Buffalo Mountain is located just outside Silverthorne, Colorado along the Continental Divide. At over 12,000 feet high, it towers above the surrounding Gore Range and offers spectacular views. The mountain and surrounding area provide ample opportunities for recreation and sightseeing. Whether you’re looking for skiing, hiking, fishing or just taking in the sights, Buffalo Mountain has it all.
In this article, we’ve compiled 57 riddles about Buffalo Mountain along with their answers. Some touch on the history, geography and wildlife of the area, while others focus on popular activities. We hope these riddles pique your curiosity to learn more about this amazing mountain!
Riddles about Buffalo Mountain
History & Origins
1. Sharp white horns reach toward the sky, how did I get my name before saying goodbye?
Buffalo Mountain was named for the buffalo herds that once roamed through Middle Park.
2. A one-armed officer brought me fame, who was he and from where did he came?
Lt. John C. Fremont gave Buffalo Mountain its name when he explored the area and saw the buffalo herds in 1845.
3. Green prospectors searched my western nooks, panning for a special kind of rocks. What were they seeking in my creeks?
Prospectors mined for jade along Buffalo Mountain’s creeks in the 1860s.
4. An engine struggles bringing thirsty tourists here, it crossed the valley long ago but only runs now once a year. What am I describing from the past?
The abandoned Boreas Pass railroad that once brought tourists to hotels at the base of Buffalo Mountain.
5. These horned beasts with shaggy coats left their name here before their last roam, what animal was this that used to call these hills their home?
Buffalo were the horned, shaggy beasts that roamed this area long ago.
Geography
6. Between two ranges my steep summit lies, name the mountains found on both my sides.
Buffalo Mountain lies between the Gore Range and Tenmile Range.
7. Cradled in snow my jagged edges loom, what lake laps at my feet with its clear blue charm?
Dillon Reservoir sits at the base of Buffalo Mountain.
8. My highest point climbs up into the sky, no other peak in the county can match me, eye to eye. What is my tallest height for all to see?
Buffalo Mountain towers 12,777 feet high, the highest point in Summit County.
9. Through Four Township Gulch no wagon could cross, what was built over me for man and for horse?
The first toll road/footbridge built over Four Mile Gulch allowed passage.
10. From my heights fireworks on summer nights burst bright, as music drifts up celebrating Dillon’s founding night. What event fills the valley with these spectacular sights?
The annual Dillon Yacht Club fireworks show at the start of their regatta.
Wildlife
11. Majestic creatures with white fuzzy coats, every winter they roam steep remote slopes. Name this hoofed animal making their home so high.
The white-tailed ptarmigan is a grouse with feathered feet found only at high elevations.
12. Careful where you step when hiking around my base! Watch for a slithery creature with venom on its face.
Rattlesnakes can be found around Buffalo Mountain, watch your step!
13. Scurrying up trees and chasing his dinner, flicking that bushy tail in cold mountain air much thinner. Who is this hungry hiker searching for his next meal?
Pine martens, part of the weasel family, hunt small prey like squirrels and birds in subalpine forests.
14. Hopping here and there nibbling grasses and flowers, its fur changes with the seasons across mountain meadows and bowers. Name this species at home among rocks and shrub.
White-tailed ptarmigan change plumage to blend into their surroundings across seasons.
15. My wings can soar on mountaintop winds for hours, scanning for hares still white from winter’s freeze. Named for this raptor that makes Buffalo its home.
The white-tailed ptarmigan shares its name and habitat with the Snowy Owl found on Buffalo.
Hiking
16. Hitting the trail just as the sun climbs high, we navigate through aspen groves calling hello to bluebird skies. Where have we started on this sunny day hike?
The Mesa Cortina trailhead leads hikers through aspen groves below Buffalo.
17. Trekking up where wild columbine bloom bright, spying remains of past mining plights. Which trail leads us towards abandoned silver and gold?
The Wildflower Trail takes you past old mines beneath Mt. Silver Heels.
18. We climb ever upward through the spruce and pine, catching glances of distant valley shale. Home to what flower now endangered is our destination at end of day’s final mile?
We’ve hiked up Blodgett Peak Trail to see the Kremmling penstemon wildflower.
19. Over boulders we traverse gaining altitude breath by breath, which 14er fills the distance horizon west by southwest?
Quandary Peak in the Ten Mile range towers on the distant horizon from Buffalo’s high peaks.
20. My legs burn yet spirits soar ever higher, as I conquer this peak that rhymes with fire. Which 14,000 foot giant do I spy there touched by winter’s snow?
You glimpse Mount of the Holy Cross, named for snow melt creating a cross, while summiting Buffalo Mountain’s Silverthorne Peak.
Mountain Biking
21. Bumps and berms we ride down Buffalo terrain, smiling as speed through aspen we gain. Which bike trail would offer this fun cross country run?
The Spring Creek mountain bike trail descends Buffalo with banked turns through aspen groves.
22. Oversized loads once carried through here, now two wheels carry riders without gear. What’s the name of this trail following the old railroad bed?
The Boreas Pass bike trail rolls over the abandoned rail line’s path.
23. Adrenaline pumping, we pick up the pace, tires holding tight to rock we race space to space. Which black diamond run would offer thisMachine-built flow through boulders and evergreen trees?
The Bitterbrush downhill mountain bike trail tests riders with technical features.
24. We climb up old mining access roads still visible from decades behind, taking in views while pedaling uphill where ghost towns once shined. Which rustic remnants would our wheels roll past up here?
The Pennsylvania Mine remnants can be seen along the wheel-punishing Wheeler Trail climb.
25. Alpenglow signals this epic ride’s end, as we relish last views mountain peaks lend. Rolling down groomed singletrack where aspens bend, what route would this be descending on two wheels instead of ten?
The Pennsylvania Creek trail offers a flowy wind down through bent aspens back to start.
Skiing & Snowboarding
26. When snow blankets my high elevation faces, excited powder hunters come race space to space. Where do these steep tree runs and pillow lines await when the snow’s just right?
The Buffalo Mountain backcountry zone offers spectacular skiing and boarding after big dumps.
27. My first chairlift carried eager skiers up starting in 1970 you see. What was the name of this first resort that put Buffalo on the map for all powder lovers to be?
The original Arapahoe Basin ski area had its upper trails on Buffalo Mountain’s front face.
28. When more runs were desired over my crown, nearby resorts united to make me their downhill town. Now hundreds of trails sprawl down my side. What’s the current snowy playground drawing crowds mountain-wide?
Keystone Resort combined with other local hills to expand onto Buffalo Mountain.
29. Snowcats prowl my skin after dark, grooming wide open spaces sparkling white under stars so stark. Come daylight what Buffalo expanse would thrill novice riders with its sight?
Nightly grooming readies the large Schoolmarm intermediate run out in daylight.
30. Olympic medalists slice down my face racing the clock, cheers driving them on no time to talk. When world champions converge to vie here crown to crown, what nail-biting event makes my name known country-wide to any winter sports fan in town?
Birds of Prey at Beaver Creek Resort is the only permanent downhill venue in the USA, racing across Buffalo Mountain’s front face.
Ice Fishing
31. Augers bite this frozen lake while tip ups stand by. We chat while waiting for trout to satisfy fish-tooth hunger spiked high. Where are we sitting over deep holes dropped in ice talking til our lines jiggle just right?
Ice fishers drop lines into Dillon Reservoir hugging Buffalo Mountain, hoping lakers and trout bite.
32. Grilling brats & playing cards to pass the short winter days, awaiting a bite below where cross country skiers maze. Our stools perched over suspended fish anyone would amaze. What Nordic center draws us near for this ice fishing craze?
The Frisco Nordic Center’s trails trace the iced-over Snake River near Buffalo, a popular ice fishing spot.
33. Snowmobiles pull us across this high alpine lake so very wide, to drop lines where snowy peaks collide. What is this icy angling paradise touching Buffalo’s southeast side?
Montezuma Basin offers remote ice fishing by snowmobile deep in the heart of the Rockies.
Rock Climbing
34. Crimping cracks on high angled granite so very bright white, my view over the valley leaves me feeling so light. What crag’s cliffs would offer these airy summertime sights?
The sparkling granite dihedrals of the McHenry’s Peak cliffs have commanding views.
35. Where rock walls loom high hawks riding thermals circle by. Climbers cling to cracks marching ever upward in the sky. Name this sunny roadside cliff drawing daring visitors to give it a try.
The dramatic sulfide-streaked cliffs off Salt Lick Road attract climbers and birds of prey.
36. We’re forging up slabs so solid yet friction frail, dancing with balance refined beyond the human scale. These hand crack climbs all rate 5.10 in this spot. What Walker Mountain zone stacks these airy challenges a whole lot?
The Quartzite cliffs at Walker Mountain serve up sustained 5.10 cracks with big exposure.
Camping
37. Our tents snuggled in thick evergreens bedded below, we trade stories while counting each shooting star show. Which campground would offer this fragrant forest respite after climbing Buffalo’s heights?
Silverthorne’s Eagles Nest Campground, nestled in lodgepoles beneath the mountain.
38. Grilling rainbow trout caught just that morn, we nap through the heat of summer’s longest days worn. When evening arrives more fish stories spin free. Where’s this shady camping escape beside a chuckling stream?
The Slate Creek Campground shelters along burbling Slate Creek near Buffalo.
39. Washing off trail dust in my cool mountain creek before turning in, a serenade of coyotes soon begins. Tucked off what high trail have we pitched our shelter on flat ground?
Camping by Four Mile Creek after hiking the Blodgett Peak Trail.
Steam Train
40. When autumn colors peak an old engine chugs through trees so bright, carrying loads of waving visitors towards mountain heights. What steam-belching transport makes this seasonal sightseeing roundtrip fight?
The Georgetown Loop Railroad’s steam train passes Buffalo Mountain on its fall colors trips.
41. Retired from daily duty decades before, what number fills this engine’s front door letting riders know its age in decades more and more? Engine number ___ rolls past Buffalo once again.
Historic steam engine #40 transports lucky passengers enjoying fall on the Georgetown Railroad.
Rafting
42. Bouncing waves without getting wet, gazing up where our climb sweat. Seeing Buffalo from the valley floor always makes us yearn for more! What river ride splashes views of our next summit goal?
Rafting the Blue River glancing up at the Buffalo Mountain peaks above.
43. Racing paddles plunging down the chute, hitting walls that give our raft the boot! Now soaked head to toe breathless with laughs galore, what funky rapids give us our adrenaline fix right off Buffalo’s shore?
Kodak Rapids’ rocky drops as the Snake River winds past Buffalo Mountain.
Horseback Riding
44. Saddling up where wildflowers bloom, breathing fresh air that dissolves gloom. Which equestrian route trots through aspen and spruce forests here?
Riders explore the Bill’s Ranch Trail just east of Buffalo Mountain.
45. Blazing along where steam engines used to crawl, manes flying free without fence or stall. What equine adventure follows old railroad lines past waterfalls so tall?
Horseback tours ride the abandoned Boreas Pass rail corridor below Buffalo.
46. Hooves knock rocks loose down this steep eroded tread, switchbacking ever up where we might lose our heads! Which nerve-wracking horse trail would this be instead?
Test your nerves riding horses up the harrowing Corral Creek Trail ascent.
Paragliding
47. Run, jump and fly – no need to ask why! Thermalling up where eagles circle and cry. Where would paragliders launch from Buffalo edges so high?
Paragliding pioneers leap from Buffalo Mountain’s ridges seeking lift.
48. Updrafts thrust me thousands of feet time after time, dancing while Buffalo shrinks down to toy size sublime. What route might paragliders fly to soar on rising waves found so fine?
Pilots cruise the Continental Divide catching rides along Buffalo Mountain’s spine.
Rockhounding
49. Pulverizing stone searching for prehistoric bones, what fossils might be found within Buffalo’s sedimentary zones?
Dinosaur fossils erode out of rock layers on Buffalo Mountain after heavy rains.
50. Chipping at boulders bristling with crystals so clear, perfect six-sided shafts sparkle without peer. What transparent Colorado gems would glitter streaking through Buffalo andesite here?
Clear quartz crystals shine within the volcanic boulders surrounding Buffalo Mountain.
Mountain Goats
51. Surefooted acrobats climbing seemingly unclimbable heights, scanning cliffs with eyes piercing bright. What shaggy mountaineers cling to overhangs barely in sight?
Mountain goats cling to impossible rock faces across the heights of Buffalo.
52. Navigating narrowest rock ledges like tightrope walkers so brave, climbing ever upwards eyes on the peaks is all they crave. Spy them browsing nearly inverted while your palms sweat as you wave! Name Colorado’s official state animal known for such daredevil knack.
Mountain goats with unique flexible ankle joints masterfully climb Buffalo Mountain cliffs.
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed these 57 riddles about the many wonders of Buffalo Mountain in Colorado! From historical tales to adventures exploring the outdoors, there are endless mysteries still left to uncover across those rocky highlands west of Silverthorne.
The spectacular geography including wildlife, wildflowers and dynamic seasons continue attracting visitors for recreation and inspiration. Mining relicts, abandoned railroads and even dinosaur fossils reveal Buffalo Mountain’s intriguing past secrets as well.
Whether you prefer peaceful hikes or extreme sports, summering at a cool mountain campsite or shushing powdery bowls on skis, Buffalo Mountain offers something for everyone in this life. Even just driving by gazing up at the sheer granite walls and imagined mountain goats defying gravity high above already makes Buffalo worth the winding trip up the Dillon peninsula any time of year!
The next time you find yourself in Summit County, come ready to puzzle out more mysteries as you explore Buffalo Mountain’s riddles and adventures waiting for you there!
