Hiking Mount Sopris, Glenwood Springs, CO USA
This is the signature mountain of The Roaring Fork Valley and Glenwood Springs. It will capture the eye from many miles away. Its formation stands alone from the rest of the fourteeners in the valley. Named after Captain Richard Sopris in the late 1800s, the Sopris’ myth claims that once a person has climbed it, they will never leave the area.
Mt.
Sopris sits at 12,953 ft, which seems to humble it compared to its tall
neighbors, although it climbs 7,000 ft above the valley floor within
only a few short miles. Sopris offers a good trek from the southern
base that will average the good hiker 4-5 hours to the top. A two day
journey offers a great camp site at Thomas Lakes nearer to the base
of the mountain.
Sopris can also be an excellent snow-shoe/hike in the winter with an
extremely rewarding ride down. Avalanche and beacon skills are a MUST,
as always, in the back country.
*Feature written and photographed by Phillips, June 2002. Altitude referenced from USGS topographical map.
GUIDE NOTES AND DIRECTIONS:
An easy hike to the lakes with a few gently rolling hills and a continuos climb. The lakes are roughly a two hour hike. In the winter the snow shoe begans further down than the summer trail head, making the winter trail very long. Avalanche and beacon skills are a MUST, as always, in the back country.