Mummy Range or Never Summer Mountains RMNP

http://www.pmags.com/mummy-mountain-range-backpack

Should give you some ideas. You can easily add more miles and/or peak bagging.

If you look at a map and the trail descriptions I gave, you should be able to piece together your own route.

Some other trips I did in the area that may help:

http://www.pmags.com/a-little-madness-chiquita-ypsilon-and-fay-lakes

http://www.pmags.com/mummy-wanderings-comanche-peak-wilderness (Back side of the park. I actually started/ended in the Comanche Peak Wilderness)

No defined route…but, again, should give some ideas.

This is great stuff Paul! Looks like each of those areas is pretty remote and offers great scenery. Just curious, have you done any trips around the Never Summer Mountains? From reading your posts it sounds like you'd prefer the Mummy range over the Never Summer Mountains.

I actually just spoke with a backcountry ranger and he said that a lot of the Never Summer Mountain campsites were closed due to beetle kill in the area.

I was just going to say that. :)

The Mummy Range is my favorite range in the park…and, coming from the Front Range (Boulder) is a little easier for me to reach.

My (now) wife, my buddy and his wife and myself did a nice fall backpacking trip in the Never Summers as well. The Bowen Lake are is rather nice…if with some beetle kills area (you start in the park, go to USFS lands IIRC)

http://www.pmags.com/fall-in-the-never-summer

The Never Summer has the charm of being less regulated.

Hey Paul,

Thanks for all the tips. I've been looking at the maps and I think we're going to try a variation of "Mummy Mania" so I'd be interested to get your opinion on the route. We're planning on starting at Lumpy Ridge Trailhead, then heading up the Boundary Trail to Stormy Peak. We'll then head to Mummy Pass before turning and going to Rowe Mountain, Rowe Peak, Hague's Peak and Mummy Mountain. We'll stay at Lawn Lake camp site to break up the 13-ers before going up the Saddle, Fairchild Mountain, Ypsilon Mountain and Mount Chiquita. We'll then hike down to Upper Chipmunk camp site near Ypsilon lake where we'll camp for the night. The next day we'll hike down the Ypsilon trail where we'll either end at Lawn River Ranger Station and try to catch a ride back to Lumpy Ridge Trailhead. I guess the alternative option would be to take the Ypsilon trail to Lawn Lake trail and head back to the Lawn Lake Trail but that seems like it would add a lot of mileage.

Keep in mind we're planning on doing this route over the course of 5 nights and 6 days but I'd be curious to get your perspective on the route, degree of difficulty, recommended campsites etc. Any advice would be appreciated!

Thanks again.

Also, if you have a recommendation on which map(s) to buy that would be great!

The route sounds do-able with some very important caveats:

*You are above treeline a lot on this route. When do you plan on backpacking it? Be aware in summer that t-storms roll in around 1pm or so. You'll want to be below treeline. Plan accordingly.

*The route has some class 3 scrambling. Fun for the right person. Scary if you don't have the skill set and route finding abilities. Not knowing your background, I'll just ask you to keep this fact in mind. :)

*Speaking of route finding (and to answer the follow up question), TI Map #200 is fine for the general overview and on-trail portion. For the off-trail 13er scrambling, you'll want the appropriate version of a 7.5 quad for the detail

*Pay attention to the summit post link(s) in my TRs. Lots of good info there!
http://bit.ly/1oRl07t

*You may already know this, but bear canisters are required for backpacking in RMNP now. Part of the reason why I do not backpack in RMNP much and/or only skirt into it as part of another trip from USFS lands.

Have fun!

Thanks again Paul; as always this is very helpful. We're planning on going in late August so I'll take another look at the route later tonight and see if there is anyway we can still do this route while making sure we're below the treeline in the afternoons.

As far as the class 3 scrambling, how would you compare this to the Boulder Field at Long's Peak? I've done Long's Peak a few times without issues which I believe is considered class 3 scrambling but curious to get your thoughts as well.

Will definitely pick up the maps you recommended. Definitely agree with the bear canisters; we each have one but not a big fan of the added weight if there are trees to hang from. Rules are rules though!

Actually, by late August we are transitioning into Fall up in the high country. Not that t-storms can't happen, but that chances become less likely as the calendar turns closer to Labor Day. Just a rule of thumb in any case.

The scrambling is easier IMO than longs. The rock is not as rotten vs Longs and (A LOT!) less people to kick rock on you from above vs Longs. :)

Excellent; sounds like it could be an ideal time weather wise. And I'm always a big fan of less people kicking rocks on my head :)

I hiked up to Lawn Lake way back in the 70's. The lake was bigger then (google Lawn Lake Flood). We spent a couple of night base camped there. Climbed Hagues Peak. Did a some fishing, lots of brookies. I was almost 17 then, I thought then that it was the greatest adventure ever.