The Sentinel

The Fourth of July weekend was a three star weekend. On Friday, I went for a hike. On Saturday, I went to the Rapids game and actually saw them win. And then on Sunday, I went to my local pub and watched the US Women get their third star by winning the World Cup for the third time in their history.

As for the hike on Friday, I climbed Sentinel Point (12,527 ft.) Sentinel Point is a sub-peak of Pikes Peak. It is the last peak above treeline on the west side of the mountain. I started at the Horse Thief Trailhead off of Highway 67 between Divide and Cripple Creek. I have used this trailhead before on my Pancake Rocks hikes. The trail is easy at start, but after Horsethief Park it starts getting steep. I hiked further up the drainage north of Sentinel Point to treeline then what some of the descriptions of the route that I had seen describe. It allowed me to avoid a boulder field. Plus I saw a waterfall that I had not seen in the route descriptions. Once I climbed out of the drainage, I headed a short ways west to Sentinel Point. The final climb of Sentinel Point is a Class 3 scramble. I had to probe for a route that I was comfortable doing. The reward of the hike was great despite it being a bit on the hazy side for Colorado. Here are the pictures.

Looking east at the drainage that I climbed out of.  The waterfall starts at the snow.

Looking west at Sentinel Point

Horsethief Park from Sentinel Point

Looking south towards the mines near Cripple Creek

East view of Pikes Peak

View of The Crags

Zoom view Pikes Peak

Sentinel Point and wildflowers

The waterfall

One of Carter's friends on the rock

Sentinel Point from Horsethief Park.  Further than it looks.  The route goes to the left and around to the other side.

Horsethief Park