Bristling With ‘Fourteener Fever’

Sculpted and stunted by wind and ice crystals, ancient bristlecone pines persevere in places where lesser conifers fail.

In the central Colorado Rockies, about a 1 1/2-hour drive southwest of Denver, and just south of Breckenridge, a preserve protects a grove of Pinus aristata , trees known to live for 2,000 years. Bristlecone Pine National Scenic Area, established by the U.S. Forest Service in 1964, is a great place to visit these Methuselahs of the plant world.

The bristlecones manage to survive at an elevation of 11,500 feet on well-named Windy Ridge. The winds from which the ridge gets its name sometimes reach speeds of 100 m.p.h.

When you visit the trees, note their wind-influenced growth pattern: few buds and new branches are on the trees’ windward sides, and what branches there are seem bare and worn. Those bristlecones braving Windy Ridge itself are severely stunted while those in the slightly more sheltered environment below the ridge reach 25 to 30 feet tall.

Windy Ridge is also the trail head for the hike to Mt. Bross, the 22nd highest summit in the state at 14,172 feet. The rotund peak offers a challenging day hike because of its high altitude, though experienced hikers will probably judge it a relatively mild climb in comparison to treks to the tops of Colorado’s other 14,000-foot peaks.

If, like me, you’re afflicted with “fourteener fever” and absolutely have to scale a couple of Colorado’s 14,000-foot summits, note the presence of three more peaks in the vicinity of Mt. Bross: Mt. Lincoln (14,286 feet), Mt. Cameron (14,238 feet) and Mt. Democrat (14,148 feet). Experienced hikers (some off-trail rock scrambling is required) can bag all four in one long day by heading for the trail head at Kite Lake. From Colorado 9 in the center of Alma, turn west on dirt Kite Lake Road and drive six miles to Kite Lake and the signed trail head.

More outdoor fun beckons in Park County, which has more territory above 9,000 feet than any other Colorado county. Among the activities are terrific fishing and camping and auto tours to ghost towns and historic mining towns. Stop at the Pike National Forest office in Fairplay to inquire about local trail and road conditions, and ask for brochures for the three self-guided driving tours of nearby historical mining areas.

Directions to trail head: From Colorado 9 in Alma (at 10,350 feet, the highest incorporated town in North America and six miles north of Fairplay), head uphill (west) on Buckskin Gulch Road. Drive 6 1/2 miles up the graded dirt road, following the signs to Windy Ridge and the Bristlecone Pines National Scenic Area. A half-mile before the road reaches the bristlecones, it comes to shallow Dolly Varden Creek. If your car is low slung, park before the creek crossing. If your vehicle has high clearance, forge ahead the last half mile to the parking area.

The hike: After visiting the bristlecone pines, you can either head straight up the steep and rocky slopes of Mt. Bross or follow a four-wheel drive road that switchbacks up the mountain. The road climbs two miles or so to the Dolly Varden Mine at 13,300 feet. From here, you make your own way up the scree-covered slopes to the flat summit of Mt. Bross.

Enjoy the near views of the Mosquito Range--that part of the Rockies that includes Mt. Bross and its cousins, and more far-reaching views up and down the Continental Divide.

Mt. Bross Trail

WHERE: Bristlecone Pine National Scenic Area, Pike National Forest, south of Breckenridge, Colo.

DISTANCE: 7 miles round trip from the bristlecones to the top of Mt. Bross with a 2,700-foot elevation gain.

TERRAIN: Scree-covered peak near Continental Divide.

HIGHLIGHTS: Ancient bristlecone pine groves.

DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY: Strenuous because of altitude.

PRECAUTIONS: High-altitude hiking and short visitor season (mid- to late summer).

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Pike National Forest, South Park Ranger District, P.O. Box 219, Fairplay, Colo., 80440 or call (719) 836-2031. Also Park County Tourism Office, P.O. Box 220, Fairplay, Colo. 80440 or call (719) 836-2771, Ext. 279.