Mount Bellview Out-and-Back

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This is a pretty stellar run that gives you a bit of everything; on-trail woods run, off-trail bushwhacking a rocky scree section, and an awesome ridgewalk to the summit.

Driving to Schofield Pass from Gothic is a pretty rough road; 4x4 is recommended.

After traveling to Schofield Pass, stop at the 401 trailhead. A high clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle is recommended but sometimes AWD and good driving skills will be enough.

The trail starts at 10,740 feet. Start running uphill through a beautiful forest, pretty soon you can see great glimpses of Baldy mountain through the trees. The canopy opens up even more pretty quickly to more sparse trees.

Leaving the trail at the junction as soon as you get a straight shot view of the ridge is probably the best way to go and just skirting around trees when need be. But going straight up the ridge is best; you may even come across a faint trail that you can follow. If you don't go straight up the ridge and skirt around to the right side, you can still make it but you'll be on loose rock that gives way under foot.

Either way, you'll likely have to do some bushwhacking until you find the more defined trail that seems to start a bit higher up. Trekking poles are definitely helpful here.

You have to make it up the first big hill and the second, then there's a nice long, rocky ridge run before you get to another, but shorter, uphill section and then the summit.

The views on the ridge are pretty incredible; on a clear day you have 360° mountain views, which are pretty spectacular. You can see all along the Gothic valley and the east river all the way to Mount Crested Butte and beyond. Plus, there is a pretty well defined trail on the ridge, so that's a plus as well!

You reach the summit at 12,520 feet. There is a small cairn and a memorial sign there.