The Spearhead (Sykes Sickle)

🚗 Getting there & comms

Trailhead: Glacier Gorge Trailhead (RMNP)

~1mi below Bear Lake. Lot fills before dawn — use the park shuttle. Timed-entry reservation in summer.

⛽ Last services: Estes Park, CO (~10 mi east of Glacier Gorge TH on US-36): last full gas, grocery, gear (Estes Park Mountain Shop), restaurants. Cell signal (AT&T and Verizon) is solid in Estes Park, degrades on US-36 heading into the park. Last reliable-signal point: Estes Park. Inside the park and at the trailhead: minimal to no signal.

📶 Cell signal: AT&T and Verizon both solid in Estes Park (the gateway town). Signal fades entering the park corridor and is essentially absent at Glacier Gorge TH and in Glacier Gorge itself. Emergency: dial 911 from Estes Park or use a satellite communicator in the backcountry.

🧗 Routes

⏰ Start & altitude

🌄 Timing: Mid-July: sunrise ~5:45 AM, sunset ~8:30 PM (MDT, lat 40.3°N, approx.). Alpine objective — aim for a 4:00–4:30 AM car start from Glacier Gorge TH to be roping up by 8:30–9 AM. Be off the summit and below treeline by NOON — afternoon thunderstorms in RMNP are daily and lethal. Lightning is the primary alpine hazard; do not push summit timing past 11 AM if clouds are building.

🫁 Altitude & sun: Glacier Gorge Trailhead: ~9,240 ft. Spearhead summit: ~12,575 ft. Elevation gain on approach: ~2,000 ft over 5–6 miles. CRITICAL acclimatization flag: coming from Austin (~489 ft), you WILL feel AMS symptoms (headache, nausea, fatigue) at 9,000+ ft for the first 24–48 hrs. Plan a rest/acclimatization day in the Boulder/Estes Park area (~5,400 ft) before the climb. Ascend gradually — 'climb high, sleep low' if possible. Hydrate aggressively (3+ L/day), avoid alcohol first 48 hrs, watch for worsening headache or ataxia (descent immediately). UV is intense at 12,500 ft — SPF 50+ on all exposed skin, glacier glasses or high-UV rated sunglasses, sun hoody strongly recommended.

🏕️ Land · camp · water · permits

🪧 Land & passes: National Park Service — Rocky Mountain National Park. Entrance fee or America the Beautiful Interagency Annual Pass required. Summer timed-entry reservation required (recreation.gov) for the Bear Lake corridor including Glacier Gorge TH. Bivy/backcountry permit $30 flat per party per trip (recreation.gov) required for overnight bivys on climbing routes.

🔥 Campfires: No campfires — alpine zone, stove only. RMNP maintains permanent Stage 1 fire restrictions; campfires prohibited in all backcountry sites. Petroleum/canister stoves are permitted in designated sites with a backcountry permit but require a separate stove permit. No fires at any Spearhead bivy.

🆓 Free camping nearby:

• No free camping inside RMNP — all camping requires a fee and/or permit
• Nearest free dispersed: Roosevelt National Forest, Comanche Peak Wilderness — forest roads north and east of Estes Park (Pingree Park Rd area, Johnny Park). Check Arapaho-Roosevelt NF maps for specific roads
• Marys Lake Campground or Estes Park KOA for paid frontcountry lodging base — most climbers car-camp outside the park

Camp:

• Bivy at Frozen Lake (better) or Green Lake tarns — needs a permit
• Or a long single-day push from Glacier Gorge TH

💧 Water: Filter from the tarns/streams

📋 Permits: RMNP BIVY PERMIT ($30 flat, any party size, routes >=4 pitches) via NPS/recreation.gov. Plus park entrance + summer timed-entry reservation.

🚽 Toilet: WAG bag — pack it out (alpine).

🌤️ Live conditions

🦟 Mosquitoes at the tarns July; season mid-July to Sept (snow-free).

👀 In the field

Tap any for ID, edibility & first-aid.

🏛️ Access · ranger · pass

Visitor center: Beaver Meadows Visitor Center — (970) 586-1206; 1000 US-36, Estes Park, CO 80517. Open daily 8 am–4 pm (summer).

Ranger station: Glacier Gorge Trailhead seasonal ranger presence; main info line (970) 586-1206

Pass: America the Beautiful pass or RMNP entry fee ($35/vehicle May–Oct). Timed-entry permit required summer mornings — Recreation.gov. Backcountry permit required for overnight.

🎣 Fishing

Fishing available in Glacier Gorge streams and tarns — brook trout and greenback cutthroat trout (native, protected). Colorado fishing license required. In RMNP: artificial flies/lures only (single hook); catch-and-release strongly encouraged for native cutthroat. Fishing near Frozen Lake and the Spearhead approach tarns is allowed but habitat is fragile — minimize impact. License available online at CPW or in Estes Park.

🔭 Points of interest

Fire lookouts, old mines, wreckage, historic relics nearby.

• Shadow Mountain Fire Lookout (historic) — 1932 CCC-built fire lookout tower on Shadow Mountain, near Grand Lake (west side of park). Last of four fire detection towers built in the park. Listed on National Register of Historic Places. Hikeable 2.7 mi from East Shore Trailhead.
• Holzwarth Historic Site — 1920s homestead/dude ranch along the Colorado River corridor (Trail Ridge Rd, west side). Free walk-in tour.
• Petit Grepon (Sky Pond) — Another outstanding nearby alpine rock climb (5.8) above Sky Pond — excellent day if Spearhead is done.
• Longs Peak / The Diamond — The 14er looming over the area — Diamond face is one of the great big-wall objectives in Colorado.

📍 Nearby & other interest

• Petit Grepon (Sky Pond)
• Longs Peak / The Diamond
• Chiefs Head
• McHenrys Peak