Date Climbed: June 25, 2023

Trailhead: Winfield, CO

Trailhead Access: 2wd

Getting these two peaks together is a shorter distance, but steep day. For me, the highlight was the traverse over to Ervin peak, which was a pleasant class 3 ridgeline.

We started from Winfield, CO, because I didn’t want to drive up 390A. I probably could have made it in my Subaru crosstrek, but I really didn’t feel like risking it.

So instead we walked about a mile up 390A, and then turned left into a grassy field. From here, we walked north to the edge of the grassy field, and then turned right onto an old road. We only took this road for a short while before turning left and starting up the steep slog through the trees.

Fortunately, the tree cover is not too dense here, so it’s fairly easy passage up.

Sticking on the crown of the gentle ridgeline, we soon exited the trees and found ourselves on a steep talus field that can be navigated by switchbacking up.

Eventually the wide ridge becomes more narrow, but never really that technical. I stayed mostly on the ridge proper except for a few diversions to the left. To the right was steep scree and snow.

When you gain the top ridgeline, you’ll be at a point where three ridges meet. Turning right, we started along the class 3 ridge to Ervin peak. Looking back I was glad we did Ervin first, because there were a few patches of snow covering the ridge that were mandatory crossing. It was still frozen snow at this time of day (9:30), and we could just walk on top of the crowns.

You can pretty much stick directly on top of the ridge and keep it class 3, except for perhaps one section. To me, this was the most fun option. I really got my money’s worth on that ridge. It was high exposure in some spots, but there were always good hands and feet.

It only took maybe 20 minutes to do the ridge to Ervin. Once on the summit, we quickly turned around and went back along the ridge to take advantage of the still-hard snow.

From there, the trip over to Blaurock was much more mellow, class 2, and no mandatory snow crossings. We ran into a snowboarder who had come up one of the couloirs on the north face, and then snowboarded back down that way. The snow was so filled in, and I wondered if any of these couloirs on Blaurock had a name.

After a brief moment on the summit, we went back to the high point east of Blaurock, and then descended down. All I remember is steep choss, and then steep tundra, and then steep woods. My knees remember it too. But the one good thing about steep, direct routes like this is you get back down quicker.

Once back to the road we hobbled the final mile to the car (we’d had a big day the day before). Good thing there’s a new Taco Bell in Leadville. It’s the little things.