When you’re a peakbagging fiend, you can’t visit somewhere without climbing the highest thing around.

Since we’re currently boondocking in the Flat Tops area, that means Flat Top Mountain at 12,354 feet.

Staring up at it every day from our campsite, it doesn’t look like much, just a point on a long westerly slope. With almost no trail information on the internet, a few minutes spent in Garmin BaseCamp and the topographic contours show a nice constant slope up from the Derby trail.

Long and boring, there is absolutely zero reason to do this trail unless you’re a peakbagger. While the view over the Flat Tops Wilderness area are beautiful, you can get almost the same views 1,000 feet lower and then spend the afternoon fishing in the hundreds of lakes up here.

Morning Mirror

One of the benefits of an early morning start is no wind and mirror reflections on all of the lakes and ponds you pass.

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Layer Cake

The Flat Tops all have layer upon layer of rock .

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Reminder

Here’s a reminder that not everything that goes up the mountain comes back down.

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Proof

The geodetic marker at the summit of Flat Top Mountain.

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Flat Top Summit

The rocky summit of Flat Top Mountain. 12,354 feet.

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Contrast

What a contrast between Flat Top Mountain’s rocky summit and the green meadows below!

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The Ridgeline

The clearly defined ridge between the Tops and the Bottoms.

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Back Up

The ridgeline going back up to Flat Top Mountain.

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Keener Lake

The Keener Lake area with Derby Peak behind it.

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Coming Out

Nice green on the outbound hike.

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Puffballs

Puffy little clouds over the Flat Tops Wilderness.

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Blue and Green

Stillwater Reservoir lights up blue against the brilliant blue sky.

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Flat Top Mountain

Google Earth visual of the Flat Top Mountain hike

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