Mount Chiquita (13,069') and Ypsilon Mountain (13,514') are accessible from the Chapin Pass Trailhead on Fall River Road. No trail leads to these popular summits in the Mummy Range, but a well-established route follows contour lines and saddles to each. Mount Chiquita is considered among the easiest 13ers in the Park, while Ypsilon requires a greater effort at higher elevation.

Cushion and mat plants trap organic debris that builds up soil, which enables grasses and forbs to root; this process can take centuries

View of Marmot Point (11,909') on the climb to Mount Chapin

In the spring, bighorn sheep of the Mummy Range descend into Horseshoe Park to consume soil with essential nutrients depleted by the winter and calving seasons

Lichen can photosynthesize at 32 degrees F, and outer fungal layers can absorb more than their own weight in water

The big root spring beauty has a long tap root that reaches down several feet to more nutrient rich soil

View of Mount Chapin (12,454') from the Chapin - Chiquita saddle

Heading north from Chapin Pass (11,407') through treeline

A marmot's territory can cover several acres

Looking down the Chapin Creek valley to its confluence with the Poudre River

Looking down one of Ypsilon's 'Y' couloirs at the Spectacle Lakes

When clear of snow, the trail is faint but discernible much of the way

The route climbs 700' in just over a mile from the Chiquita saddle to Ypsilon Mountain (13,514')

Fellfields occur on windswept slopes that hold little moisture, with rock comprising up to half its surface

Ptarmigan feet are fully feathered, which provides warmth and a measure of buoyancy in the snow

Weather conditions can change rapidly in the mountains!