Trip report
Aug 14, 2021 — The Missouri Gulch Trailhead is very popular, being the primay access point for Mount Belford/Oxford as well as MIssouri Mountain, this hike. The trailhead can be reached by any vehicle, though it might get a teeny bit bumpy for sedans. I've been holding off on Missouri Mountain because I wanted to group it with Emerald Peak, a 13er to its south. The 14er didn't ever feel all that appealing of a goal on its own, and I'm glad I added Iowa Peak and Emerald Peak on this hike since their inclusion improved this route significantly. The one thing to note is that to get back you need to ascend Elkhead Pass toward the end of the loop, a bit of a hit to the quads.
I started out heading south on the really easy to follow Missouri Gulch Trail. It's a bit steep at first, lots of switchbacks leading through the forest and up to treeline. After a bunch of miles I reached the junction where left leads up to Mount Belford and right continues on the Missouri Mountain Trail. Just past this junction I lost the trail briefly due to a recent mudslide. Until this gets fixed, I recommend just sticking to the west side of the creek, where it seems like a new social trail has formed. Shortly after losing the Missouri Mountain Trail it became obvious again as it ascended south out of the drainage. The trail led to another junction at the base of Missouri Mountain where about a million hikers were hanging out before starting the ascent to the peak. This junction is where I would later rejoin the Missouri Mountian Trail after descending from Elkhead Pass to complete the loop.
The trail led nicely up to the north ridge of Missouri Mountain, first leading through more tundra and then up a bunch of talus with some light Class 2. It's still an easy-to-follow trail, though. The ridgeline led south to Missouri Mountain, and aside from a couple of steep and loose sections (Class 2), it was just a trail.
I didn't linger on Missouri Mountain's summit, heading south on a well-traveled social trail from the 14er and over to Iowa Peak, an unranked 13er. There was some light Class 2 to gain Iowa Peak. The traverse from Iowa Peak to Emerald Peak was much of the same, tundra with some light Class 2. To reach Emerald Mountain, there are a few social trails leading through its Class 2 bouldery northern slope. I chose to ascend to the peak's northeast ridge and follow this to the summit rather than face the steeper options leading directly south to the summit. All Class 2 regardless.
I enjoyed the views west toward Huron Peak and west toward Mount Harvard before backtracking along the northeast ridge and continuing down the mostly tundra slope. Some light boulder-hopping brought me to a social trail along a humpy spur ridge, leading down to a beautiful and colorful tarn below. Tundra led to a larger tarn/lake just north, where I hung out for a bit because it's a particularly pretty area in the Sawatch Mountains. A bit more easy walking took me to the trail (marked on my map) that would lead up to Elkhead Pass. From Elkhead Pass I followed the nice trail back to the Missouri Peak Trail, completing the loop. I then continued back to my car the way I came.