The Trough
7 sport climbing routes in Colorado spanning 6 difficulty grades.
- 7 routes
- 5.10a – 5.12a
- Sport
Is Trough, The open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 4 alerts for Canyon Lakes Ranger District.
Salt Cabin Prescribed (RX) Fire Closure
Agency alert covering Canyon Lakes Ranger District · Order 02-10-05-26-10 · USFS · Canyon Lakes Ranger District
Fire Restrictions
Agency alert covering Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests · USFS · Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests
West Crystal A - Mechanical Fuelbreak Area and Road Closure
Agency alert covering Canyon Lakes Ranger District · Order 02-10-05-26-04 · USFS · Canyon Lakes Ranger District
Cameron Peak Fire Road Closures
Agency alert covering Canyon Lakes Ranger District · Order 02-10-05-26-01 · USFS · Canyon Lakes Ranger District
As of · Source: USFS · Canyon Lakes Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit The Trough
Best months: May–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
40° / 21°
5 wet
Feb
40° / 20°
6 wet
Mar
47° / 26°
8 wet
Apr
51° / 30°
10 wet
May
60° / 39°
12 wet
Jun
72° / 49°
11 wet
Jul
79° / 56°
11 wet
Aug
78° / 55°
11 wet
Sep
70° / 47°
8 wet
Oct
57° / 36°
7 wet
Nov
47° / 28°
6 wet
Dec
40° / 20°
6 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Buckhorn Mtn 1 E, CO, 8.1 mi away at 7,400 ft. The station sits about 1,100 ft higher than this place, so expect it a little warmer here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
The Trough is a sport climbing area in the Canyon Lakes Ranger District of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests in Colorado, managed by the Forest Service. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with The Nod (formerly submitted as The Fable) and Hot Fire Bloc each about 0.1 mile away. The area has seven sport routes, all rated between 5.10a and 5.12a. Life in the Trough is the easiest at 5.10a, and High As I Wanna Be is the hardest at 5.12a. The median grade is 5.11c. The routes were first ascended by climbers including Craig Luebben and Heyliger, Hand and Heyliger. Summer is the most comfortable time to climb. Typical averages from a nearby weather station run from highs around 72°F in June to about 79°F in July, with lows in the mid-50s. That station sits roughly 1,000 feet below the Trough, so temperatures at the crag run cooler. The Cache la Poudre River is about 0.7 mile away, and Lower Narrows Campground is about 0.9 mile away. Sheep Mountain Trail is about a mile off, and Narrows (CO) campground is about 1.1 miles away.
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