Mt Pence (9,903) & UN 8595 by Brian Schultz Thursday July 16, 2020

Mt Pence:

Roundtrip mileage: 0.75 miles from Sinton Road kiosk off Squaw Pass road (CR 103)
Elevation gain: 350'
Start to finish: 30 minutes

This was a short and easy peak to climb. I exited I-70 onto the Evergreen Parkway (Hwy 74) and followed it to Squaw Pass road and then turned onto Sinton road. There is a kiosk a short distance up the road and it's the same spot I parked at when I climbed Snyder Mountain three years ago. I began from the kiosk at 11:45 on an old road.

This road stays left of private property and I soon departed it on hit and miss game trails marked with blue flags. The flags were helpful but not necessary as I set a bearing for the summit and began a bushwhack.

There are two points on top, one has a bench to sit on and enjoy the views, and it had a fire pit with wood piled next to it. Whoever set it up also placed a fire extinguisher nearby. I hiked over to the other point and believe it's the higher summit. The descent went fast and I was back at my truck at 12:15.

UN 8595:

Roundtrip mileage: 2 miles
Elevation gain: 700'
Start to finish: 1 hour 15 minutes

I used Paul Stratmoen's handy trip report to climb this one. I drove the local roads from Mt Pence to get to the trailhead but if coming from Denver, one would take the Beaver Brook exit and continue on US 40 to the large parking area. Bikes are popular on several trails here and I started on a trail leading left from the parking lot that shortly intersects with the hiker's only trail.

The hikers trail meets up with an old road which I followed to the summit. Large boulders comprise the summit and after tagging it, I departed. It began raining lightly on the descent but quit before I got back to my truck. These peaks were a good start to my Colorado climbing trip after driving in from the flatlands.