South Slopes of Mount Bancroft (13,250') to Parry Peak (13,391') Round-Trip Distance: 5.3 miles Class: 2 Difficulty: 4/10 Hiking Time: 5-6 hours Total Elevation Gain: 2,760' Terrain: Hike a brief four-wheel-drive road to open, rolling terrain with excellent footing and modest grades. There are no official trails after the four-wheel-drive road ends, but navigation is straightforward. Best Time to Climb: June-September Overview For those who love pure hiking, it's tough to beat this route for sheer scenery, welcoming terrain, and the chance to grab two lesser-visited thirteeners. It's also an excellent dog adventure. It's not a huge stretch to tack on Mount Eva (0.8 mile from Parry Peak) as an out-and-back. Hikers are somewhat rare here--most of the visitors to this area are four-wheel-drive enthusiasts who come to enjoy the fishing and knock back a few cold ones. Mile/Route 0.0 From the parking area, head south (away from Loch Lomond) and hike along the steep four-wheel-drive road. This initial push is a good warm-up and won't last long. 0.3 The four-wheel-drive road will switchback west and head up toward Bancroft's broad south slopes. Stay on it for now. 0.6 It's possible to gain the ridge here if you stick to the four-wheel-drive road up to a saddle, though the rocky part of the lower ridge is somewhat annoying to walk. Leave the four-wheel-drive road before ascending to the saddle, opting for the better route in the basin. There are faint trails in the basin, along with a trail north to Lake Caroline (a side trip of about 0.2 mile each way from the basin). Navigation will be easy despite no formal trail, as the south slopes will be on your left. 1.2 After walking northwest in the open basin, you'll approach the easiest slope to gain the south ridge at around 12,120 feet. It's about 400 vertical feet to get on the "ridge" (more of a rounded slope) that leads to Bancroft's summit. 1.4 Gain the ridge and carry on northwest to the top. 1.9 The summit! Depending on how much wandering you did in the basin, you will top out on Bancroft between 1.8 and 2.0 miles. Turn around now for a quick half-day outing (sometimes that's all we have time for). To continue to Parry, it's 0.8 mile along an easy ridge connecting the two. 2.7 After dipping down to 12,980 feet in the Bancroft-Parry saddle, a spirited push brings you to Parry's summit. All told at this point, 2,400 feet of elevation gain has occurred. You'll tack on another 300 on the return up and over Bancroft. Or continue to Eva, 0.8 mile from Parry. Going to Eva as an out-and-back is 7.1 miles with a burly 3,500+ feet of total elevation gain. 5.3 Return the way you came, over Bancroft. It can save a little time if you stay on the south slope ridgeline on the descent, connecting with the four-wheel-drive road in the low saddle at 11,900 feet. Finish mileage may vary depending on the off-trail path you choose, but expect between 5.3 and 5.5 miles round-trip. Excerpted from Best Summit Hikes Denver to Vail: Hikes and Scrambles along the I-70 Corridor by James Dziezynski All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
