One of many
trip reports under the
SilGro home page for Alan Silverstein and Cathie
Grow.
Email me at
ajs@frii.com.
Last update: January 1, 2024
(Previous trip report: 1988_0904-05_GrizzlyPeak.htm)
Ridiculously late on a Saturday night (after many hours helping her with a home improvement project in town), a friend (Lynette Banion) and I started up the west side of Milner Mountain to spend the night on top. It was the rounded summit next south of, and just 400' lower than, Horsetooth Mountain west of Fort Collins. We began the hike on the west side at 2220, walked and scrambled through cactus and rocky gullies by headlamp and flashlight, and reached the meandering, punctuated summit at 0005; 1:45 to gain about 1400', not bad in the dark!
It was a remarkably warm, calm, and beautiful night. The city lights all the way south to Denver were quite pretty. Milner stuck out east further than anything to the south, so the view was panoramic.
The Sunday morning sunrise was perfect (despite being a bit short on sleep). A dark band of clouds ran above the horizon. At the best point, the golden orb of the sun peaked through this band, with deep red below, reflecting off the myriad lakes, smaller higher clouds showing golden edges, and "God beams" arrayed in all directions. Since the highest spots on the mountain were rocky, we slept ten feet below the best vantage point, but found it warm enough to walk up there to take in the spectacle.
Later we descended from the summit in only 55 minutes.
Note that Milner's summit is [or at least was] surrounded by private property -- it pays to know an owner! [I believe that her rectangular parcel actually included the summit!]
(Next trip report: 1988_0924_Pagoda,Storm.htm)