Garfield County Highpoint Trip Report

Mount Ellen (11,522 ft)

Date: August 14, 2004
Author: Dale Millsap

From Richfield, we took highway 119 over to SR-24, south and east through Capitol Reef, south on Notem Road to Sandy Junction, and up to Bull Creek Pass. 4WD was not necessary but the low gears might make for a nicer climb. High clearance is recommended. We saw bison in the distance and spooked several deer who were grazing on the sides of the road.

We started our climb at 2:00 pm. The grade on the trail from the pass is absolutely perfect - definitely done with an Abney or other sight-level type instrument.

I inadvertently found a geocache on one of the false summits in the wall of a shelter. We also saw the recent entries in the mailbox summit register by the Wingers and others. There are a surprising number of visitors to this remote summit.

We arrived back at the trailhead at 3:30 pm and began our drive out the way we came.