Description

Magdalene Mountain is a Bi-Centennial Peak and the 121st tallest mountain in the state of Colorado according to old map elevations. I decided to return to the Sawatch Mountains for another peak after not hiking for a while. Magdalene Mountain was a big day for me. A four-wheel drive vehicle is required to reach the Clohesy Lake Trailhead.

I didn't get an alpine start and wasn't hiking until around 7:00 am. The forecast was clear all day so I knew I could take my time and start later if I wanted to. The initial part of the hike is on a trail all the way to the Emerald/Pear saddle at around 12,600'. From the saddle, there is a somewhat tedious traverse you make to the east in order to gain another saddle at 12,800' that will drop you into Missouri Basin and Silver King Lake. The scrambling before and after this second saddle it a bit loose and annoying.

After traversing over to Silver King Lake and dropping some elevation, I picked up a trail to take me to the northeast of Magdalene Mountain. The northeast ridge to the summit is a fun scramble. I took some photos and rested on the top before reversing my route and heading back down. There is a bit of elevation gain on the hike out, but it wasn't as difficult as I expected. It ended up being a 10 hour car-to-car day.

Photos