Cottonwood Pass

Welcome to Cottonwood Pass. You are currently standing upon the magnificent Continental Divide, the great hydrological spine of North America. …

As we walk slightly upward along the exposed, well maintained trail, direct your attention to the expansive depression opening up to our east. This vast, bowl shaped valley is known as the Sanford Basin. …

Turning our gaze slightly away from the forested Sanford Basin, let us look straight down the long, descending corridor to the east. This is the Cottonwood Creek Valley, a massive geological trough that acts as a natural highway…

As we pivot our attention back to the rugged basins directly below the pass, your eyes will inevitably be drawn to a striking splash of color breaking up the gray and green landscape. This is Lost Lake, a pristine alpine tarn…

Glancing back from the direction we have just come, the horizon is completely dominated by the imposing, rugged mass of Jones Mountain. While many of the surrounding peaks display relatively smooth, grass covered slopes, Jones…

As our trail elegantly curves and points us toward the west, we are presented with an entirely new, deeply contrasting watershed. We have crossed over the spine of the ridge, and the environment immediately shifts. …

Moving further along the highest section of our route, the panoramic view opens up to reveal the spectacular, jagged profile of Ice Mountain in the distance. Its name is perfectly apt, for it often holds onto brilliant white…

We have finally reached the very top of the Cottonwood Pass peak. Here, you will find a small, deliberate dugout in the rocks, a simple, human made shelter designed to offer a brief respite from the relentless, biting winds that…