Mt. Werner: Traverse from Dumont Lake

After many exploratory trips, on Dec. 27, 2014, Jonathan and I completed the long tour (16 miles; 7 hours total) from the Dumont Lake pullout on East Rabbit Ears Pass, to and through Long Park, and to the summit of Mt. Werner (11.5 miles) and down the ski area. This is much longer than the classic Hogan Park route from the pass to the ski area, which can be done in under 2.5 hours. It was very cold (about 5°, with a wind in the open areas), and I had my AT skis (because of the ski area descent and my 5-month old new knee), but trailbreaking was not bad given the snowmobile traffic. One snowmobiler stopped in Long Park to tell us that in all his years exploring that area, this was only the second time he had seen a skier there. The final ridge approach to Werner in some welcome sun was spectacular. I spooked a grouse out of some deep snow.

Jonathan managed the whole thing on wax and his well used Fischer E99s. We made one navigational error at the start going too far east. After that navigation was perfect and we cut a large corner off of Long Park's east end. The route takes the snowmobile route 1A north for several miles on rolling terrain, then, at Fishhook Ck., following that downstream for a couple hundred yards, but then turning N into the drainage out of Long Park. A moderate climb there (on snowmobile route 4A), and then we turned NW to cut off a corner of the park. Then (very cold) to the end of the long Long Park and the easy climb to the divide and bump hopping (beautiful conditions) to Mt. Werner.

Going through the gate the wrong way in the late afternoon.

Here is the view from the north. The early error is visible at upper left. Long Park is just left of center. Werner summit is the green icon. The green line at left is the Continental Divide.