Bald Mountain and Boreas Mountain in White River National Forest, CO

Hike Bald Mountain and Boreas Mountain White River National Forest, CO

Class 2 8.7 miles 3600 gain 4-6 hrs Out + Back Aug 19, 2020
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude

Bald Mountain and Boreas Mountain GPX Track

I need to offset my substantial website costs somehow! You can download a hike/drive GPX to assist you here. Before sharing my GPX tracks with others, please remember my site is otherwise a free resource.

I parked at some historic buildings at the popular Boreas Pass (fine for 2WD), taking the Black Powder Trail through meadows and up to Black Powder Pass. From here, I continued along a social trail occasionally marked by cairns up the steep slope toward Bald Mountain. After a bunch of moderate slope hiking over light Class 2, but mostly just grasses or light scree, I got to one of many false summits of Bald Mountain. Some minor ups and downs led me to the true summit. You can see down toward Breckenridge to the northwest, and east toward Mount Guyot. I toyed with the idea of traversing from Bald Mountain down to French Pass and over to Mount Guyot, but it seemed like it would be a significant undertaking and the ridge to Guyot looked rough.

I headed back from Bald Mountain down to Black Powder Pass, continuing through open tundra toward Boreas Mountain. There was no social trail visible along this section of the route, but it was straightforward enough, starting with a steep grassy slope with some minor Class 2, and then a long tundra walk on the wide northern ridge of Boreas Mountain. When I was about a quarter mile from the summit, talus seemed to appear out of nowhere and the pleasant tundra walk was put to an end. I kept left around a minor bump at the start of the talus, a social trail now leading around humps of talus and scree and through a depression between two minor ridges of talus. It was an interesting section with no obvious summit to be seen until I was on top of it. The true summit is apparently at the end of the left talus ridge/bump. I returned to just below Black Powder Pass and back the way I came.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)
Peaks on hike
Elevation
Prominence
1
Bald Mountain
13684 ft
2099 rise
2
Boreas Mountain
13082 ft
923 rise

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I'm not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!

Starting from Boreas Pass, Boreas Mountain visible top right.
Starting from Boreas Pass, Boreas Mountain visible top right.
Some old cabins and railroad stuff,  and the trailhead. Bald Mountain is visible center.
Some old cabins and railroad stuff, and the trailhead. Bald Mountain is visible center.
Along the Black Powder Pass Trail, headed toward Black Powder Pass. It's located tot he right of Bald Mountain (just right of center in this photo).
Along the Black Powder Pass Trail, headed toward Black Powder Pass. It's located tot he right of Bald Mountain (just right of center in this photo).
Image 3 from gallery
Bald Mountain on the left, Black Powder Pass on the right somewhere.
Bald Mountain on the left, Black Powder Pass on the right somewhere.
Looking back along the Black Powder Pass Trail.
Looking back along the Black Powder Pass Trail.
Approaching Black Powder Pass.
Approaching Black Powder Pass.
Looking back from near Black Powder Pass.
Looking back from near Black Powder Pass.
Looking back toward Black Powder Pass and the ascent to Boreas Mountain I'd be going for later. First up, Bald Mountain.
Looking back toward Black Powder Pass and the ascent to Boreas Mountain I'd be going for later. First up, Bald Mountain.
Bald Mountain's many false summits becoming visible.
Bald Mountain's many false summits becoming visible.
Image 10 from gallery
A social trail leads through the scree.
A social trail leads through the scree.
Looking back toward Boreas Mountain.
Looking back toward Boreas Mountain.
Some Class 2, but mostly just easy scree.
Some Class 2, but mostly just easy scree.
View toward Mount Guyot as I ascend to Bald Mountain.
View toward Mount Guyot as I ascend to Bald Mountain.
Looking back again, higher up.
Looking back again, higher up.
A push to a false summit about halfway up Bald Mountain.
A push to a false summit about halfway up Bald Mountain.
Looking back toward Boreas Mountain, Boreas Pass also visible center right (where I started).
Looking back toward Boreas Mountain, Boreas Pass also visible center right (where I started).
Wider shot toward Boreas Mountain.
Wider shot toward Boreas Mountain.
False summit of Bald Mountain, true summit ahead.
False summit of Bald Mountain, true summit ahead.
Looking back at a false summit, which had a Class 2/2+ move to descend from it on loose talus.
Looking back at a false summit, which had a Class 2/2+ move to descend from it on loose talus.
Bald Mountain ahead.
Bald Mountain ahead.
Looking back along the undulating summit ridge.
Looking back along the undulating summit ridge.
Bald Mountain summit, Quandary Peak visible left as well as the many 13ers surrounding it.
Bald Mountain summit, Quandary Peak visible left as well as the many 13ers surrounding it.
Bald Mountain summit, view back along the ridge.
Bald Mountain summit, view back along the ridge.
View toward Mount Guyot, Grays and Torreys visible far back left.
View toward Mount Guyot, Grays and Torreys visible far back left.
Bald Mountain summit, view toward Breckenridge.
Bald Mountain summit, view toward Breckenridge.
Heading back to Black Powder Pass to start up Boreas Mountain.
Heading back to Black Powder Pass to start up Boreas Mountain.
No trail to Boreas Mountain. I left the Black Powder Pass Trail and ascended this initially grassy ridge.
No trail to Boreas Mountain. I left the Black Powder Pass Trail and ascended this initially grassy ridge.
The grassy ridge became rocky, light Class 2.
The grassy ridge became rocky, light Class 2.
Looking back toward Bald Mountain, Black Powder Pass visible center. Mount Guyot top right.
Looking back toward Bald Mountain, Black Powder Pass visible center. Mount Guyot top right.
Long, wide summit ridge on tundra as I head to Boreas Mountain.
Long, wide summit ridge on tundra as I head to Boreas Mountain.
Looking back along the ridge toward Bald Mountain.
Looking back along the ridge toward Bald Mountain.
Image 33 from gallery
Boreas Mountain ahead.
Boreas Mountain ahead.
Looking back before starting on the scree/talus.
Looking back before starting on the scree/talus.
Barely Class 2, but it continues like this to the summit.
Barely Class 2, but it continues like this to the summit.
Looking back while navigating the humps of scree/talus.
Looking back while navigating the humps of scree/talus.
A social trail appeared, leading me between two scree ridges/humps on either side.
A social trail appeared, leading me between two scree ridges/humps on either side.
Looking back as I enter between the two scree ridges/humps.
Looking back as I enter between the two scree ridges/humps.
Social trail between the two screen ridges/humps. The summit is visible top left, but it wasn't obvious from within the scree.
Social trail between the two screen ridges/humps. The summit is visible top left, but it wasn't obvious from within the scree.
Boreas Mountain summit, view toward Bald Mountain (center).
Boreas Mountain summit, view toward Bald Mountain (center).

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I’m not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!