Although avalanche danger would not be severe the distance from road closures to the summits in the snow season would make this a much tougher outing. Traveling north on 285 I know I am nearing familiar terrain when I spot these friendly mountains. Its elegant domed summit with its steep east facing cliffs offers a sublime view of the spine of the Mosquitos to the north and the was of the Sawatch to the west. (1), Images The one-way distance and elevation gain to West Buffalo are measured from the summit of East Buffalo. 2 July 2012I have adopted this page with the blessing of the original author, Jon Bradford. From there I continued on to East Buffalo and West Buffalo peaks. Prominence ranks are calculated only for peaks with known prominence. They rise as two distictive domes visable from both South Park and Buena Vista. Traveling north on 285 I know I am nearing familiar terrain when I spot these friendly mountains. There is no fee to visit this part of the Black Hills National Forest and permits are not required for parking or foot travel. There are also several ways these peaks can be approached. With nearly 2,000 feet of vertical prominence, along with neighboring East Buffalo Peak, this mountain serves as a bold and beautiful local landmark.Rank: 372nd highest peak in ColoradoProminence: 1,986USGS Quad: Marmot PeakRank & Prominence: Lists of John. Travel about 7 miles to the trailhead. (24), Comments Below the summits elk, mule deer, and beaver are common. Hiking, 7:30 hours, Rest/eat 1:45 (13), Climber's Log Entries I have found a nice opal on the summit of East Buffalo Peak gleaming in the sun like a piece of irradescent glass. Twenty five to thirty million years ago a volcanic episode associated with the orogengy that created the Rocky Mountains flooded a prehistoric valley with a deep layer of molten lava (the volcanic vents were likely on the east side of South Park in the Elevenmile Volcanic Field). Thus East Buffalo Peak, at 13,300 feet, and its higher counterpart, West Buffalo Peak, 13,326 feet, mark the southern terminus of the "Greater Park Range". This valley deposit became a hard layer of basalt. The "Greater Park Range" begins in northern Colorado as the rugged Park Range proper, near Mount Zyrkel, which terminates where the Colorado River bisects the range at Gore Canyon. All routes from here do follow old logging roads for some distance but bushwhacking is assured. As such they are the last grand hurrah of the "Greater Park Range". It is 26 feet taller then East Buffalo Peak and seperated by a 12,800 foot saddle. [2], West Buffalo Peak (left) and East Buffalo Peak, The elevation of West Buffalo Peak includes an adjustment of +1.834 m (+6.02 ft) from, List of mountain peaks of the United States, Iron Mountain (Costilla/Huerfano Counties), The 124 highest major summits of greater North America, Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=West_Buffalo_Peak&oldid=968057989, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 17 July 2020, at 00:02. The Buffalo Peaks of today are the lagacy of this geologic dance. Its elegant domed summit with its steep east facing cliffs offers a sublime view of the spine of the Mosquitos to the north and the was of the Sawatch to the west. peakery features 1 photo of each peak - ideally one that: We'll select the best photo to feature. This long mountain chain, although not possesed of a single official nomenclature, is geographicaly contiguous, yet split by two major drainages and a theoretical line of distinction, into several smaller, "official", ranges. South of the Buffalo Peaks the terrain plunges below timberline and marches off into the amorphus junction of the Sawatch and Sangre de Cristos near Poncha Pass.As the end of a great range the Buffalo Peaks are a bittersweet farewell to the greatness further north. I got dehydrated coming up East Buffalo and threw up on the summit. They are a distinctive set of domed summits guarded by some handsome cliffs. Please. Toward East Buffalo Peak along the connecting ridge | shknbke, Mosquito/Tenmile Range Peaks Above 13,000 Feet, Routes Only had bad wind for 30 minutes. Note that prominence is not the same thing as a peak’s vertical drop, which is usually extremely difficult to calculate because a peak’s base elevation can be highly subjective. [5] It is located in the Buffalo Peaks Wilderness. about. Enjoy.From the WestThe Fourmile Creek trailhead is roughly 12 miles northeast of Buena Vista. Temp at the TH: 25 at 6 a.m., 66 at 4 p.m. Time: Total 9 hours. Log successful summits on peakery to earn awards: Thanks. Ang West Buffalo Peak nahimutang sa kondado sa Chaffee County ug estado sa Colorado, sa sentro nga bahin sa nasod, 2,500 km sa kasadpan sa ulohang dakbayan Washington, D.C. 4,066 metros ibabaw sa dagat kahaboga ang nahimutangan sa West Buffalo Peak, o 608 ka metros sa ibabaw sa naglibot nga tereyn.Mga 7.6 ka kilometro ang gilapdon sa tiilan niini. Beyond lies the Mosquito fourteeners: Mount Sherman, Mount Democrat, Mount Bross, and Mount Lincoln.In recognition of the distinct wilderness qualities of the Buffalo Peaks Congress designated the Buffalo Peaks Wilderness in 1993. What appears to be a preferred route for Front Range peakbaggers is to drive in eight miles on FR471, which is 12.4 miles south out of Fairplay on US285. The Buffalo Peaks are different from other nearby peaks because they are the remnant of an old, extinct volcano. We’ll review and let you know when it’s approved. The views from the summits of both the Buffalos offers superb views into the heart of the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness and along the crest of the Mosquito Mountains. This road is reached by traveling south from Fairplay approximately 12.4 miles or north from the US-285 US-24 junction for 8 miles. It’s defined as the vertical distance between a peak and the lowest contour line surrounding that peak and no higher peak. Download PeakVisor maps today. Upload any photo made with your phone which has location data embedded. West Buffalo peak is the taller of the pair (13,326 feet) and the SOTA summit (W0C/SP-018). Not a cloud could be seen. West Buffalo Peak is sequenced with East Buffalo Peak. As befits their volcanic origin the Buffalo Peaks are composed of rock that is both looser and more colorful then the other nearby Mosquitos. It would make little sense to climb only one of these twin summits. They can offer a glimpse of the sublime in a region not known for such transendance. Buffalo Peaks are a pair of 13er summits that stick up quite prominently on the west side of South Park. Buffalo Peaks- East to West ; The West Peak from the trail. Opaline chert is common in the area. [2], West Buffalo Peak (left) and East Buffalo Peak, The elevation of West Buffalo Peak includes an adjustment of +1.834 m (+6.02 ft) from, List of mountain peaks of the United States, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=West_Buffalo_Peak&oldid=968057989, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 17 July 2020, at 00:02. West Buffalo Peak, elevation 13,327 ft (4,062 m), is a summit in the Mosquito Range of central Colorado. Car CampingCamping is allowed in the Buffalo Peaks Wilderness. The cheapest way to get from Denver to West Buffalo Peak costs only $13, and the quickest way takes just 2 hours. While nothing more then a class two hike the views are outstanding and the cliffs on the north and east side are always there to instill sobriety. The basalt while not necasarily columnated, is distinctive. You're a fun group and great hikers. For example, theAconcagua mountain page has the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits' asparents and is a parent itself to many routes, photos, and Trip Reports. If your photo isn't featured, it will still be added to the full collection of photos for this peak. There are also several ways these peaks can be approached. The mountain is the highest peak of the Buffalo Peaks, slightly taller than East Buffalo Peak. The Buffalo Peaks are the twin southern sentinels of the relaxed Mosquito Mountains. From Main Street in Buena Vista, drive north on CR 371. Park here. Traversing between the peaks is an ideal juant. Enter your email and we’ll send password reset instructions: shows the mountain as a whole (not just the summit or views), is at least 1920x1440 dimensions and max size 10MB. The mountain is the highest peak in the Buffalo Peaks Wilderness. Bukid ang West Buffalo Peak sa Tinipong Bansa. Four major summits exceed 5000 meters (16,404 feet), nine exceed 4500 meters (14,764 feet), 104 exceed 4000 meters (13,123 feet), 220 exceed 3500 meters (11,483 feet), and 302 major … More pristine sites can be found further west near the Buffalo Meadows.USFS CampingWeston Pass Campground: • 14 sites• No reservations (first come, first served)• $12.00 per night• Elevation: 10,200 ft.Fairplay & Buena VistaA small collection of hotels and bed & breakfasts can be found in the nearby towns of Fairplay and Buena Vista. Note that since many peaks in peakery still have unknown prominence, the ranks are subject to change as new prominence info is added.