Joe Mills Mountain (from Bear Lake TH)

MILEAGE: 6.5 miles (round trip) ZONE: Front Range East TRAILHEAD: Bear Lake HIGHEST ELEVATION: 11,078 feet ELEVATION GAIN: 1,610 feet DRIVING TIME: 30 minutes (one way) TOTAL TIME (approx): 7.0 hours

HIKE RATING GRADES: - TERRAIN: D - HIGHEST ELEVATION: D - ELEVATION GAIN: F - MILEAGE: E - OVERALL: E - PREREQUISITE: G

Hike Description: Landmarks, Routes, & Waypoints Proceed from the Bear Lake Ranger Station around the east end of Bear Lake to the Flattop Mountain/Bierstadt Lake trailhead. Hike northward on the Flattop Mountain trail 0.3 miles to a junction with the Bierstadt Lake trail. Turn sharply left and hike westward 0.5 miles along the ridgeline of Bierstadt Moraine to a junction with the Lake Helene trail. Take the right-hand branch and hike 1.5 miles towards Lake Helene. Cross Mill Creek and note the Sourdough back-country campsite on your right (to which you will return on your descent from the summit). Continue on the main trail about 0.2 miles after crossing Mill Creek, where the main trail levels out on the south slope of Joe Mills Mountain. Leave the trail and climb steeply NNW, to a small saddle on the west ridge-line. Scramble up the right-hand side ridge-line (NE) to the summit of Joe Mills Mountain. To descend, follow the cairned route down the ridge on the east side of the summit. After about 200 yards, the cairned route turns abruptly south and descends 400 yards steeply down to a small kettle tarn (pond) near the Sourdough campsite. Bushwhack due south through the woods about 100 yards back to the main trail. Take the trail to the left (eastward) 2.5 miles, back to Bear Lake.

Points of Interest: Animals, Plants, History, & Geology The pointed, rocky summit of Joe Mills Mountain (11078’) overlooks the spectacular scenery of Odessa Gorge, including the north face of Flattop Mountain, Ptarmigan Glacier, Notchtop Mountain, Grace Falls, Little Matterhorn, Odessa Lake, Gabletop Mountain, The Gables, and Fern Lake. Rocky Mountain National Park named this mountain in 1949 in honor of Enoch Josiah Mills, the younger brother of Enos Mills, “Father of Rocky Mountain National Park”. Joe Mills, born in 1880, first came to Estes Park at age 16, riding the last 30 miles on a rented bicycle. He spent subsequent summer vacations at Lambs Ranch and the Longs Peak House, owned by his uncle, Reverend Elkanah Lamb. He was an outstanding athlete and served as football coach and athletics director at Baylor University (circa 1908-1912) and at the University of Colorado (from 1914). Joe homesteaded near Cabin Rock (on the western slope of Twin Sisters Mountain) with his wife, Ethel, and established the Crags Lodge in 1914.

Recommendations: Preparations, Equipment, & Cautions These routes up Joe Mills Mountain negotiate rugged terrain, much of which is off-trail, and involve rock scrambling and bushwhacking. Watch your step on the rocky summit as the north face is precipitous and aerie. Carry and make use of a map and compass, or follow someone that does. Wear sturdy shoes, long pants, hat, sun glasses, and sunscreen, and bring extra layers of clothing, spare socks, rain gear, snacks, and at least 40 oz. of water.