Prime Time Traverse: Peaks X’ to Z’

Steve making his way up with a backdrop of the many lingering snowfields remaining in the valley below.

Spectacular wildflowers were out through the basin.

Finally gaining Useable Pass. (photo by Steve)

We hit Useable and took our first well-earned breather of the day. It had a been a long way to this point. But the real fun was just about to get started. Our aim was to run the ridge all the way from X-Prime to Z-Prime. Then we planned to drop down into the Boulder Lakes basin and make our way back to Useable Pass for the egress. Seemed straightforward enough. We donned helmets and made our way towards our first two objectives: X-Prime and X.

On the connecting ridge up to X-Prime. (photo by Steve)

Views back down towards Steve as Useable Pass looks on.

The scrambling started pretty much the moment we left Useable Pass. And it didn’t really relent until the final few hundred feet up Peak Z, many miles away.

I don’t really remember much in terms of specific beta or directions on the ridge itself. The whole thing felt like a classic Gore scramble. Class 3 and Class 4 moves abounded the entire way. But there were usually at least a few different of different options for any truly tricky bits. At times there was some pretty rowdy exposure, but rarely was it mandatory. The climbing was good throughout. Although I do remember it being more loose than I would have preferred. Not so loose as to be scary, but more so just enough to make the downclimbing tedious and annoying. I felt like I had to constantly double check everything.

All in all for an experienced Gore scrambler it was about what you’d expect. Steve rated it not as rowdy as the Partners Traverse or Ripsaw, but maybe more comparable to the Grand Traverse. That felt about right to me. Although, this was was quite a bit longer.

Anyway, one of the few specific points of beta I do remember is that the summit of X-Prime was a problem. There was a large crack system on looker’s left that goes low 5th class. Steve wandered over there to explore while I took some more relaxed cliff bands to the right. After waiting on X-Prime’s summit for a few minutes, Steve eventually came back my way. He reported that the left did indeed go, but it felt a bit too mid-5th class than we were up for. Made sense to me.

From here, it was more enjoyable and spicy scrambling over to Peak X’s true summit.

Steve far below with views back down to Useable Pass from near the summit of X-Prime. Mt. Solitude looms in the background.

Some ‘typical’ scrambling along the traverse. As I said, I don’t remember many specific points of direction. But more often than not it was pretty straightforward: just stay on (or just below) the ridge crest and things tended to work out.

One of the things everyone raves about on these peaks is their sensational position smack-dab in the middle of the Gores. They were not wrong. From the summit of X we had million dollar views of pretty much every single epic peak, ridge, and drainage in the entire range. I’m not sure if we were the very first folks up here this season (doubtful), but I do know that these peaks gave some of the most ‘out there’ feelings you can find. We gaped in admiration and awe at the beauty of the Gore.

Peak L ridge to Guyselman. (photo by Steve)

A resolute, unbothered flower near the summit of X. Keller looks on. (photo by Steve)

We soon picked up our jaws as there was still the matter of that long ridge to manage. Peak Z looked far away. And Z-prime was further still. Thankfully the weather was holding nicely. It was time to get moving again.

The scrambling went on more or less the same for a good long while. Plenty of fun to be had. Plenty of exposure and Class 3/4 moves too. And still plenty more loose crap than I would have liked. We were moving slower than we had anticipated, but overall it wasn’t too mind-numbing to this point.

Looking back on X after descending from the summit. (photo by Steve)

X’s summit as we approached Y.

Steve nearing the summit of non-descript Peak Y as Vail looks on. Mt of the Holy Cross was in fine form far across the way.

After quite a bit of up, down, and all around, the summit of Y was basically a bump along the ridge. The only ‘mistake’ I made was assuming that we were almost done with the difficulties at this point. Peak Z looked tantalizingly close. And we could see its southeastern ridge was little more than a walkable grundle pile. Mentally I anticipated only a few more minutes of climbing. This turned out to be a big mistake.

Not only did the ridge keep slogging on, but we soon found it cliffed out entirely. This was not something we remembered in our beta (although in hindsight, this is the case for everyone, it seems). There is a cliff in between Y and Z that necessitates losing a few hundred feet of elevation in order to bypass. Ugh.

Stubborn and wanting to be done with the slog, I grumbled to myself as I explored for a potential downclimb alternative. No options (for a sane person) presented themselves. Steve dutifully made his way down the steep south face as we looked for a way around the cliff bands.

Peak Z was so close, but still so very far away.

As usual, Steve managed to maintain a more positive attitude than yours truly, as he gleefully danced along the high ridges.

Looking back up as we descended the steep cliffs on the south side of the ridge to take the bypass between Peaks Y and Z. (photo by Steve)

After losing far more elevation than we would have liked, we finally were able to reach around the cliffs between Y and Z. We then encountered our next obstacle: a steep snow field leading the way back up to the Y-Z saddle. More internal complaining for me as we had to stop, don all the snow gear, and boot our way up this several hundred foot section.

In retrospect, it actually made for a neat mixed climb. But in the moment it was highly annoying as it just slowed us down all the more.

Steve makes his was up the steep snow field en-route to the Peak Y-Z connecting saddle. At least we actually had to use the snow gear after hauling it in all this way.

At long last, we finally made it to the saddle and up the loose choss that guarded the final flanks of Peak Z. Long ago Brian remarked that these “views of the Northern Gores could bring the hardest of the hard to tears.” That was just as true on our day as it was a dozen years ago.

The Northern Gores in their full panoramic glory. (click to enlarge)

Looking south towards Z Prime and the southern Gore.

Others had remarked about how much fun the ridge from Z to Z Prime was, so we were eager to partake for ourselves. We were anxious for some straightforward, solid scrambling after all the mess we had just fought through. And boy, did the Prime Time Traverse deliver.

If I had to describe this whole route ridge in sections I think I would do so in the following way:

• Useable Pass to Peak X = Spicy and exiting
• Peak X to Peak Z = Tedious and ass-holish
• Pak Z to Z Prime = Blissful fun

Beta was straightforward as we could either stay on the ridge direct or drop off the sides wherever it felt necessary to do so. I dropped a few times on the way out, but coming back staying directly on the crest presented, by far, the most fun options. Steven had stopped to answer nature’s call so I was busy enjoying myself on some prime Gore scrambling in one of the most ‘out there’ settings you can find this close to Denver.

Steve scrambles along The Prime Time Traverse with Peaks Y and the Partners Traverse in the background.

Steve nears the summit of Z-Prime after a long day of Gore Range scrambling. The entire connecting ridge of Peaks X’, X, and Y look on.

Myself triumphant on the summit of Peak Z Prime.

Just a couple-o-Gore gapers happy on our 5th summit of the day.

By the time we made it back to the Peak Z – Peak Y saddle I made the mistake (yet again) of hoping that the main difficulties were behind us. And again I was wrong. Backtracking the whole ridge would have taken forever so we opted to descend into the Boulder Lakes basin to traverse around back to the pass instead. While this did end up being the most practical option, the lingering snowfields mixed with all the loose choss in the valley made our tedious trek continue on in earnest.

Looking back at the upper Boulder Lakes while Peak X looms. We made our way through the snow and around the peak’s massive south shoulder in order to gain the pass beyond.

We were able to glissade significant portions of the descent at least, which was nice.

As were the gorgeous upper lakes. A pristine spot to stop and refill some waters.

See all those steep, side-hilling snowfields, Steve? We get to cross each and every one.

By the time we wrapped our way around Peak X and crossed our final snowfield, only one obstacle remained. The standard approach up Useable was too snowed in and steep for microspikes, so we had to re-ascend up Peak X’s horribly loose southern slopes until we could gain the ridge again for the downclimb.

Steve game me some space on this section as I was busy nerd-raging and cursing the mountain virtually every step of the way. These peaks just sort of felt like they made you earn each and every single step. I guess it been a bit too long before I had had a proper Gore suffer-fest.

Steve titled this photo “final bs toward lower X ridge” and honestly I cannot think of a better description. Not fun to traverse across. (photo by Steve)

By the time we got back to the pass we were spent and ready to be done. But the long descent still loomed. Thankfully it went pretty well. The major difficulties were behind us, so now it was just a matter of slogging it out.

We got back to the trailhead much later than anticipated, but we were also feeling much more positive about the situation. We hadn’t seen another soul all day long and we had spent almost a full day scrambling in the Gores. In retrospect, it’s pretty tough to get much better than that.

Many thanks to Steve for the invite and congests on finally knocking this one off. Here’s to the next epic together!

One last look back at X-Prime in the evening. (photo by Steve)