West Fork Pass, Uncompahgre Wilderness ~ July 24th, 2007                                    Next Photo >

Location... West Fork Pass offers awe-inspiring views of Wetterhorn Peak and the Wetterhorn Basin. It is an incredible sunset photography location. The pass lies at 12,600 feet, just West of Coxcomb Peak, in the Uncompahgre Wilderness in Southwest Colorado.

This was my second trip to West Fork Pass. My first trip in the fall of 2005 ended with rain, hail and lightning chasing me off the pass before the good light of sunset. That night the rain turned to snow and Owl Creek Pass, far below West Fork Pass, received over 10" of snow. Winter had arrived.

Unfortunately, when I arrived at the trailhead it was again raining. I began my hike anyway and the rain abated around 6:00pm. And while I was able to stay on the pass until after the sun set, the light was not as good as I'd hoped for. But the wildflowers and views were incredible. I'll just have to come back again for alpenglow on Wetterhorn Peak...

The Route... The trailhead is at the end of CR 860 along the West Fork of the Cimarron River and can be reached via the Owl Creek Pass Road. The trail covers 3.1 miles and gains about 2,000 feet of elevation, much of it in the last mile. The first 2 miles, the trail winds through beautiful forest and alpine meadows. In July, wildflowers are abundant everywhere. The last mile climbs steeply from a high meadow to the pass. The wildflowers are no less spectacular along this stretch of the trail. After reaching the pass, a short decent towards Wetterhorn Basin reveals the incredible views of Wetterhorn Peak. I cut off trail, around a steep bowl, to a viewpoint, set up my camera and enjoyed the evening.

Continue to the next page to begin viewing my photos from the trip...

                                                                    Page 1 of 10                                        Next Photo >