Colorado 14er Platinum Team

Future Posts Have Moved To A New blog – 4,000 Meters

2011-02-15T15:06:00.001-07:00

For all future news, trip reports, book news, etc. please now look to: www.4000meters.com.

The 40 X 50 14er Challenge is Successfully Completed!

2010-09-22T15:45:00.001-06:00

On September 18, 2010 I completed my 40 X 50 14er Challenge. That is, to climb 40 of Colorado’s 54 14er mountains before I turned 50 years old. I completed that challenge last Saturday (with 4 months to spare) on Blanca Peak at 14,345 feet along with my long time climbing partner Don Lochner.
Some interesting statistics:

Started (informally) in 1998 with my first 14er climb of Grays Peak, 12 years ago.
Total 14er ascents = 54 (which is also interesting in that there are 54 (recognized) unique 14ers in CO. While I did not climb all 54, I did complete 54 assents on my 40th 14er.
Total estimated distance hiked = ~486 miles
Total estimated altitude gained = ~190,000 feet
Total estimated hiking time = ~500 hours
Number of summits that I missed due to weather = 1 (Castle/Conundrum)
Number of times that I ran for my life in a thunderstorm while at altitude = 2 (La Plata and Pikes)

My 14er excitement is not over yet. Don still has a bunch of summits he wants to do so I will happily oblige him and repeat 14ers that I have already completed. I may even do a few that I haven't completed yet such as Ellingwood and Challenger. We will see. Its good to have a few 14ers set aside.

My next act is to start climbing more of the CO 13ers now and concentrating more on the photography and “fun” aspect rather than the “Get er’ done” aspect. And finally, I want to start climbing with Sam and Henry.

And that will all start next season…

Blanca Peak – 360 Degrees of Incredible Views; Payback for Hiking up Como Lake Road

2010-09-21T15:23:00.001-06:00

Driving anywhere in the southern portion of the San Louis Valley you can clearly see the magnificent and gigantic Blanca massif. It is unlike anything else 14er-wise in Colorado. Most 14ers are strewn within a sea of other high peaks and are in a sense, awash in the chaotic landscape of alpine gigantism.

Blanca is quite different in the fact that it suddenly juts out of the floor of the nearly featureless and flat San Louis Valley. It ”looks” more like one would envision a mountain in that its mass, height, and sheer dizzying volume is overwhelming in contrast to its rather flat-lined host valley. Mt. Massive may be…well…more massive, but Blanca sure looks way huger!

The Blanca massif is unique among Colorado 14ers as it most surprisingly juts from the San Louis Valley. It puts the “mass” in massif and anchors the Sangre de Cristo Range.

Don and I left the Denver area late morning on Friday. For this trip we were using his full size, Professional Grade GMC Sierra pickup with an off road package. We arrived at Como Lake Road about 2ish and began the miserable journey up as high as we could go in his pickup. At about 3:30 we finally felt we had reached the limits of the Sierra and its driver. We had made it to 9,500 feet on the road and found a suitable place to park. We changed into our hiking gear, hoisted our packs, and off we went up (about 2,300 feet) towards Como Lake.

I will not spend much time describing Como Lake Road. Everything you have heard about is true. Its sucks…a lot. Its is hot, steep, dusty, and mostly uninteresting.

Don takes an editorial shot of the Como Lake Road sign

We arrived, after traversing the the Como Lake Road in the full heat of afternoon at around 5:30 pm. We quickly found a beautiful, large, and protected camping spot near the lake and the old cabin.

Our camp sight near the old cabin. Its one of the best sites we have had at a 14er trailhead.

We quickly set up our tents, filtered water, and completed all the other stuff we needed to accomplish before nightfall. We didn't have long as the sun set soon after our arrival.

To our surprise Como Lake provided another treat of light and subject matter. As the sun set it light up the valley leading to Blanca, Ellingwood, and Little Bear Peaks with such incredible light that both Don and I paused our activities to capture this beauty before it was gone.

The sunset on Little Bear (tallest point on ridge) with Como Lake in the foreground was astounding

Don and I rehydrated out Bag-O-Meals, ate, and then tended to some last minute evening chores before turning in for the night. The forecast for the next day was bluebird as it had been for the entire week and days to follow. We decided there was really no reason to wake up at our usual 4:30 – 5 am. So we planned to get up at 5:30. It was almost like sleeping in late.

One thing that we (mostly me) had not taken into account was the dehydration we had suffered as a result of our hot and steep hike up Como Lake Road. This would haunt me somewhat on summit day. I simply did not drink enough after arriving at camp to make up for what had been lost Friday afternoon. This set me (us) up for a bit of misery on Saturday as we climbed Blanca. I am usually more cognizant of my fluids, but for some reason on this trip that wisdom escaped me.

We woke up on Saturday as planned and puttered around camp getting ready for our climb. We were still in no particular hurry. It appeared no one else was in a hurry either as the typical early morning activity one finds at a 14er trail head was absent. There were plenty of people at the lake…but not many were up and around even by 7:15 am, when we finally hit the trail.

The aspect of the early morning light within the valley leading to Blanca is perhaps the best I have ever seen. The rugged cliffs, multitude of varied lakes, and the clear skies provided us with intense photographic subject matter.

The Blue Lakes area at about 12,200 feet. Lakes of glass and azure skies.

We both trudged up the standard route towards Blanca. We would pass, and then be passed by a pair of hikers we met the night before on our ascent up Como Lake Road. Larry and his son Jonathan had travelled from Texas to bag Blanca and Ellingwood. They were great company and we leapfrogged them all day to the summit.

The lower headwall leading up to the Blue Lakes. Ellingwood is bathed in morning light background left.

The trail wound up two substantial and steep headwalls. The first leading to Blue Lakes and the second dropping us off at Crater Lake. Crater lake is a fascinating geological specimen. I would guess that many people hike past this area without a second glance.

As we hiked back down on our return we noticed that a HUGE block approximately 8 stories high (just an estimate, it was really really huge though) was sitting in the valley. Its hard to miss. Looking up we could see a perfectly shaped area in the valley wall where it had peeled out of and ultimately crashed to the floor. That must have been a hell of a crash. The top of the block shattered on impact and sent debris far across the valley. The trail traverses directly through the debris field.

This huge block used to be part of the ridge above. Its previous perch is quite apparent. This block was probably 8 stories high.

Another look at the fallen block with Crater Lake behind. Shattered debris is visible right of the block.

This geologic leviathan is worth a stop and examination next time you happen to be in the area. I wonder what the sound and the splash was like when the block hit Crater Lake…

Don and I continued to hike steeply up above Crater Lake towards the saddle that connects Blanca and Ellingwood Peaks. The trail above Crater Lake can get a little hard to find. There seem to be several “braided” trails above the lake and across the ledges. There are cairns and nylon whiskers to mark the way but they are somewhat discontinuous. However, it is relatively straight forward where you need to go. Basically up to the saddle but stay toward the Blanca side. Don’t head for the center of the saddle. You will just make the hike unnecessarily longer.

Looking up at the connecting saddle between Ellingwood (out of frame to left) and Blanca Peaks near the ledges. Blanca is actually to the left of the high point on the ridge but not visible here.

There is probably a visible trail leading from the ledges to the saddle but we followed a more amorphous path and headed into the steeper terrain to hit the saddle higher up on the ridge towards Blanca. This route “cut-the-corner” and traded off a shorter hike for steeper terrain.

Looking over towards Ellingwood from about halfway up Blanca’s ridge. Ellingwood is so steep and abrupt from this aspect that it gave me mild vertigo just looking at it.

The fun starts when you hit Blanca’s Northwest ridge as the hiking class changes from class 1/2 to a healthy class 2/3 with exposure. Its a lot of fun scrambling on the solid rock with good handholds.There is a trail that runs on or very near the actual ridge crest. Don and I generally followed the ridge but did not necessarily follow the trail per se. We chose to follow what appeared to us to be the best route balancing climbing class, exposure, and routing towards the summit. It was a lot of fun with incredible views. It is not difficult but, you do need to watch your step as one bad move and you are headed downhill.

Don takes a quick break from the steep and rocky ridge route to Blanca’s summit

Don and I both made Blanca’s summit at about 11 am. No one else was on the summit at that time and Don and I celebrated! This was my 40th 14er summit (in 54 total 14er ascents) and Don’s 30th. We high-fived, knucked, and smiled until our faces ached. The weather was perfect blue-bird. The 360 degree views were perhaps the best I have seen from a 14er. Looking out over the San Louis Valley from 14,345 feet just can’t be beat.

Just a portion of the great views. There is plenty to see. Little Bear is the high point along ridge foreground. Como Lake, nestled in the valley, is visible in the distance surrounded by trees towards the center right of the image.

It had been a while since we had a summit to ourselves. And this was a fine summit to be on. Soon the Texan’s, Larry and Jonathan made their way up the ridge. We all talked, compared stories and took some time to rest and refuel. I still hadn't realized it yet, but by now, after 4 hours of climbing I was pretty dehydrated. I pulled out my peanut butter and jelly sandwich took a single bite and decided eating it was not a good idea. My appetite was gone. I was able to drink. I felt ok but still not quite right.

Larry and his son Jonathan negotiate the final narrow ridge to Blanca’s summit

Mount Lindsey and Iron Nipple to the East of the Blanca Massif

Don, left and me, right. 14er number 30 and number 40 respectively

On the way down the mountain Don and I decided that we would climb Ellingwood another day. We had considered climbing both peaks as they are traditionally done together. But after seeing it from Blanca’s ridge and our low motivation at that point we bailed and happily decided to head back to camp.

Parts of the route below the summit are really quite steep and exposed

The trip back down the valley was uneventful except for dehydration induced stumbling here and there. We arrived back in camp around 3ish.

When we got to our campsite we found we had some new neighbors. A guy in some hugely modified Jeep Cherokee and his buddy. We learned later their names were Walt and Bruce. We were beat. Tired, hot, dehydrated, hungry, and very grumpy.

Don and I sat down to eat and drink, I was still feeling a bit “punky” so I ate slowly. I filtered more water and drank a liter in no time and readied some more. Right after we were getting settled a whole bunch of Jeeps, Toyotas, and other vehicles started arriving. Probably about 5 or 6 of them and they appeared to know Walt and Bruce. Don and I began to think that instead of spending the night we perhaps should clear out before it got too rowdy as it appeared it might with all the new arrivals.

But…we went with the flow and the other vehicles cleared out and left. Don and I were just too beat to hike out anyway. We could have, but it would have sucked.

As it turns out we ended up spending the evening with Walt and Bruce (who had stayed), and another climber named Shane. Bruce and Walt were some of the most friendly and hospitable people I had met in a while. We hung out around a campfire, ate dinner, and shared stories. It was truly a blast. It was great to meet them both and spend time around the campfire cracking ourselves up. Thank you both for your hospitality and company.

We finally crashed around 9:30 that night. The next morning Don and I woke up around 7. Ate, packed our gear, said our goodbyes to Bruce and Walt and headed back down the road.

On the way home we had a HUGE burrito lunch at the Huerfano Cafe in Walsenburg. I can not tell you how good it was to eat a hot fresh meal. It was great to eat something that did not come out of a wrapper or bag and was not a bar, goop, or freeze dried. No beer though. After lunch Don and I headed back to Denver.

This has been a great season. Beautiful peaks. Great friends. Fantastic pictures. And the completion of my 40 X 50 14er Challenge. Now I can relax a bit…

GPS track for the Blanca hike.

Castle and Conundrum Peak, Loose, Steep Rotten, Exposed, Spacey and, Very Photogenic

2010-08-30T11:14:00.001-06:00

Castle and Conundrum are a peculiar mix of stark beauty, terrifying exposed steep and loose scree/talus, and incredible photogenicity. In retrospect, I truly loved climbing these peaks and the manageable technical challenges that they present a climber. While I was on the mountains, all I wanted was to do was get the hell out of the loose crappy rocks and onto level ground. How quick we forget the bad stuff after the hike is over.

From stepping onto the trail outside of our tents to the summits, this trail is rather steep. It is unrelenting. It starts steep and then gets steeper.

Don and I started on Friday the 20^th. I worked in the morning from home and got some miscellaneous stuff finished. Don took two half days off on Friday. We met at Don’s house around 12ish and began our trip down to the trailhead over Independence Pass, through Aspen, arriving at out campsite at 11,500 feet at about 5pm.

Our campsite at 11,500 feet. Right off the road and great views.

The campsite was fine. While not huge, it had great views and presented us with two places to set our respective tents. The weather forecast for the next day was superb. And the skies were clearing as we readied our meals, took pictures, and otherwise prepared for the next morning.

One of the spectacular views we had as the sun set and the clouds cleared

Don and I woke up at 4:30am and consumed our usual; Starbucks canned latte for me and VIA for Don followed but some sort of repellent (at least at that altitude and time of day) oatmeal bar thing. It was still predawn and the Milky Way spread over the camp site in brilliant luminosity. Dawn quickly approached and the stars washed away. The temp was in the upper 30s and just a very light breeze. We started up the trail, which is actually an old mining road all the way up to 12,800 ft where there is a substantial parking area.

At 5:30 we were able to chuck our headlamps and muddle our way in the dim morning light. Don and I had travelled about 20 minutes or so and when we saw a bright light in the sky traveling roughly from the Northwest to the Southeast. It appeared very high and looked like an airplane with its landing light on. However, as it traversed overhead it remained bright. Don commented, after some observation, that he thought it could be the International Space Station (ISS). Judging the direction of travel I determined that the inclination generally made sense for the ISS and Don, checking after he was home much later that evening, confirmed that the ISS was indeed making an overhead pass at that time. How cool is that? Seeing this space-bound sentinel also set the stage for other space related oddities to happen later in the hike.

Don and I continued our way up the road all the way to the parking area at 12,800 feet. Here we got a good look at the 600 foot “headwall.” This part of the climb is nasty. No matter how you go up this thing you will have to negotiate very steep, very loose, very sharp scree and talus for 600 vertical feet. There are some faint trails winding their way up the slope. Don and I were able to meander along these trails, somehow, and climbed our way up.

Don looks up the 600 feet of talus and scree leading to the bottom of the basin

Upon reaching the top of this nasty heap of busted-up rock we hiked the short distance to the base of the trail that takes the hiker from the basin to the ridge top ultimately leading to the Castle summit. This trail is also steep (have I mentioned that this hike is steep?) but it is obvious as it switches back and forth directly up the slope towards the ridge. The trail then cuts across a straight climbing stretch where it finally brings the hiker to the ridge crest proper.

The trail leads from the basin (lower left) up to the ridge crest (center right) providing access to Castle’s summit. Steep…Isn't it?

This hike really begins to get far more challenging and fun as you attain the ridge crest. To this point one has essentially been steeply grinding up busted up rocks or hiking on a mining rode. The surrounding terrain is quite beautiful. However, the hike itself is somewhat…ah…well…a trudge.

As you reach the Northeast ridge the hike becomes a climb. The NE ridge embodies what really sets “walkups” apart from climbs. The climbing class along the ridge to Castle’s summit varies between class 2 to class 3+ with exposure. Good Times! There were sections that bordered on class 4ish but perhaps I exaggerate for effect. But truly there were short sections where one must hunt around a bit for solid (emphasis on solid) hand and/or foot holds. All the while the slopes careen steeply away from you and downwards into the basin far below.

A look back down the ridge crest. You can clearly see how broken up and exposed the trail is.

Looking up as a lone climber negotiates the ridge with Castle’s summit, (adorned with other successful climbers) appearing right, background.

Don, being afraid of heights, was not as expressive in his enthusiasm with the ridge section. Don is of course entirely competent in his abilities but simply needs some painful prodding and ridicule now and then. We had reached a point on the ridge were we just needed to sit and collect ourselves. And as oddly as it seems, there was just such a flat and stable area just below 14,000 feet. From where we were sitting the route seemed a little more than Don wanted to deal with.

As luck would have it another climber came along (I did not get his name). We talked a little while and explained the situation. He volunteered to blaze ahead so that we could see him make his way up a technical portion and onto the trail above. And he did so. We saw that in reality there were just a few simple technical moves and then there was a pretty stable trail nearly all the way to the summit. That climber is pictured above. Thanks!

Both Don and I made the rest of the climb to the summit with nary a problem. There were just a few other folks up there at around 9:30 am. The weather was still perfect and the route over to Conundrum looked more doable than ever.

Climbers on the summit of Castle Peak ponder the route over to Conundrum

Of question throughout the day was how we might descend. Of course one may either climb over to Conundrum and then reverse the whole trip back over Castle and down the ridge back to the trail head. I was of the mind to descend directly from the saddle between Castle and Conundrum. There was a LOT of loose talus and some snow/ice. From the ridge this route looks completely insane and steep. However I had climbed and descended the saddle route years earlier and knew it was less steep than it looked. This route is very popular earlier in the year when there is still plenty of snow on this route, which makes for a great glissade. In late August unfortunately the snow is mostly replaced by ice and liberally peppered with rocks.

Don and I watched from the ridge and summit as other climbers made the saddle descent with what appeared to be little trouble. Also, as one changes their viewing orientation to that slope you can see that it is not as steep as it appears from across the basin. We now accepted that we would descend the saddle route even if it meant some limited ablative self-arrest.

The saddle between Castle (left) and Conundrum (right). From this view the descent looks crazy steep and loose. And indeed it is. It is however possible to descend this route with care.

We both stayed on Castle’s large summit long enough to recharge with some food and drink. We took our summit shots and chatted it up with others on the summit. The views were incredible adding to the panache of these two fine peaks.

We wanted to get started towards Conundrum so we did not stay our usual 40ish minutes. We had studied the route over to Conundrum. The second peak seemed closer than ever. This was number 28 for Don but I had already been on top of Castle.

A good look at the route from the summit of Castle all the way over to Conundrum Peak

We met up with another climber as we headed down and across to Conundrum as we left Castle’s summit behind. As climbers do, we ended up hiking about the same speed and generally becoming engaged in conversation. We were talking about hiking and mutual interests, hometowns, and work. I mentioned, in the context of conversation, that Don was “actually a Rocket Scientist”, which Don actually is. The other guy (Scott as we would learn later) thought that was pretty interesting. He then mentioned that his grandfather was an astronaut. As it turned out…Scott’s grandfather is James (Jim) Lovell. Jim Lovell was the commander of Apollo 13 (and Apollo 8) and the astronaut who spoke the famous words, “Houston, We've had a problem.”

A look at climbers ascending the ridge towards Castle Peak taken from the connecting saddle

Jim Lovell's grandson! Perhaps others may not see this chance meeting as pretty darn cool but clearly Don and I did. And from Scott’s point of view, the chance to actually meet two random people on a mountain at nearly 14,000 feet…two people who were not just acquainted with the space program during the 60s and 70s, but darn near experts. At least we thought we were experts.

We all hiked over to Conundrum in what seemed like minutes. It was a perfectly pleasant hike. We also got a good look at the descent route as we traversed the point where the descent joined in with the saddle and confirmed that it indeed was not terribly steep and appeared quite doable.

In a short while we were on the smallish summit of Conundrum Peak. That made number 29 for Don and 39 for me. Scott graciously humored us by posing with me and Don in our usual “we made it” summit picture. The weather was still great. The really challenging parts of the hike were behind us, and it was still rather early in the day. We had nothing but time…and the descent down the saddle route.

Don (left), Scott (center), and Me (right) on the summit of Conundrum Peak

Don and I headed downwards towards the saddle after some relaxed refueling and rest, picture taking, and talking on the summit. At the beginning of the saddle descent we could see that there were trails leading down the saddle face at least as far as we could see. Eventually the slope was steep enough that the lower part of the descent was not visible. Thinking about this later I realized that the trails that we saw were the paths that hikers would use to connect from the top of the snow field (present in the spring) to the top of the saddle.

We coordinated with some other climbers on the saddle to go down together so that we would not kick rocks down on each other. The slope was steep and very loose so sending rocks downhill was inevitable. Coordination between the climbers was mandatory and the resulting cooperation incredible. Everyone was working together and it made the descent MUCH safer.

Looking back up the steep and nasty descent route

As it turns out there was, after all, a good bit of “ablative self arrest.” It was not possible to avoid. The poor condition of the slope dictated it. The slope was variously steep loose dirt/rock, or subsurface ice with a semi-frozen crust of dirt and rock. Of the six or so folks that hiked down the saddle together, most, if not all, ended up falling and sliding down on some part of their body, unexpectedly, and ending up with various minor injuries involving scrapes, gouges, and blood. But it was agreed by all that these injuries were well worth the time and mileage saved on this route versus climbing all the way around and back over Castle.

Ablative self arrest…Its not without risk

The only – somewhat – unexpected danger was a crevasse at the base of the slope. I ended up traversing a loose slope about about 12 feet above the dangerous looking crack. I could not see down into it but I could gauge it was about 2+ feet wide and perhaps 12 feet long. Just as I was about half way across the short traverse my footing gave way and I was headed for the crevasse. I started clawing madly (somewhat in a panicked way) at anything that might stop me before I slipped into the menacing and mysterious maw. There was nothing but sliding dirt and rock around me but something I grabbed eventually stopped me. I was saved. From my somewhat uncomfortably closer position I was now able to look into the crevasse and saw that it was about 8 feet from the surface down to water. I could see and hear the delightful plinks and plops of debris that I had kicked loose in my fall as it slipped over the edge of the crevasse and into the water. Who knows how deep the water was. I didn’t find out. The sides of the crevasses were liberally sprinkled with embedded rock. Falling down that thing would have been a nasty ride!

The crevasse as seen from above on the connecting saddle. I identified the terrifying crack later when look at my images.

From here back to camp the hike was uneventful. Hiking over more giant piles of busted-up rock until we finally made it back to the upper parking lot at 12,800 feet then followed the road back down to our camp site. We were back at camp around 2pm. A great day. A challenging, interesting, and beautiful hike, in retrospect.

Don and I packed up camp and eased our way down the long and rough road back towards Aspen. We ate at a place called “The Grill” in Leadville where they served up a decent burrito and then all that was left was the drive back to Denver.

The GPS track for the Castle and Conundrum Peak hikes. Red is up, Blue is down.

Next up is Blanca Peak.

Handies Peak – Another Jewel in the San Juan Mountains

2010-07-13T20:14:00.001-06:00

I need to get 3 more peaks to finish my 40 14ers before I am 50 years old (40×50). It looks like the last peaks will be Handies Peak (check). Conundrum Peak (a “soft” 14er but it counts in my book). Blanca Peak (sticks out of the otherwise flat San Louis valley). I turn 50 in February so I need to check these mountains off this season. Don and I got a late start last year not getting our first new 14er until late July. So we were determined to set out earlier this year.

We picked Handies for no other reason than it looked pretty easy (relatively) and we could get to it as soon as the trailhead melted out. The melting out happened pretty quickly as the late Spring temps had been warm. I had been checking the trailhead conditions on 14ers.com. It appeared that by Late June we were good to go.

Don and I left on Friday afternoon. I had just started a new job that week and already had to take off early my first Friday! Fortunately my new job at Qwest and my boss are excellent and the situation proved to not be an issue.

Don and I left the Denver area around 1ish and headed to Gunnison for dinner at our favorite pizza joint Pie-Zan's on 730 North Main Street. They make an excellent facsimile of New York style pizza. We have eaten there a lot over the years and it’s always good.

From Gunnison we made our way south through the bustling town of Lake City. Past the Slumgullion Slide and its associated beautiful Lake San Cristobal. I easily navigated the road to the America Basin trailhead in my 2004 Ford Escape. The road is really not that bad. I think a decent car could make it most of the way up the road except for a couple of shirt rough spots. High clearance is definitely a good idea but the road is not horrendous.

The Second Stream Crossing at 11,400 Feet

We drove all the way to the second, and larger, stream crossing. It was no problem to cross. We set up camp in a spot immediately after the crossing. We were about ¼ mile from the actual American Basin trailhead. The next morning as we hiked to the trailhead we saw that we could have made the short distance in the truck. But heck…It only added a little bit of walking to the hike. There were several streams washing down the surrounding peaks down improbably steep hillsides. American Basin is magnificent. It was still a little early for wildflowers. But, the green brush vegetation, colorful rock, streams, and patches of snow made for a visual treat.

American Basin Near Sunset

Our Campsite Just Above the Second Stream Crossing

We each set up our tents and organized gear. We talked strategy and decided on an early start even though the weather was forecast to be perfect. The earlier we started the earlier we would be done. And with a 6+ hour drive back home we would be able to get back before it was too late.

The alarm clocks (cell phone alarms actually) went off about 5 a.m. Don and I woke up and we choked down our familiar part tart breakfast. Don made coffee in his new (my old) Jetboil. We started hiking around 6:15 a.m.

We made our way up the road to the actual trailhead where we signed in at the register and started up the trail. It was not really that steep but I was really feeling tired. I didn’t really know why. I also didn’t know it at the time but Don was feeling the same way. It was a bit odd. I felt as if we were taking f-o-r-e-v-e-r to just get the first mile or so done. Actually, we were holding a very good pace exceeding 1,000 feet/hour. I am not sure why it felt so slow and tiring. It was just one of those days I suppose.

Sunrise in American Basin Above the Trailhead

This Waterfall is but One of the Incredible Natural Features of American Basin and Handies Peak

We had to do some route finding now and then as there was still some snow on and around the actual trail. Nothing too difficult. It was just hard to see where the trail went for short segments but we soldiered on in our discomfort. There was at this early hour quite a bit of ice on the trail. Some parts were rather wet from all the snow melt. With the nighttime temps below freezing there were many parts of the trail that were simply a sheet of ice which made for some careful navigation.

We finally reached Sloan Lake and from here to the summit we both felt much better and really started to enjoy this hike.

Long Shadows Cast by the Low Morning Sun. A Frozen Sloan Lake in Center of the Frame

The terrain around Sloan Lake is very chaotic (in a geologic sense) but interesting. It is dominated by piles of old rock rubble that has eroded off the surrounding peaks and tumbled into the basin. In the approximate middle of this jumble is Sloan Lake. Just magnificent! The trail has been recently rerouted to switchback up a hill just below the lake and then traverses, loosing some elevation, towards the longer and steeper ascent up to the summit. Looking up the remainder of the hike it appeared to grind up pretty steeply but it was not really bad at all and the scenery was astounding, as is common in the San Juans.

We started up towards the summit after a refueling stop and applying sun block. We really felt great now and the summit was within view and our reach. We climbed up to the top of the shoulder/ridge leading to Handies Summit. American Basin was stretched out beneath us in true glory. This statement is not hyperbole. It really is incredible. We were high enough now to really take in the vast San Juan views. The weather was pure blue sky. A slight breeze and a chill in the air. A basically perfect mountain hiking day.

The Trail Stretches out Above Sloan Lake Heading for Handies Summit

Colorful Lichen Decorate the Rocks On the Ridgeline Leading to the Summit

We continued climbing making great time. We were on the summit around 9:30 a.m. There were 2 other folks on the rather smallish summit. The views, the mountain, the companionships was great. One person on the summit was Matt Payne who is a 14ers.com regular and a nice guy. He was on the summit with his father. We talked about CO 14ers, hiking, and web sites. We took pictures and ate. Rested and relaxed. Matt and I both host mountain oriented web sites and both obviously have similar interested towards the outdoors. Me and Don and Matt, and Matt’s dad bantered on about hiking and such. It was a blast. I have rarely met anyone on a 14er (or 13er) summit that I didn’t like. Typically people are interesting, friendly, talkative, and helpful. We all share the same interests after all.

Don (left) and Me on the Handies Peak Summit

Looking Down the Trail From the Summit. Small Switchbacks, Green Rock, and Sloan Lake a Long Way Down in the Distance

Don and I finally decided it was time to head back down. Matt and his father headed off to Whitecross Mountain. We met a few other folks heading up. The weather was still perfect. It was great to have our first 14er complete in June and to have it be so incredibly scenic and in the midst of such great weather.

A Look Across American Basin on our Hike Back to Camp

We arrived back at camp around 12:30 p.m. We drove the long road back into Lake City and ate at the Tic Toc Dinner (no food finer). We had great burritos and somewhat odd service. Not bad service….just a little odd. Fitting for Lake City in a perfectly eccentric way. Then it was off for the long drive back to Denver.

Handies Peak Hike GPS Track

Next up…Castle and Conundrum Peaks

Shavano…Again…and again…and again

2010-06-22T20:21:00.001-06:00

I have climbed Mt Shavano…3 times. Its not that Mt Shavano is bad, ugly, or unpleasant. It just has the unfortunate distinction of being located in the Sawatch mountain range. Home to some of the longest, steepest, hottest, and at times…distressingly monotonous peaks in Colorado.

The first time I climbed Shavano was August 2002. When me and a climbing partner arrived at the summit the weather was a little iffy and we looked over at Tabaguache and said, “naaaahhh.”

I next climbed Shavano in June 2006 with fellow Platinum Team member Mike O’Hearn. On that day Shavano and Tabaguache became my first double 14er summit hike. We had great weather and the climb was a blast.

So why would I climb Shavano again you might ask? Well, we usually kick off the climbing season with a warm up hike up, say, Bierstadt. This year however as Don and I looked over our portfolio of unclimbed mountains Don asked if we could climb something he had not yet climbed. As it was intended to be a warm up anyway, I thought, “what the heck.” and suggested Shavano with an option for Tabaguache.

I though that we would have a 50/50 chance at best to climb to Shavano’s summit given that it was still early in the season. It was still May. I thought there may be too much snow on the trail although I knew the road to the trailhead was open through trailhead reports.

So on Friday afternoon Don and I set off towards the Shavano trailhead. We arrived a little early. About 4ish I think. We set up camp and instead of sitting around and staring at each other Don and I decided to do some exploring.

From our exploring near the campsite and the drive in we could see that there was no snow in the lower areas. We could however see some snow fields higher up on the mountain and the Angel of Shavano was still well developed.

Our Campsite Conveniently Located at the Trailhead

It finally got late enough in the evening for us to eat our freeze-dried dinners. We discussed climbing strategy, organized our gear, and finally got tired enough to turn in.

The next morning we were on the trail by about 6AM. The weather was forecast to be perfect although a little breezy.

A Beautiful Aspen Stand Near The Trailhead

We arrived at the trail register and signed in. The reregister was torn to pieces and missing most of its bulk. People had been writing in their names wherever there was a scrap of room. The register had not been changed in months.

You Never Know Who You Might Meet on a Hike. Look at the Name In the Upper Right - B. Midddlebrook. Webmaster of the 14ers.com Site

Don and I climbed up through the thick pine forest. At times, because of the snow, the trail was hard to find. I had been up this mountain 2 times previously and never remembered that the trail was hard to find. As we got closer to tree line the trail became more distinct.

As we hiked higher there were more frequent and larger snow fields. None of these required snow shoes but gaitors, which we had on, were well advised. We plodded our way along the trail crossing the occasional snow fields and finally made it to the long traverse that leads you to the saddle South of the summit.

Near Tree Line and Some of the First Snow Patches We Encountered Around 12,000 feet

At this point Don and I elected to climb up the Angels “head” at the summit base (around 13,200 feet) and climb directly up the South face.

A Look Along the Traverse With the Saddle (center background) and the Angel Just Below the Saddle

As Don and I arrived at the Angel’s “head” we turned North and headed directly to the summit grinding steeply upwards.

Don Climbs the Angel Directly Towards Shavano’s Summit, Which is Just Visible Over the Slope at Top Center

Two Climbers Make Their Way up the Steep Slope Towards the Summit. Snow Fields and the Green Pine Forest are Far Below.

After about 40 more minutes of steep climbing Don and I arrived at the snow covered summit. The weather was perfect with a strong chilly breeze blowing.

Don Takes In the Vast and Magnificent Views from the Summit

This was an extremely clear day. From Shavano we could see all the way down the San Luis Valley to Blanca Peak. It was really incredible.

Me, On My First 14er of 2010

A Snowy But Beautiful Look Towards the North From the Summit

Don and I looked over to Tabaguache. Unfortunately, while the weather was great, the entire route between Shavano and Tabaguache was totally snowed in. I had very little motivation to head over to Tabby. By very little I mean nearly zero. Between that and the snowy conditions we bailed on Tabby to come back and bag another day. At least for Don.

The hike back to the trailhead was uneventful although it was unseasonable hot. It seems like no matter how dense the forest cover you are always roasting in the afternoon sun hiking back to the trailhead. We arrived back at camp around 2:30 p.m. We packed up camp and set off for the Coyote Cafe near Buna Vista for a celebratory burrito. It was a great start to the 2010 season.

GPS Track for the Shavano Climb

Summiting Sniktau In January, Its Like a Little Bit of Everest (sort of)

2010-01-10T07:19:00.002-07:00

Ah it was good to get out again. It had been months since I had been in the mountains and I had been trying to hike Mt. Sniktau for weeks. I wanted to climb this peak on New Years eve but the weather simply would not cooperate. But finally it all looked good for Jan 9.

I would be hiking with a new partner. John Nibarger. Don (my usual climbing partner) was unfortunately not available and John and I wanted to get out. So when the weather cleared, we were off.

John and I wanted to get out early to avoid ski traffic and to catch the sunrise. We left around 5ish and made it to Loveland Pass about 6:30. Another 30 minutes of getting our gear on and we were ready to walk. We were just a little late to catch the sun where we wanted it but we still got a great sunrise.

Sunrise from Loveland Pass looking South towards Keystone

John and I ground our way up the nearly 900 feet to the ridge from the pass. Its always fun on this hike to hop out of your car and grind up 900 feet. We attained the top of the ridge in a relatively short time except for several photo stops on the way up.

The Top of the Ridge at Just Under 13,000 feet. The Sun is Just Rising Above Torreys Peak

We turned North and headed along the ridge towards a few sub-peaks, another 13er, and finally Sniktau. The temperature was around 0 degrees F and the winds were light to moderate. The sky was brilliantly clear.

John with the Snow Covered Backdrop

As long as you were moving it was not too cold. Actually, for Sniktau in the Winter, the weather was incredible.

We ascended the final 13er before Sniktau and headed down the last saddle. From here it was a straight forward climb through hard pack snow, scoured rock, and sastrugi.

Mt. Sniktau Rises in the Distance from its Neighboring 13er

We began the relatively easy climb up through the snow and rock. We were cautious not to get too close to the cornice to the right of our route. From the bottom of the saddle it was relatively easy to pick out a line to the summit. The snow was all solid. John cut up towards the right side staying mostly in snow.

John Cuts Up a Direct Line to the Summit Just above the Rocks

I took a line to the left through the rocks more on the trail but it did not really matter. It was all solid.

After a few minutes of climbing the final pitch we were nearly on the summit. The weather was still great. Cold and breezy at times but clear. We popped up on to the summit about 90 minutes after leaving the trail head.

John Summits at Around 9:30 AM

John got to the summit a bit before me as I hung back to breath and take pictures. It was a great day and a fantastic climb.

View From the Top. Grizzly Peak, (foreground left) and Cupid (foreground center)

John at the Summit

Me at the Summit…Yeah!

The return climb was pretty straight forward following our ascent path. It was still cold but rapidly warmed up as we descended from the ridge back down to Loveland Pass. It actually got warm enough that I had to take off my gloves and loosen my jacket. At this time the pass was packed with people, tourists, skiers a plenty. It was about 11AM and John and I were headed to Tommyknockers for a beer and lunch.

Tommyknockers in Idaho Springs. It was a Lot More Crowded When we Left at about 12:30

James Peak – It Surprisingly Provides a Lot of Solitude…Above the Glacier

2009-09-20T11:55:00.002-06:00

James Peak is a solid hike. It has a lot logistically going for it. Its close to Denver, and it has a paved road all the way to its St. Marys trailhead. It even has paid parking and a crapper at the trailhead.

But its also a great scenic hike as well. It is not particularly difficult and certainly nothing technical, at least on its normal route. But the views afforded from James Peak’s broad summit are outstanding stretching North to Longs Peak and South along the Skyline Traverse (Parry, Eva, Flora, and Co Mines Peaks) and beyond to Grays/Torreys and Evans. Quite a lot to take in actually on a clear day as we had.

Joining the great ranks of the unemployed recently, I took it upon myself, when not involved in the activities of finding a new job, to take a least a little free time for some hiking. I was originally going to do this hike during the week. But James had been discussed as the perfect reunion hike for my Spring Wilderness Trekking School (WTS) class so I thought I would try it on a weekend and see who I could rope in with me. So, with short notice I sent the invite out to the class. Unfortunately, on such short notice only one of my ex-pupils, Elizabeth, was able to make the hike.
I have only been to St. Marys in the early

Spring when the glacier (to be geographically correct I should note here that St. Marys is not really a glacier but rather a permanent snow field) is in full form with a hefty load of snow. Actually, several times I have been to the glacier, usually for WTS Snow Day, the snow load was actually being added to by a winter storm with winds howling.
Elizabeth (E) and I met at 5:30am and arrived at the paid parking around 6:30am. Right on our schedule. We got our gear together and departed towards the trail head.

We trudged up the road following the trail that looked unfamiliar to me as it had no snow. As we arrived at the St. Marys Lake we were greeted by a site that I have never seen (and hope never to see again) in the mountains.

There was a large group of about 20 guys, say around college age or so. They all looked normal…except for two guys who were apparently naked, signing, and doing a little dance.

Now mind you I don't often pine to look at naked guys (never actually) but this was like a train wreck. I was psychologically compelled to look. Then I noticed that the two guys were not really naked. They were mostly naked but they had on skin colored underwear.

So onward E and I hiked past this unusual spectacle as the two almost naked guys kept up their singing and dancing.

We could both see that the glacier was substantially smaller than in the early spring and provided access to its upper reaches on rock on the glacier’s right side.

A Much Reduced St. Marys Glacier Accentuated by Fall Color

We climbed to the base of the glacier and decided to climb up the rocks on the glacier’s right. The “snow” at this time of day was solid ice and didn't offer a very good purchase.

It was windy from the lake up to the lower portion of the glacier. I began to worry that it would be just a heck of a windy day up higher and particularly on the peak.

The Remnants of St. Marys in Late Summer

There was a faint but followable trail on the right side of the snow so E and I made out way up on rock instead of ice. The trail was descent if not hard to follow at times but did get you up the steepest portion of this climb quickly.

The Upper Portion of the Glacier Narrows Considerably Before Disappearing

The glacier continues up its steep slope becoming progressively narrower until it finally peters out all together. From here E and I simply climbed out of the snowless gully and popped out onto the relatively vast and level “Jamaica Plain.”

James Peak Finally Visible (on right) From the Broad and Flat Jamaica Plan

So far E and I had only seen the people at St. Marys Lake and one other hiker who was heading up the glacier. Solitude indeed. The wind had become calm. The morning light was great. And the temps cool. It looked to be a great day.
E and I crossed the plain at a

good clip. The only tricky part of this hike is crossing a road that bisects Jamaica Plain. I am not sure why this was unclear to me but the trail was not abundantly obvious after crossing the road. We could see the trail in the distance and some signage. So I just headed for the sign and picked up the trail easily and headed of towards the peak in the distance.

After crossing the plain the trail cuts to the Southwest to a steep overlook of Loch Lomond, Ice, Ohman, Stewart, and Reynolds Lakes. All magnificent hanging lakes tucked into a glacial gorge. The view into the gorge and these lakes is rugged and magnificent.

Ice Lake Just Visible Nestled Against the Base of Mt. Bancroft

We continued through 12,600 feet up the sloping side of James Peak following the great trail towards the summit now well within view. The weather was still perfect. It was a little breezy and chilly. While comfortable for hiking we both had to wear gloves.

The Weather Still Perfect. Cairns Mark the Great Trail to James Peak Summit in the Near Distance

The last bit of the climb, while steeper just below the summit is really not that difficult. This 8 mile round trip hike really doles out the 2,900 feet of elevation gain gently.

E and I motored efficiently up this last section and hiked right on up to the broad sloping summit. It was just before 10am as we walked onto the summit. We found a rather large stone shelter, put our gear down, and meandered about the summit taking in the views and snapping images.

This was E’s first 13er and she was quite pleased. She had done great.

Elizabeth has a Rare Outburst of Emotion as She Celebrates Her First 13er

And the Summit Shot With Both of Us, 13,294 Feet

We both relaxed, ate, and took in the incredible views and the fine weather. It was till only a bit after 10:00am and we had the summit to ourselves, for the time being.

The View to the South. Bancroft in the Foreground and Grays and Torreys Way Out in the Background

After about 30 minutes a couple came up to the summit with two dogs. They made a bee line for another shelter on the summit and settled in. Another person showed up shortly after that with yet another dog. As E and I did not have a dog we felt uncomfortable and decided it was time to head back to the glacier.

The trip down was great. Relatively easy hiking, great weather, and good company. We had the same trouble finding the trail as it crossed the jeep road, which at this time of day had jeeps on it. We corrected our navigational errors and were soon back on the trail heading back to the glacier.

We descended towards St. Marys Lake. This time we stayed on the actual glacier as the snow/ice had softened in the sun and provided a bit easier walking than the loose talus and scree.

As we descended towards the lake we were surprised to see a bunch of people. All sorts. No mostly naked frat boys. But a rather broad cross section of outdoor enthusiasts from families to groups heading up the glacier for a few moments of summer skiing. It was actually quite crowded.

The views of St Marys Lake, The glacier, and some Fall aspens were beautiful.

St. Marys Over the Toe of the Glacier in Late Morning

Fall Colors Accent an Already Incredible View

We walked on out to the truck and headed into Idaho Springs for a beer and lunch at Tommyknockers. A great finish.

James Peak is really a great hike. E and I had a fantastic time hiking together and sharing a relaxed scenic outdoor adventure. Good Times!

GPS Track Data for the James Peak Hike. Red is Route Up. Blue Route Down.

Pikes Peak – There Really is a Coffee (and Donut) Shop On Top

2009-08-30T17:51:00.005-06:00

I think everyone has joked about the proverbial “Coffee Shop” at the top of any given 14er that one happens to be climbing. The funniest part of the joke now, is that on top of Pikes Peak there really is a coffee shop…and a donut shop, and soup/chili in a bread bowl cafe, and a full on gift shop…

When we decided to climb Pikes I was prepared for a bizarre mix of 14er climbing and kitschy Park Service marketing and sales. And actually we did get all of that. But, I was not expecting the beauty and uniqueness that the Crags to Pikes summit hike delivered. While the attainment of the final summit is truly an exercise in surreal outdoor activities, Pikes is ultimately a very worthy hike.

Don and I left the Denver area relatively early on August 28th as we wanted to get a campsite at the Crags Campground. Being a Friday, we thought that the spots may go fast.

We arrived around 4ish and found a great camp spot. Don and I set up our tents and generally got everything set up. It was a really nice spot near a small stream. We had time before dinner so we both kicked back for a bit and and relaxed and did some reading.

Don and I Relax in Some Lounge Chairs. Ahhhhh…Camping

Around 5:00pm we both headed into Woodland Park for dinner. We returned to the camp site and eventually headed into our respective tents for a 5am wakeup call.

The forecast for the 29th was generally good with the familiar prediction of thunderstorms after 12pm. We wanted to get started early so that we would be out of the donut shop by noon to avoid any thunderstorms while we were still near the summit.

Don Geared Up and Waiting (Impatiently) at the Trailhead

We unnecessarily drove the few hundred yards from our camp site to the Crags Campground Trailhead. Even at this early hour all the parking spots were taken and we had to park along the road.

Oddly there were a few camp sites immediately next to the trailhead parking area. While the camp sites were indeed esthetically pleasing, I can’t imagine how miserable it would be to have throngs of hikers and their vehicles parading just a few feet from your head. But hey…Its only $12.00 bucks.

We started the hike through some very pleasant pine forest as we gently ascended towards the summit, still miles (many miles) away.

Well Watered Pine Forest Near the Beginning of the Hike from the Crags

The trail eventually starts to climb steeply as it nears tree line. It winds and switch-backs around some very beautiful scenery. I don't particularly like to hike that much in the trees. But this trail and setting was rather pleasant.

An Interesting, Rocky, and Beautiful Hike in Tree line

The Crags Trail Finally Busts Out Above Tree Line But there is Still Plenty of Steep Hiking Ahead

Don and I climbed steeply in this section and finally broke out from tree line. There are two steep sections on the Crags Trail. These two steep sections are separated by rather generous and generally flat hiking sections. The first steep section starts below tree line and leads to a saddle at around 12,500 feet. The second steep section is just below the summit.

Looking Back Towards Tree Line From Below the Saddle near 12,500 Feet

Looking up at the Saddle with Pikes Peak Summit Just Visible Poking Up in the Distance

We attained the saddle and finally had a good view at of Pikes Peak Summit. This next approximately two mile section stretches from the saddle all the way to the summit base and winds through some very interesting rocky terrain, prominent rock ribs, alpine meadows, construction zones, Pikes Peak road. You know, the usual stuff you see on a 14er. The trail also winds around Devils Playground. An area so named because of the high number of lightning strikes that this prominence receives.

Devil’s Playground. You Don't Want to be Here During a Thunder Storm, Unless You Want to be Turned Into Carbon.

We both tooled comfortably along this relatively easy and very scenic section. We chatted with some nice folks that we were leapfrogging on the trail and just generally enjoyed ourselves.

This Part of the Trail is a Scenic and Easy Cruise

Magnificent Rocks Ribs Cross the Trail

This section also parallels the road for short distances. It is really more odd than unpleasant. It just seams somehow wrong to see cars whizzing by kicking up dust and exhaust as they too struggle their way to the summit festivities.

Pikes Peak Road Just After Devil’s Playground. The Trails Wraps Around the Left of the Road and Heads Up the Hill.

Don and I continued along the obvious trail, which was punctuated by overly large and abundant cairns. I am not sure why the trail is so ridiculously well marked. I mean Erik Weihenmayer (http://www.touchthetop.com/) could follow this trail.

The Obvious Trail Marked by the Completely Unnecessary, Abundant, and Large Cairns With the Summit Towering in the Background

The two of us quickly crossed this final gentle section of the trail and made our way to the second and last steep section, the final summit push consisting of about 800 feet of rocky (but not technical) climbing to Pikes Peak summit.

The Base of the Final Pitch to the Summit

This final steep section is really your last grasp of “normal” 14er reality. At the top of this pitch, at the summit, things will change rather abruptly and somewhat unexpectedly.

The final pitch is typical steep summit-push boulders and talus. Its fun picking your way through the abundant cairns and the well formed trail.

Again, Giant Cairns Make Route Finding on the Final Pitch Somewhat Academic

So here you are picking your way up the trail laid into the red jagged rock of the summit. Passing cairns. Seeing people behind you struggling below up the same trail segments that you had just completed in the thin atmosphere at 14,000+ feet. Your thoughts turn towards the summit that is just 100 feet above you. As you continue to climb you look up to see where the next portion of the trail is and you see…A friggin guard rail. And the road.

The Last Bit of the Hike and the Visitor’s Center on the Summit Just Visible in the Left of the Image

As you push up over the last steep part you can finally see the complex at the summit that consists of an Army High Altitude Research building and the larger (huge really) Visitors Center.

Here is something You Don't See On Every 14er. Or really Any Other 14er. Cars, Tour Vehicles, Non-Athletic People Eating Donuts, and so on.

Don and I topped out over the edge and strolled across the parking lot (yes…parking lot) to the visitors center (VC) for a hardy bowl of soup/chili in a bread bowl and some of those world famous Pikes Peak donuts.

When we arrived at the VC it was absolutely packed with people. The Cog Railway train was in station. When the train left about 25 minutes later most of the people left and the VC was much less crowded.

Don pushed his way towards the counter to order lunch. I miraculously found a table and took off my pack and stowed gear.

It Really is Hard to Beat Soup in a Bread Bowl and the Donuts Really are Quite Good. Beats a Crescent Shaped Rock Shelter.

The soup was really quite good and the donuts excellent. I had the chicken noodle soup and Don had the chili. I must say that a carb laden bowl of soup hit the spot.

We both sat and ate and enjoyed the accommodations. The Cog Railway Train left and the VC cleared out. After we were done we wondered around the VC looking for souvenirs but found none. Finally we wondered outside to take the summit shot and then head down the mountain.

There Are Two of these Signs on the Summit, One in Front and Another in the Back. So if one of them has a line you can Just Try the Other Sign for that Memorable Summit Picture.

Rested and Well Fed. Now We Had to Get the Heck Off the Summit as Thunderstorms Drifted In

With the summit shot in the can, we noted that the weather had deteriorated rather quickly (as it so often does in the mountains) and we anxiously started to head past the Army Research Building and ultimately down the trail home.

Within a few minutes we heard the first peel of thunder. It was a ways off and appeared to come from an isolated cell south of the summit. I kept and eye on the cell and it was definitely moving away. However, the atmosphere was becoming less stable with the afternoon heating and we could tell there would be more storms.

For a good part of the hike from the summit base to near Devil’s Playground the weather was ok. But it became much more sinister quickly as we approached Devil’s Playground and the very exposed saddle that we still had to cross.

At one point Don looked out and observed that the weather now looked like Wizard of Oz $#@&!. And it did. With the weather closing in we finally crossed the saddle and headed rapidly down towards to tree line.

It rained lightly and there was quite a bit of distant lightning and thunder. We dove down into tree line and relaxed a bit. At one point within tree line we were making relaxed conversation when there was a bright flash behind us and nearly instantaneous thunder. Both of us nearly browned out.

We decided to make double (or even triple) time and I did something I rarely do. I ran like a frightened school girl. I looked at my altimeter and noted that we were descending at 100 feet per minute.

To make a long story short we didn't get turned into carbon and actually that lighting bolt was the last close one we had that day. Don and I finished the hike and headed back to camp to pack up.

Over all with all the crazy stuff at the summit, Pikes is really a very interesting and scenic hike. Its no Wetterhorn, but it it has its own unique charms.

The GPS route below shows a total hiking distance of 13 miles and a bit over 4,000 feet of elevation gain.

GPS route for Pikes Peak from the Crags Campground

Mt. Audubon - Its Like Comfort Food for a Hiker

2009-08-28T15:20:00.009-06:00

Climbing Mt. Audubon is like visiting an old friend. Audubon was the first “high” peak that I climbed way back in 1998, a year after I moved to Colorado from Maryland. As Audubon is my first high peak, I hold a special affection for it. Audubon however, is an excellent mountain in its own right. Its a beautiful hike through some of the best of the Indian Peaks and gives the hiker views of some rugged front range terrain including spectacular Longs Peak.

I recently found myself with an unusual amount of free time during the week. I wanted to find a way to clear my head and started thinking of some logistically easy hikes I might do nearby. I wanted to do a solo hike. My personal rule for solo hiking is to only climb something I have hiked before. Going solo on a familiar hike can help reduce surprises and ameliorate some of the risk.

The week of the 17th looked like great weather that would be stable for days. So everything looked like it would come together on Thursday the 20th for a hike.

Wednesday evening I drove up to Brainard Lake hoping to find a spot at Pawnee Campground. I arrived at about 8:00pm. While driving into the campground I saw a huge moose meandering down the road. I have never seen a moose in the wild before and this was pretty cool. I found a first come first served camp site. Set up my tent and went to sleep.

I was on the trail by about 6:30am Thursday morning. The weather looked incredible. I started up the wooded trail with not a soul in site.

The Start of the Excellent Trail Below Tree Line

The trail starts out relatively easy through the trees. Soon enough however you encounter switchbacks that elevate you quickly taking you to the edge of tree line and some great views.

Some of the Incredible Scenery you are Treated to Just Before you Start Ascending the First Switchbacks

One of the Lower Switchbacks

This first set of switchbacks puts the hiker onto a broad shoulder of Audubon where tree line abruptly ends at about 11,500 feet. From this point the trail weaves around some magnificent krumholtz in a predominantly rock and boulder strewn alpine tundra.

The End Of Tree Line in Thick Krumholtz

Wind Sculpted Krumholtz

The Change From Trees to Rock at Around 11,500 feet

The trail maintains its rockiness from this point to the summit. It is well maintained and very straight forward. Even when the trail is mostly dirt it is still well peppered with rocks.

The trail had been very rutted out in the past as I remember. It appears now that there has been some trail work to fill in the ruts and uses less erosion-prone material (i.e. rock).

The Rocky Trail and Your First Views of Audubon (tall peak left of the snow field)

As you hike up to 12,000 feet you are treated to fantastic views of the Indian Peaks Wilderness and all the way into Rocky Mountain Nat. Park.

Longs Peak Looms in the Distance

The trail continues to wind higher and higher on a rocky trail. There is another set of switchbacks at around 12,000 feet that leads you across a talus field then back into the alpine tundra. The obvious trail continues to a broad saddle between the base of the final bouldery pitch of Audubon and Point 12,706. There are good views if you continue Northwest on the saddle to where it drops off steeply.

The Rocky Trail, Well Marked by Cairns, Leads You to a Saddle Between Audubon and Point 12,706

The trail continues to this steep drop of then sort of just fades away. There is however a large cairn on the trail marking were it cuts away Southwest (to the climber’s left) to climb steeply up Audubon a few hundred feet before it fades out. There are a series of large cairns marking this turn leading up the final pitch.

After making the turn, the trail winds up the steep rocky slope of the final pitch on a good trail.

The Rocky Trail is Well Marked By Easily Visible Cairns

After several hundred feet of climbing the final pitch I finally reached the summit of this great peak. And the really great thing was…I was all by myself. Not another soul. I have seen this summit packed with hikers. I had seen three other hikers behind me as I made my way up the trail. For some reason none of them made their way to the summit. So for 45 blissful minutes I had this large summit to myself.

There had been a pretty cold wind blowing on my ascent. Especially after I made it to the saddle. However, there was only a light breeze on the summit.

Me, With the Summit to Myself

From Audubon there are incredible views in every direction including Longs, Toll, Paiute, Pawnee Peaks.

Looking in the Direction of Toll and Pawnee Peaks

Longs Peak, Way Background on the Right and Upper Coney Lake

It was finally time to head back down and back to the rest of the world. The weather was still perfect and I felt great. I headed back down to the trail head and my truck. I only saw a few people on the way back. Coming back to Audubon was truly like seeing an old friend again.

GPS Track for August 20, 2009

Castle and Conundrum Peaks – No Summits, But We Did Get Really Cold and Wet

2009-08-16T16:57:00.003-06:00

Castle Peak is arguable the easiest 14er in the Elk Range. I have climbed this peak in the past and found it quite fun. However, on the 14th and 15th, the weather, that has been so darn reliable this season, was not to cooperate.

I met a group of mostly Colorado Mt. Club (CMC) hikers and others including my longtime hiking friend Don for this hike as it was arranged by another friend Norm. Don and I drove up Castle Creek Road to meet the rest of the group at a trail head around 11,400 feet. The road to that point clearly did require a decent 4X4. But the road/trail is not as bad as some would have you believe from the trip reports.

Camp at 11,400 Feet

My Tent and View at the Camp Site. There were Several Streams in this Area like the One Pictured in the Background

In fact, one person in our group, Robert, drove all the way up to the trail head in a Honda CRV packed with four people. See details later in this blog.

We decided on an early start due to the really crappy weather forecast calling for a 50% chance of rain and thunder storms. We hoped, (in retrospect our hopes now seem based on the optimism of foolish youth) that perhaps the forecast may have a window of opportunity that would allow us unfettered access to these two summits. We did not have to wait long for the bad weather. We all turned in around 9ish PM Friday evening and we were lolled to sleep by lightning, thunder, and of course a good rain storm that lasted most of the night.

We awoke on Saturday morning as planned and the rain had stopped. The clouds were, at this point, broken and stars were peaking in and out. This was to be the best weather we would have because conditions deteriorated from here.

Sunrise on the Trail to Castle Peak

We began hiking up the road to wait for the rest of the group at the “official” trailhead where Pearl Pass Road splits off from the mining road that heads up towards Castle Peak. We waited here about 10 minutes for the remainder of the group.

Don, Bob, Robert, and Norm Wait for the Remainder of the Group

Unfortunately, the rest of the group did not show up as they had had a flat tire coming up the road on Friday. We did meet Tiffany and Erin later in the day.

The Whole Day Looked Rather Moist From the Beginning of the Hike

We began hiking up the road into some sloppy and gloomy conditions. It was breezy and cold and alternately spitting rain. Eventually the rain became steady and rather hard. We even heard one rumble of thunder but did not see any lightning.

The Impending Gloom Through Which We Were Ascending

The Group Sizes Up the Situation

Finally the rain became quite hard and steady. We could see the very low clouds whipping over the summits we intended to climb. We also saw a few people passing us as they descended. They had all decided to bail due to the weather.

We eventually climbed to the base of the first basin just below 13,000 feet. At this point in the hike we were becoming pretty miserable, cold and we could see that even if we were able to make the summits, it would not be a pleasant hike. So regrettably we all made the decision to bail.

On the way back down we ran into Tiffany and Erin, who were heading up, and found out about he flat tire. The two ladies continued up the trail and made it to the same point we did at the base of the basin at around 13,000 feet.

It continued to be crappy weather as we walked back down. At times the sun did come out and gave us some short lived hope for the climb, but eventually we resigned ourselves that this would not be the day we would summit Castle and Conundrum Peaks.

This is the Same Spot Shown in the Photo Above, Perhaps about 90 Minutes Later. While it was a Bit Brighter, You can See the Clouds Still Thick Around the High Peaks

As we all walked back to the trail head we decided it would be much more fun to find a place in Glenwood Springs to eat a nice hot and tasty brunch. And that's what we did. It looks like Castle and Conundrum Peaks will have to wait for 2010.

The only impediment to this plan was getting Robert and his Honda CRV across the stream. This crossing was accomplished by connoitering and reconnoitering the approach and exit to the streams and then careful directions to Robert, who eventually negotiated the stream perfectly.

Robert and His CRV Successfully Cross the Stream Across Castle Creek Road

GPS Track for the Castle Conundrum Peaks Attempt

Next up…Pikes Peak!

Uncompahgre Peak – Epitome of Colorado 14ers

2009-08-04T12:02:00.015-06:00

Uncompahgre means where water makes rock red…

To say that Uncompahgre Peak is a stunning, incredible, and unique mountain would be to understate this feature of Colorado so severely as to be nearly criminal. In short, this mountain is a feast for the eyes. A song for the ears. And a total hit of speed for the mind. It is incredible and has something for everyone.

I was once at a book signing with the patriarch of Colorado mountaineering and author of the original 14er guidebook, “A Climbing Guide to Colorado's Fourteeners” Walter R. Borneman, when someone asked him what his favorite Colorado 14er is. He answered without hesitation, “Uncompahgre Peak.”

…And now I know why. The climb is straight forward on an excellent trail winding gently thorough some of the finest terrain I have ever seen. Wildlife, waterfalls, high alpine meadows, shear cliffs… There is even a short section of class 2+ to 3 climbing below the summit. Uncompahgre’s summit itself is a huge, broad, and slanting plain that ends in the most terrifying and steep cliff I have ever been near.

Don and I left the Denver area around 2:00pm and headed to Gunnison for dinner. We ate at a place called Pie-Zans New York Pizza. I don't often mention places where we eat. However, I feel that Pie-Zans does merit a mention due to its excellent New York style pizza. We have eaten there pretty much every time we pass through Gunnison on the way to a 14er and it is very reliable.

From Gunnison we made our way south to Lake City and then West to the Nellie Creek Trail Head. The last 4 miles to the actual trail head is pretty rough and steep with two substantial stream crossings.

Besides being an all round good guy, smart, and a fun climbing partner, Don is also the owner of a lifted Jeep Cherokee. If it were not for this fine vehicle there are several 14ers that would not be on my completed list. The Cherokee climbed this road with no problems. In fact, were it not for a short steep and muddy section it would have climbed all four miles in 2 wheel hi.

I highly recommend getting your own good friend with a capable 4 X 4. If you don't have one for Uncompahgre, then you will double your hike from 8 to 16 miles with the first and last 4 miles on this crappy four wheel drive road.

We made the trail head at around 7PM and quickly set up camp in a relatively (sort of) flat area. The weather was perfect and was forecast to be incredible the next day. We set our alarms for 5am the next day for a 6am start.

The Camp Site Near the Trail Head at 11,400 Feet

After a less than good night of sleep I woke up at about 5:16am and both Don and I were ready to go just before 6. The weather was great. It read 32 degrees F in my tent when I woke up. Skies were clear and there was no wind.

Don and I signed into the register and started off the gentle trail that paralleled a small stream into the last of tree line. We were presented with incredible views from the start. We entered a geologically interesting area that looked a bit like Moab as we left the last bit of trees. There were interesting cliffs where giant boulders had cleaved off and rolled into the stream valley. Not while we were there, but we did ponder if we could outrun a several hundred ton boulder careening towards us.

A Boulder Filled Stream Valley with Alpenglow Lighting Uncompahgre in the Distance

Uncompahgre Peak finally made its appearance as we cleared the last of the trees and was dramatically lit by amazing purple and red morning alpenglow. The trail continued to wind around the fallen boulders generally following the stream.

Don and I slowly made our way up the trail. Very slowly. We would walk (literally) maybe about 90 seconds before one of us would look up, see the view and great light, and say, “Sorry I hate to do this again.” The offender would then get out their camera and…Well this went on for a while but it was worth it. Its not that often one is presented with such subject matter.

Finally, after many many pictures we topped out of the valley and entered a broad relatively flat meadow that presented its own picturesque subject matter. The sun was coming up and there was a prominent shadow line sweeping across the meadow and meandering its way slowly towards us.

Uncompahgre Stands in Morning Light while the Shadow is Swept from the Meadow

We continued up the excellent trail gently making its way towards the peak. As we headed into this vast meadow we stopped at the light/shadow terminator for some food and sun block.

The Trail Winds Toward Uncompahgre in the Last of the Early Morning Light

Don and I kept up the pace from here on out. We felt we had doddled enough on the lower portion of the trail. That is not to say we “hurried”, but we did keep up a decent pace with just a few stops here and there for pictures. The weather was so non-threatening as to be completely benign with not a cloud in the sky. That was to change however. As later in the afternoon there were indeed three or four small clouds.

We hiked up to an area that had been closed for the protection of a “Threatened Species.” There was a woman running around in the area with a large butterfly net catching some sort of flying fauna. We found out later from a ranger that she was a grad student doing research on some sort of butterfly.

We continued to climb well above the meadow until we gained a ridge. This ridge, like the summit itself, was gently sloping on one side and a sheer cliff on the other. Into the top of this ridge were cut beautiful “Windows” with views thousands of feet down and out towards the Southwest.

One of the Ridge “Windows” Looking to the Southwest

Finally near the top of this ridge we were finally able to see Wetterhorn and Matterhorn.

Viewing Wetterhorn and Matterhorn Through Another “Window”

This ridge, and the views it offered, were frankly unbelievable in their beauty. I sometimes feel jaded because I have spent so much time in the mountains. Its good to sometimes just take a look at your surroundings and how incomparably incredible they are.

One could also look up at the remainder of the route to Uncompahgre’s summit. From this point you simply ascend the broad ridge to a couple of switch backs where you then cross onto the southern side of the ridge.

Uncompahgre’s Broad Summit Block from near the top of the “Windowed” Ridge

Don and I continued up this steeper portion of the trail to the point where it finally wraps over the ridge and enters a significantly rockier and more rugged portion.

Crossing Over the Ridge - Looking Up at the Rugged Portion of the Hike. Technical Section is Near the Spire at Left in the Background

The hike really got interesting from this point. Not to say that the hike was not interesting until we reached the ridge crest. I just really like hiking in rocky, high, and rugged areas below a summit. Knowing that the summit is very close…

We continued on the Southern portion of the ridge. I stopped a little ahead of Don and was shooting pictures when I heard an unexpected sound. Unexpected is an understatement actually. What I heard was sheep baaing. And when I say sheep I don't mean one. Or a few. I heard LOTS of sheep. I should point out that I was well into the high 13,000 feet at this point. Probably about 13,700ish feet. I really did not expect to hear sheep here.

Looking around I found the source of the sounds. Thousands of feet below me, in a meadow between Matterhorn and myself, were several hundred sheep. (Later to find out from the ranger domestic sheep) Here I was, at nearly 14,000 feet, and I could hear all these sheep baaing and see them walking around. Its was really quite surreal.

Sheep! And lots of them. They are the Very Small White Dots Stippling the Center Portion of the Image Crossing the Gully

With that mystery solved we hiked on. Around the corner we came to the only “technical” portion of the climb. It was a good class 2+ to class 3 section of say 100 feet vertical climb up some loose rock. Not too bad really. Actually fun. This part of the hike wound through an aesthetically rich area generously populated with beautiful spires.

The Short “Technical” Portion of the Climb

At the top of the technical portion you pop out into a somewhat less vertical rocky landscape. You need to look carefully for cairns to find the actual trail that wraps through larger boulders, spires, and rocks.

The Rugged Portion of the Climb Between the Top of the “Technical” Section and the Easier Trail to the Summit

This part of the trail soon exits you to the relatively smooth, more open, and straight forward last pitch to the summit.

The Trail Smoothes out a Bit and is a Little More Straight Forward from Here to the Summit

From this point on it is a very pleasant and easy walk through some interesting terrain and rocks to the summit proper.

The Last Easy Bit to the Summit

The trail flattens out and passes several human built shelters as you near Uncopmpahgre’s Summit. The summit is not obvious from this point. In fact we were hiking along and Don says, “Well there is the register.” And sure enough, the register is sitting there all by itself cabled to a rather unlikely look anchor rock in an area that really didn't not look like a summit.

The Summit of Uncompahgre Peak and the Summit Register. At least the Register had Room to Write Ourselves In

Don and I had the entire vast summit to ourselves. At least for five minutes. Then a younger couple that we had been playing leapfrog with all day came up. Then the gates seemed to open and before we knew it the summit was abuzz with around twenty people. I have know idea what is going on these days on the 14ers. Maybe its the economy. Maybe its something else. But to see this many people on a remote and hard to get to mountain (drive wise) was strange. Its was like Huron all over again. As usual it was a fun crowd. And Uncompahgre’s summit is truly vast so it did not seem crowded.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this entry one side of Uncompahgre is a gentle vast slope. The other side, the Northeast, is the steepest most terrifyingly undercut cliff I have ever ventured near. It was crazy.

This Image Shows How Steep the Northeast Side of Uncompahgre Really is. The Rocks at the Bottom of this Image are What I am Standing on. The Upper Part of the Image is the Base of the Peak…Nearly 2,000 Feet Below

Don and I milled around the summit for a total of about 45 minutes or so. The weather was perfect. A little cool with a pleasant slight breeze. We took tons of pictures and ate lunch. I attacked my sandwich like a pack of wolves on a stinky old corpse. I was starved!

The Author (left) and Don (right) at the Summit with Wetterhorn and Sneffels (way back) in the Background

The Trail Unwinding Far Below Us Showing the Ridge We Ascended and its Magnificent “Windows”

Finally, in no particular hurry, we started to pack up our copious gear and head back down the mountain. There were still plenty of people making their way up. As we descended we ran into Anya the Forestry Ranger and talked to her for quite a while. She told us about the sheep (they were domestic) and the grad student (she had the long butterfly net) and was generally a very nice person to talk to on such a fine day.

Anya the Forest Ranger Just Above the “Technical” Section

The return trip back down to the trail head was beautiful and uneventful except for the views. Uncompahgre is truly a majestic beautiful giant tucked well away within the San Juans.

A Small Cascade with Uncompahgre in the Background

A meandering Stream Spills Down Rocks and Snow Into a Valley

GPS Track for the Uncompahgre Hike

Next hike…Castle and Conundrum Peaks…

Huron Peak. An Oddly Crowded, But a Very Happy Mtn.

2009-07-21T07:45:00.002-06:00

July 18, what a great day to be in the mountains. Huron Peak is in a class by itself. It is stuck back and hidden deep within the Sawatch Range but offers a fantastic hike with incredible views. Making Huron even better for me personally is the fact that it was my final Sawatch 14er. I have come to loathe the Sawatch Range. Its 14ers typically command a greater than 4,300 foot ascent. Nasty ascent profiles with countless switchbacks, and sweltering miles of hiking below tree line. And oh yah…there are fifteen 14,000+ foot peaks in the Sawatch Range.

Huron is the queen peak of them all. Don and I started this season off a little late due to other commitments and delays.We rescheduled Huron for July 18th and the weather held. In fact, the weather could not have been better. We drove down through Leadville and out to the Huron trailhead. We arrived about 5pm Friday evening. At that time there were two vehicles in the parking area and no camps set up or other people around. Don and I set up our tents. Our tents ended up smashed together as we were jockeying for level ground.

Camp at the Huron Trail Head

The Views from our Camp Site were Outstanding

We cooked up a spectacular dinner of previously hydrated goo after our camp was squared away. We then wandered about the trail head taking pictures and scoping things out. A total of three more cars showed up between dinner and going to sleep at about 9pm for a total of about 5 additional people. This apparent “under crowding” was to change the next day.

Don and I planned to wake up around 5am the next morning and be on the trail by 6. And that in fact was what we did actually hitting the trail around 6:10am.

The trail starts out like any other Sawatch 14er. Relatively steep right from the start with plenty of switchbacks winding around below tree line.

The Start of the Hike to Huron Peak

The trail includes around 17,051 switchbacks below tree line and then finally breaks out into the open to magnificent views of The Three Apostles.

The Three Apostles Just Coming Into View at the End of Tree line

Above tree line the trail winds into a large basin at the base of Huron and the angle of the ascent eases. This basin is beautiful with an enormous array of wild flowers and views of Huron. The trail winds its way to the steeper slope up the shoulder of Huron on the far side of the basin.

Our First Glimpse of Huron Peak in the Morning Light

The Trail Topping out at the Lower Edge of the Basin

Don and I crossed the basin and made a stop to fuel up and adjust our layers in preparation for the much steeper ascent and final pitch to the summit.

I should say here that the trail on Huron is one of the best that I have ever seen. The Colorado Fourteen Initiative (CFI) who typically maintains 14er trails did a magnificent job. The trail routing and quality are truly incredible.

As you cross to the far side of the basin you encounter a very steep “flight” of finely made rock steps. This is the initiation to the remainder of the relatively steep and switchbacked climb. Fortunately, the trail is great, the views are fantastic, and the mountain is well in view.

At this point Don and I noticed something odd about this hike. Something that would characterize the hike and this mountain. As we looked down into the basin we saw…LOTS of people. Not just a few. Not just a couple of groups. But lots of groups with lots of people. It was becoming fantastically crowded on the trail below us.

A Shot of the Building Crowds on Huron

This crowding was really strange. I am used to seeing crowds like this on Grays, Torreys, and Bierstadt. But this was Huron. Huron is two and a half hours from Denver. Its back at the end of a four wheel drive road. I was shocked to see how many people were on the trail. And it was only about 8:30am!

The weather was so perfect and the mountain so beautiful that both Don and I were in no hurry. It was one of those great days in the mountains. Don had a new Canon DSLR and was breaking in my new Olympus E620 with a new 12mm-60mm lens. So we had a lot of incredible high altitude subject matter to practice on.

So despite the weather and our relaxed demeanor, seeing all the throngs of people heading up behind us gave us a bit of a push to move along. We didn't really want to arrive at the summit with 20 of our closest friends.

The Upper Slopes of the Hike and the Final Summit Push

We ground our way up the switchbacks that zigzagged up the steep alpine tundra slopes. This portion of the hike stretched from the basin all the way to the base of the rocky final summit push.

Earlier in the hike, we had met a wonderful couple who had a large, ferocious looking dog. The dog, deceptively named Lizzy, looked as though it was on vacation from guarding the gates of hell. This dog had a block-shaped head the size of a riding lawnmower. Gold eyes (yes really), and a powerful looking body. But she was really quite sweet. The dogs owners were very friendly and we enjoyed conversation on and off nearly the whole way up the mountain. I never got their names, except for the Devil Dog Lizzy.

We climbed up through the tundra and made the summit base where the climbing turned into easy boulder-hopping and route finding in the rocks, as is common in the Sawatch.

A Snow Field Just Below 14,000 Feet Near the Summit

The final few hundred feet of climb was on a rocky trail near a few picturesque snow fields. Don and I shared the last few hundred feet with other hikers slogging their way to the summit.

The Final Few Feet to Huron’s Summit

We finally topped out and walked onto the small summit around 9:20am. Not a bad time considering some longish stops we made for clothing adjustments, talking, and photography. My 33 lbs of weight loss is really starting to pay dividends. Yeah!

The Crowded Summit. Don is at Left. Lizzy “The Devil Dog” in Foreground

We spent about 45 minutes on the summit enjoying the great weather, taking pictures, and talking to the many folks who were sharing the summit with us. The mood at the summit was truly positive and happy. There was a pervasive party atmosphere on Huron’s summit.

Don made an observation regarding the number of people. He said that when there is just a few people on a trail/summit, its cool. When there is a moderate amount of people on a trail/summit, it can start to be a drag because there are too many people to be “intimate” and to few to be fun. But when there are lots of people on a trail/summit, then the whole thing turns into a big, almost ridiculous, surreal party, and its fun.

And that's just the atmosphere we had on Huron. A happy and fun “party” with strangers in the high peaks.

The Author (left) and Don Lochner (right) on the Summit. The Three Apostles Behind Us. No Gut. All the Glory!

A Beautiful Shot of the Three Apostles

After a long and relaxed stay at Huron’s 14,005 foot summit, Don and I decided to head on down as we had an appointment with a burrito in Leadville.

We headed back down our ascent route into even more people coming up. As we left, Don counted 30 people already on the summit. It was bizarre to see huge numbers of people heading up and down this relatively shy and unknown peak located so far from Denver. But there they were.

More Throngs Just Below the Summit of Huron

The return hike back down the mountain was uneventful but still beautiful. The lighting had changed from the morning and the wild flowers and distant peaks looked very clear and colorful. It continued to get hotter as the day wore on and we descended.

The Trail Winds Past a High Altitude Tarn with Distant Peaks in the Background

We arrived back at camp around 12:30pm and to our surprise a ton of cars parked in and around the trail head. There must have been 20 or 30 cars. It looked like a dinner party.

We changed into some new clothes then packed up camp and headed to Leadville for lunch. Huron was a great hike. I would put it into my top five. Definitely one of the finest Sawatch and a great way to start the season and end my pursuit of the Sawatch range.

GPS Track Record for Huron Peak

Instrument Approach on Square Top Mountain

2009-06-22T07:44:00.009-06:00

Ahhhh…Finally back in the mountains again. The season kicked off with a warm-up hike on Square Top Mountain, located right across the street (Guenella Pass Rd) from Mt. Bierstadt. I climbed this mountain last year and found the hike so engaging with interesting geology and incredible views that we saw to it to use it for the season kick-off this year.

Unfortunately the hike was somewhat different than expected. We expected that the weather, which was forecast to be 50% chance of rain after noon, to be less than optimal. But heck, I will hike in any weather as long as it is not torrential rain and/or lightning.

So Friday night we left home and drove up to the pass. We chose to drive up from the Grant side via 285 because the Georgetown side is still painfully under construction. The drive up from the Grant side can be accomplished with any sort of vehicle. No problems what so ever. The road is in great shape.

We arrived at the pass at around 9:30 in the evening. A little later than we wanted. We used headlamps and my Ford Escape’s headlights to set up camp as it began to drizzle.

Camp at Guenella Pass, West Side, 11,650 feet

We had everything set up and were in our respective sleeping bags by 10:00ish. We decided on a pretty early start of 6AM so that we could be up and back by noon to beat any rain or thunderstorms.

We ended up leaving camp around 6:15AM in very thick fog and cold temps. We headed up the trail past the toilets. We started down the standard trail for about 10 minutes then broke away and headed North (right) toward the long ridge leading to the summit 2,500 feet above.

The Author at the Lower end of the Trough

We were essentially in the clouds at this point. Think, dense, wet sloppy clouds. The ceilings were very low (to the ground) and we were navigating from my memory and by GPS. This was going to be an Instrument Approach to the summit in IMC (Instrument Meteorological Conditions).

The first waypoint, or feature, we were looking for was a prominent, in good weather, trough leading up to the top of the ridge. You do not have to go up the trough but it is an interesting feature to climb. We found the lower portion of the trough using the GPS.

A good Look up the Snow Filled and Foggy Trough

I started leading up the trough looking for the good snow that would support me. I was usually able to find good snow but I did punch through in some sections.

Post-holing to my knees. This was Actually Fun (sort of)!

Don and Lavon Slogging up the Trough near the Top

The team topped out of the trough and began to make our way along the long and gentle shoulder of Square Top. The fog was so thick along here and all the way to the top that at times it was literally hard to see 20 feet. To make conditions even more enjoyable the wind kicked up along the ridge as well. I estimate that the wind speeds were constant at 15 to 30 mph with some gusts a bit higher. Temperatures were in the mid 30s. So while it was not freezing; it was a very very damp and windy cold that made the hike sort of miserable. But it was the miserable that one looks back on after the hike and knows they accomplished something a bit more impressive than a simple walk to the summit.

After a long cold and windy walk across the ridge we finally came to the final pitch of the climb. This final portion consisted of about 700 vertical feet of relatively easy rock scrambling. Of course today the rocks were wet and the route was completely obscured by fog.

But with my memory of the previous assent and the GPS track, we were able to negotiate the the rocks.

Don and Lavon, Smiling, in Simply Atrocious Foggy, Cold, and Damp Weather as we all Scramble up the Boulder Section at about 13,500ft

Are we There Yet? Near the top of the Scrambling Section

You can see in the picture above just how foggy it was at altitude. I was only about 10 feet at most from Don and the fog is readily apparent in this image. It was really thick. And oddly…very windy as well. We were, at times, able to avoid the wind as we skirted below the ridgeline. It was a pleasant, if not short, relief.

We finally topped out of the rocks only to find a solid snow field leading off into the formless gray mist. We sat down on some rocks and put on our gaiters. I led the group off into the snow, which was for the most part solid. I followed some old tracks of a previous hiker and found the footing generally good. I punched through in a few places.

As I looked up the slope I found that the snow and the cloud had merged into the same amorphous mass. There was absolutely NO visual reference. No horizon. No nothing. Just the indistinct grayness of the dimly lit snow and cloud and the muffled sounds of my climbing partners behind me.

We kept an eye out to the right of our path as there is a steep exposure capped by a cornice. We stayed about 15 to 20 feet from the edge.

We finally came out of the snow field after several minutes of tiring slogging. From this point it was a simple matter of picking our way through relatively flat rocky areas and small snow fields until the slope rounded over to the long level trudge to the actual summit.

The Author on the Summit of Square Top

We walked the easy level portion using the GPS to ID the actual summit high point as it was not abundantly obvious in these conditions. Finally, ot the summit at around 9:45am, we took some quick pictures in the wind and cold and decided to descend.

Lavon on the Summit. She is not as Mean as She Looks

“Chimping” the Photos at the Summit. Expose to the Right

Originally we were gong to do a loop route and descend the “traditional” newer route. However, the newer route goes down the more southern flank nearer to the Square Top Lakes. But given the snow conditions I was not sure what we might find on the decent. I also considered that the trail out below the lakes could be really swampy with all the run off. So instead, we elected to do something known and returned by our ascent route.

The Trip Back Down. The Cloud Base Had Lifted a Few Hundred Feet

As we traveled back down the ridge, the cloud base had lifted a few hundred feet. This new found visibility lightened our moods and teased us with some ghostly views. We could see Square Top Lakes and some other features completely obscured earlier on our ascent.

The only change we made on the way down was staying higher up on the ridge and then diving down to the trail returning us to the main trail. We did not use the gully on the return.

Square Top with the Vail Lifted

We finally returned to the parking lot at around 12ish. As we broke camp it started to rain. The cloud base had risen and we could now get a view of Square Top and our route.

Even with these conditions this is a great hike. Much more scenic and interesting than Bierstadt. And certainly far less crowded. It made for great conversation at Three Margaritas in Evergreen.

Its a New Season! - 2009

2009-05-26T09:19:00.004-06:00

Greetings to all those interested in the Platinum Team. The make-up of the team this year is a little different. Erin O’Hearn and her father Mike will be pursuing some 14ers on their own. Our hiking styles have changed a bit over the last few seasons and they are seeking a somewhat more “adventurous” hiking/climbing style. Don and I will be sticking together and pursuing a more relaxing and photographic adventure. But its all good. Great in fact. Mike will be joining us on some hikes this year and we all look forward to having him with us above tree line.

As of today, (May 26) I have made a commitment to better living and better hiking. Over the last few months I have started working out every day and as a result of that activity, and better eating/drinking habits, have lost over 31 pounds. That should make heading up the slopes a lot easier. In any case the summit shots will be better now that my gut is not hanging over my belt.

It appears that the season will be officially kicked off in a few short weeks on June 20th with the ascent of Square Top Mountain. I am really looking forward to seeing how I perform carrying a LOT less body weight. Also a smaller camera too. So keep your eyes on this spot for new trip reports and updates for the Platinum Team.

Fletcher Mountain - Better Because it's Concentrated

2008-10-04T10:10:00.011-06:00

As Summer drew to a close good weather continued to hang around the region. I began thinking of another hike. Something logistically easy, hiking easy, and fun. Something to close this season out on a positive note. It was not going to be a 14er as I have nothing left to climb close by. So I began to have a look at near by 13ers. Something in Summit County perhaps. And there are plenty of 13ers. One must remember that while there are 54 "official" 14ers in Colorado, there are nearly seven hundred 13ers. That's quite a bit to choose from.

I started talking to fellow Platinum Team member Don Lochner to see what we could settle on both peak wise and schedule wise. As it turns out we were both available on Friday, October 3. After going over some 13er guide books and looking on Breckenridgeclimbing.com (thank you Bill Middlebrook) we settled on Fletcher Mountain.

Fletcher Mountain at 13,951 feet, is located immediately to the West North West of the 14er Quandary Peak and shares the Monte Cristo trail head at the Blue Lakes Spill Way. The dirt road to the spill way is in pretty good shape with just a few short rough spots. Any high-clearance vehicle would make this drive and probably most non-low rider cars.

Don obliged to drive to try out his new tires replaced after having the flat earlier in the season after we all climbed Wetterhorn. We started a bit later than normal as the weather looked decent.

So, at 7:15 we started out from the spillway and were immediately greeted by spectacular scenery, which would continue to be a theme for this hike.

Upper Blue Lake in Fall Color

We skirted around Upper Blue Lake looking for the trail junction where the hike turns North West up into the first basin. We did find the trail...but we didn't know it. We found the junction marked with cairns where it turned sharply North. We followed this trail for a few hundred yards steeply up hill. After a while Don and I stopped to take stock. We thought, wrongly, that this must be the trail for the steep ascent up Quandary's Southern face. If we had continued just a bit further we would have seen that this was indeed the correct trail. But we did not.

We headed back down to the lake and blazed our own trail over busted up rocks and boulders eventually catching the actual trail a few hundred feet up. The difference between the correct trail and the trail we blazed can be seen below on the mapped GPS route. We did take the actual trail back down on our descent.

After capturing the correct trail we cruised pretty fast over relatively level ground in the first basin. We made our way to the back of the lower basin along beautiful alpine tarns and willow where we got our first look at Fletcher's summit and the headwall we needed to negotiate to get there.

The Headwall at the back of the Lower Basin. Fletcher Mt. is in the distance barely visible

This is where the hike got "concentrated." It is only about 2 miles from trail head to summit. But there is a lot packed into those 2 miles. Climbing up from the lower basin to the upper basin involves nothing specifically technical. However, it is required that one climbs about 900 vertical feet up pretty rough, rocky, and steep terrain and requires one to take their time and do careful route finding and careful foot placement. There are only faint trail segments in this portion of the hike. There are cairns to mark the trail but you must keep an observant eye out to spot them.

The first part of this ascent involves climbing up and out of the alpine tundra of the lower basin and on to the more rocky upper portion. We chose to simply move up the rocky slope staying to the left of a snow field. We could have traversed right up the snow but this early in the day it was still quite solid. We did not have ice axes and the run out, if we were to slip, ended up in a field of talus.

The Lower Portion of the Basin-to-Basin Climb

We exited near the center at the top of the slope pictured above, which led us out and into the upper basin.

When just looking at the basin-to-basin climb, the trail actually travels through what looks like a rather improbable route. It looks as though there are easier routes, but if you follow the cairns you will be treated to a rather pleasant, scenic, and efficient hike up very rocky and steep slopes.

At the top of the slope you will be greeted with a vast high altitude terrace from which Fletcher Mountain rises. This basin sits at about 13,300 feet and allows a brief respite of relatively level hiking before the last 650 feet of steep, and yes, rocky climbing to the summit.

Don does some Eating and Pack Adjustments Before the Final Summit Push

Again, on this last push there were some cairns, faint trail segments, and even one crescent shaped rock shelter to guide you. But this portion of the hike is mostly easy route finding through rocks and boulders to the summit. Don pushed on ahead as I lallygagged behind taking pictures and breathing.

The Last Few Feet to the Summit

From the summit we were treated to spectacular scenery of surrounding 14ers, 13ers, and just generally magnificent stuff to look at. Fletcher is a great mountain and at 13,951 feet it is just 49 feet short of a 14er.

Drift Peak South West of Fletcher

Pacific, Atlantic, and Crystal Peaks with Grays and Torreys in the far Distance

Don Takes in the Scenery with Quandary Peak Looming in the Distance

We stayed on the summit for about 45 minutes and signed in at the register. The weather was still good but the clouds were building and we could see snow falling from some of the larger cumulus cells. So we took our summit shot and packed up to head on down.

Don and Me on Fletcher's Summit at 13,951 Feet

We headed on down into the upper basin where we ran into the only other hiker we saw that day. We talked to him for a while until the snow, graupel actually (snow pellets), started to fly. It continued to snow, at some times quite heavy, for most of our descent. There was one short period where the sun came out but it was soon replaced again by heavy clouds and snow pellets. The temp was comfortable so the hike back down was fine although the rocks, particularity in the basin-to-basin down climb, had become quite wet which added a distinct risk of slipping.

A Tarn in the now Quite Damp Upper Basin

A Great Trail through the Lower Basin

Don and I finally arrived back at his truck around 2ish. It was a great day. Fantastic scenery, challenge, and a great summit. There is a lot packed in to this relatively short hike. Its better because it is concentrated.

GPS Track for Fletcher Mt. Red is Ascent Route. Blue is Descent Route

Mount Columbia South East Ridge - Finale

2008-09-17T10:12:00.029-06:00

I am amazed how much the mountains can still surprise me. This was my 34th new Colorado 14er and I was still not quite prepared for what this route offered.

Mount Columbia via the South East Ridge is a scenic and unique hike. It is also a long, long slog from 9,400 feet to the summit at 14,073 feet. On paper it looked as though it should take us about five hours from trailhead to the top. In fact, it took us seven hours to the summit in what seemed like a never ending ridge-rollercoaster trek up and down a long steep and curving shoulder of this great mountain. There was nothing particularly technical about the climb but it did require concentration and perseverance.

Add to this another fours hours down via the “standard” route directly down into Cottonwood Creek. This descent route, we theorized correctly, would be a faster and easier route than our ascent. All in all this was nearly thirteen miles of tough, long, and mentally challenging hiking. It took us about 11 hour total time.

All this is true. But Mt. Columbia also delivers some amazing and unique terrain with areas of open woods, unusual and surreal forests stands of dead pines, and rugged expansive views of the surrounding great peaks.

On Friday, Sept 12 the team headed out of Denver towards Buena Vista where we stopped for Dinner at Jan’s at the behest of a service station worker. We had stopped to ask him where we could get some good Italian food. He said Jan’s right across the street. So that’s where we went…Jan’s.

The place was nice enough. Although at 4:30 it seemed more tuned to the geriatric crowd and other persons who may typically make it an early evening. We sat down and had a look at the menu. There was not one single Italian meal listed. Nothing. Not even close. We stayed and actually did have a decent meal consisting of typical continental American fare including roast turkey and dressing, burgers, chicken fingers, and the like.

We were then off to find a camp site near the trailhead. And that is exactly what we found. For the South East Ridge approach to Mt. Columbia one drives to precisely where the CO Trail crosses CO Route 365. There is a large camping area right at the trailhead that is flat and quite nice excepting a preponderance of various wild animal pooh. This pooh was however easily avoided and we set up camp.

We completed the normal camp chores and turned in around 9ish. The next morning we woke up a bit late; around 5:25. By 6:30 we were off and climbing the Colorado Trail to where it forks off to the Columbia Route with me in the lead. Unfortunately I missed the unmarked fork but realized it relatively quickly. From here we just charged up a hill directly to the approximate location of the Columbia Trail at the ridge top. This part of the trail was a well-wooded ridge hike to tree line, where the hike started to get more interesting. Up till now we had hiked through pine forest occasionally scrambling over a rocky out crop. At tree line the scenery opened up into a very unique and very surreal landscape of dead standing pines.

A Surreal Landscape of Dead Pines

Looking back Down the Ridge Towards Buena Vista

From here the team began grinding its way out of 12,000 feet and into the teens. We skirted to the left (South) of the ridge following faint trail segments. Eventually we made our way up to our first 13er; Point 13,298.

The Team Climbs to the Top of the Ridge with Point 13,298 in the Background

The Team Summits Point 13,298

At the top of Point 13,298 we got our first look at Columbia. Prior to getting to this point we had assumed, wrongly, that the actual summit lay close behind Point 13,298 and that after attaining this “crux” we would have a short jaunt over an easy ridge to Columbia’s fine summit. Unfortunately this was not the case. In fact, it was not nearly the case. We were still miles away. This is the view that greeted us on top of Point 13,298.

The First Look at Mt. Columbia and its Long SE Ridge

Mt. Columbia is the high point way way on over to the right in this image. We still had to follow nearly two miles of arcing up and down ridgeline at altitude before we could stand on the summit. It was already about 11 AM. Usually our team is leaving a summit at 11AM. But this day, we still had two hours of hiking/climbing to go. But as can be seen above, the weather was Blue Bird so off we went.

Up and down, up and down we hiked as we tried to pick the best line along the ridge. There were some faint trail segments here and there but they were rather faint until we intercepted the standard route as it joined up on the ridge. Below you can see that this hike is a roller-coaster ridge with many ups and downs.

Traversing the Final Miles of the Ridge with Mt. Columbia far Right

Snow had fallen the previous day as a cold front came through. Mostly the snow was just a few inches deep but there was one point I post-holed to my knees in an area where it had drifted below the ridge top. The snow was not really a factor in this climb.

At about a half mile from the summit we intercepted the standard route trail and began to see other human life. People here and there. Coming and going, to and from the summit. We had not seen a single person up until this time. We now had a more definite trail to follow, which we did through rock and snow.

After climbing over the last prominence we were within a relatively short stretch to the summit consisting of a rather pleasant level area of high-alpine tundra.

The Relatively Level Tundra Leading to the Short Final Summit Push

We crossed the tundra and were greeted with an array of chaotically placed boulders that required some easy scrambling. It was at this point that I heard what I thought was a distant rumble of thunder. Whenever one hears thunder at this altitude it can be a rather scary affair to say the least. In fact it can cause nearly instant incontinence. Fortunately, this day, it did not do that and the sound was not thunder. It was merely another hiker who had sidled up behind me and dislodged a rock, which only sounded like thunder. On I climbed.

The picture below shows to smallish points. One climbs up between these points and then has a short upward hike to the final, and surprisingly small, summit.

Two Small Points Hiding Columbia's Summit

We were all on the summit by around 1PM. It took seven hours of dedicated and sometimes frustrating climbing to get us from trail head at 9,400 feet to summit at 14,073 feet. The weather was still great. We still had blue skies with just a few non-threatening fair-weather cumulus clouds. The temp was probably in the mid 40s. It did get rather cold on the summit when clouds finally blocked the sun and we decided to make the long trip back. We knew we still had a very long hike ahead particular, and wisely, as we had decided to return via the standard route.

I had brought my tripod as I typically do but was helped out by a fellow summiteer to take the team summit shot. We all posed with Mt. Harvard in the background far right.

The Summit Shot

The team split up at this point as Mike and Erin pulled out ahead on the return followed by Sara, and finally Don and me.

Let me say this now. After down hiking the standard route I have no idea what insane person or group thought it was a good idea to put this route in were it is located. It appears that this trail may have been recently constructed, or formalized, by the CFI as I saw several trail “whiskers” and other evidence of recent trail building.

To call this portion of the hike a trail is somewhat misleading. After analyzing data from my GPS and National Geographic Topo! I determined that on the steepest portion of this trail section one must negotiate themselves from 13,550 feet down to 11,600 feet in the length of about ¾ of a mile. This measured out to be a 50% grade, or a 45 degree slope that drops the unfortunate hiker nearly 2,000 feet in less than a mile! There is another geographic term for this sort of “slope.” Its called a cliff. Below is a look down this section.

The Incredibly Steep Descent into Cottonwood Creek

The picture pretty much tells the story. There are no switch backs to speak of. The path pretty much bores down the slop with little relief and a uninspired meander here and there. On the plus side you dump altitude rather quickly. Looking back up the trail I thought who the hell would climb UP this thing. I mean really. I have climbed many many Colorado peaks but I have never seen anything quite like this. This trail segment presents the hiker with 2,000 nearly vertical feet from Cottonwood Creek to Columbia’s ridge. As unpleasant as it was to descend, it would be positively miserable to climb.

Don and I stopped a few times on this slope as the light snow that had fallen and the lighting made for some amazing views of Columbia’s neighbors, Mt. Harvard and Bear Lake.

A View of Mt. Harvard (far right) and Bear lake (center)

We continued to take in the views as we rapidly descended the slope down into Cottonwood Creek. On this return hike we covered about six miles in four hours and finally arrived back at camp around 5:30.

This was a miserable and rewarding hike. It was tough mentally and physically but did present the hiker with incredible views, challenge, and uniqueness. Just make sure you have a long day to do this route with cooperative weather. I would not want to repeat this hike but I do have satisfaction that I have completed it.

GPS Track for Mt. Columbia, Saturday, Sept. 13.

Red is Ascent Route, Blue is Descent Route

Square Top Mountain - Better than Bierstadt

2008-09-06T10:43:00.010-06:00

I have climbed Mt. Bierstadt many times. It is a favorite of mine and the Platinum Team's for early season training due to its relative ease of climb and close proximity to Denver. For more than a couple of years however I have looked across Guanella Pass towards Square Top Mt. and wanted to see what that peak held. The past couple of seasons the Platinum Team has put this 13er on the list of peaks "to do" (and by "do" I mean climb) when we were not otherwise engaged with climbing 14ers.

Also, as a fluke of how my company computes leave, I found that I had to burn about 40 hours of flex-time before the end of Sept. So, I thought I would take every Friday off in Sept. I knew that Mike, as a lifer at his company also was taking many Fridays off this summer as well. So literally, at the last minute, Mike and I were able to put a climb together for Sept. 5th. Don was out of town and Erin will not be able to take another vacation day until she is 80.

Mike and I both arrived at the west side parking area on Guanella Pass around 6:45am. There was not a single car in the west lot. There were about 8 cars in the East lot presumably to climb Bierstadt. We both geared up and set out.

We were planning to climb Square Top via its Eastern ridge. There is an excellent trail from where it begins, as it were, from behind the out-house. We trundled along the trail and down a bit until we began to parallel the ridge. There is a trail junction that cuts off towards the North to gain the ridge. However it is now marked "Trail Closed." Wanting to climb via this route, and not wanting to cause undo damage we followed a faint trail North up towards the ridge. The trail rapidly petered out and we separated a bit and made our way along the hillside. I had plotted the route in my GPS from a Summitpost route description, so we generally followed these way points up the steep hillside towards the ridge top.

We could clearly see a gully along our route and consulting the map it appeared that we would need to climb the gully by its left shoulder. The gully is quite a bit larger than it appears in the image below.

The gully as it appears from below on the hillside. The best way up is to ascend via the gully's left shoulder.

Mike and I made our way up this shoulder with no problems. We topped out and got our first view of the summit of Square Top in some interesting terrain at the top of the gully.

Square Top Peaks up in the Distance from the Top of the Gully

The terrain was very interesting along this entire hike. The gully consisted of fractured volcanic and columnar rock. There was a lot of white milky quartz mixed in with black fined grained rock as well.

Mike and I made our way arcing upwards steadily along the ridge towards a prominent saddle just before the going gets real steep. The wind began to pick up as we made the ridge top and meandered our way around a few high points. I am guessing the wind was blowing from around 15 to 25 MPH from a generally Northerly direction. Therefore, the right side of our faces were getting blasted. But the skies were very clear. Not at all what was forecast.

Mike and I made our way along a prominent high point and gauged our elevation in order to catch the saddle without having to gain or loose altitude.

We Stopped to take a Picture in the Great Morning Light with Square Top now Prominent in our View

We caught the saddle and began the steep climb up toward the summit. While steep, there is nothing particularly difficult about this part of the climb. The trail is all solid rocky tundra and rock out crops. There is nothing greater than perhaps a Class 2+ in some of the steeper rocky portions.

Mike and I zig-zagged our way up the slope stopping now and then so I could breath and to fine tune our route. The "crux" of the route came near the top of the ridge and consisted of a large rounded rock outcrop. We pondered as to whether we should skirt the outcrop but in the end we took a rather obvious line directly up its center.

The Author makes his way up the Crux of the Ridge Route (photo: Mike O'Hearn)

At the Top of the Outcrop I Turned and Grabbed this Image of Mike Climbing Up with the Remaining Ridge Stretching Beyond

A short time later Mike and I stood upon the ridge top with about one half mile of nearly level walking to the actual summit of Square Top. This was a really cool walk. Not particularly hard, but it was cold and windy. The interesting geology and the great views really made this part of the hike fantastic.

The Pleasant Route along the Ridge Top to Square Top's Summit

Mike and I arrived at Square Top's summit around 9:45. About 2:45 minutes after we had departed the trail head. We took in the views for a short time then retreated below the summit to get out of the wind and have some food. After eating and resting a bit we walked back to the summit for pictures. I brought my tripod for a summit shot but it was so windy I worried that my camera would be blown over so we just took pictures of each other at the summit as our fingers grew colder and more numb.

The Author at the Summit (Grays and Torrey's in the background)

Mike at the Summit

A Broad View of the Surrounding Mountains with Grays and Torreys in the Center

We made our way down from the top to take the more gentle Southeastern route back to the trail head. We carved a gentle descent along Square Top's Southeastern face. We descended rapidly but we could not find any hint of a trail. It turns out that there must have been some relatively recent trail realignment. We made our way down some steep slopes towards Square Top lakes. We could see the road that makes its way from the trail head to the lakes and we knew the hiking trail broke from this road and made its way up the Southeastern face to the summit.

We finally found the "new' trail near the where it breaks from the road close to the lakes. It appears to have been realigned to offer a much more gentle ascent of the mountain. The new trail now cuts further South in order to gain Square Top's Southern shoulder.

Mike and I were back at the cars around noon. We drove down into completely obscured skies into Idaho Springs for our traditional lunch at Tommy Knockers.

This was a really great climb. Easy logistics, very scenic and we did not see one other person during the entire hike. We had the summit to ourselves. The hike is in many ways better than Bierstadt. The terrain and geology are fascinating. The views incredible. And the route interesting. Next time I do this hike I will take the new route in order to avoid the closed portion and to simply tool along a more gentle ascent of this great peak.

A Tarn near the Trail Head with Bierstadt and the Saw Tooth in the Distance

GPS Track of the route up and return to Guanella pass appears below.

Next up...Columbia Peak via the East Ridge.

Wetterhorn Peak - Peak Perfection in the San Juans

2008-08-23T09:53:00.015-06:00

It really does not get any better than Wetterhorn Peak on a blue bird day. And that's just what the team had on Friday, Aug 22 (also my son Hank's birthday). Wetterhorn Peak (Wetter meaning weather, in some European language, and Horn meaning...well...horn) is known to attract some nasty weather. And given the technical challenge of the last several hundred feet to the summit, I would NOT want to be caught anywhere near this thing in bad weather. But we had no worries on Friday. The weather was perfect. No clouds. Slight breeze, and skies so blue it was amazing.

We left on Thursday afternoon and had dinner at NY Pizza in Gunnison. This trip consisted of the core Platinum Team; Erin, Don, Mike, and Ben. We were all VERY pumped for this trip as we planned to do both Wetterhorn and Uncompahgre Peaks on Friday and Saturday respectively. More on how that worked out later.

Don was driving his GMC Professional Grade Sierra extended cab pickup. We took the truck up the 4X4 Matterhorn Creek road all the way to the trail head. The road was pretty rough but the GMC did fine. At least on the way up. Thankfully there were two small camping areas near the trail head as we had not really seen a plethora of sites anywhere else. We set up our camp at about 7pm. Started a fire and began to get our gear organized and then hit the sleeping bags by about 9pm.

We woke up the next morning, choked down some food and caffeine, finalized our gear and set out at just a hair past 6am. The scenery on the trail was spectacular as we caught some late alpine glow as we neared tree line.

Alpine Glow in the San Juans

We continued to cruise up through the Matterhorn Creek basin enjoying the views and even spotting a huge heard of perhaps 50 or 60 elk on a ridge at about 12,000+ feet.

As we wound our way around the basin we got our first good look at Wetterhorn Peak as the sun made its way higher into the deep blue sky.

Wetterhorn Becomes Visible Above the Grassy Basin

The trail goes through some interesting terrain that consists of the typical alpine tundra, then traverses kind of a cool grassy boulder field and then turns up towards the final ridge towards the summit.

The Steep Ridge Leading to the Summit

You catch the ridge at about 13,100 feet and are then faced with a steep trudge up some very yellow and somewhat loose terrain with the imposing face of Wetterhorn towering above. At this point you begin thinking about the 600 feet or so of technical class 3 climbing needed to reach the summit.

Trudging up the Steep Yellow Terrain with Wetterhorn's Summit in the Background and "The Prow" Clearly Visible

At the ridge we stopped for some refueling and a quick rest and to take in the incredible and vast views that we were treated to upon gaining the ridge. I snapped a picture of the group before we started towards the summit.

The Team (minus me) With some Incredible Views in the Background Including Sneffels Peak

Soon after this shot we entered the technical portion of the climb. We cached our trekking poles and began the job of scouting the best route through the rocks and searching for cairns.

We Met two Guys (visible lower left) Who Helped us a bit with Route Finding as we Entered the Technical Portion of the Climb.

The trail was fairly obvious with a sharp eye but does differ somewhat from what is described on 14ers.com. This is not to disparage 14ers.com. I, and most other climbers, consider this web site The Gold Standard for climbing beta. But it appears that the trail has been recently rerouted a bit from what is described by 14ers.com. It no longer works its way up to the east side of the Prow. You still go through the rib as described but do not go all the way to the Prow (although you can) but rather head directly up (North) following well placed cairns. This routes is more technical but you avoid some really nasty loose scree adjacent to the Prow. At the top of the new portion you pop out into the open area described in the 14ers.com route description. I found this part of the hike the most challenging.

A Shot of the "new" Trail Section. Two Folks Can Be Seen Climbing Center Right in the Frame

After negotiating our way to the open area at about 13,900 feet we prepared for the final pitch to the summit. We pushed our way up and through the last notch to the bottom of the final pitch.

Mike Stands Relaxing in the Final Notch with his Daughter Erin Below

We climbed up through this notch where you then quickly traverse to the bottom of the final pitch on a huge stable slab. The final pitch consists of a very steep class 3 climb directly to the summit. Its basically a solid rock "stairway" that is easily negotiated. However, if you make a mistake you will be treated to a long and unpleasant fall, at the bottom of which you will most likely be deceased. Even with a helmet.

An Incredible View Through the Final Notch

The Final Pitch to the Summit. Very Solid Rock but Steep. Erin Stands to the Left Side of the Pitch.

Don (lower figure) and Erin (upper figure) Negotiate the Final Pitch. I did this Pitch with my Nikon D300 on a Strap Around my Neck! (by "did", I mean climbed)

A Look Down the Final Pitch as Three other Climbers Make Their Way Back Down.

At about 10:30ish we were all on the summit and enjoying a perfect day. Peak Perfection. You don't often get such perfect weather in Colorado. But it is welcome when you do. We posed for our summit photo, refueled again, and took in the views.

The Platinum Team on Top of Wetterhorn Peak

There were a few friendly folks on the summit and we spent a lot of time taking pictures, talking, and identifying surrounding peaks. At the summit (yes I said the summit) there was a very friendly marmot. I have seen many marmots in my time but never one on the summit of a 14,000+ foot mountain peak. Not only did it appear he lived there but this was one friendly marmot. He definitely knew how to work the crowd.

The Marmot moves in Towards Erin for His Close up

After about an hour we began to make our way home by down climbing the long technical portion just below the summit. This was not that bad. Mike and Erin went ahead of Don and me as I helped Don make his way down. Don is uneasy with heights and just wanted some assistance with the down climb.

We both made it down with no problems. We ended up heading down the route described in 14ers.com that takes you along the Prow. I would not recommend this. While the old route does save you from traversing some steep and exposed class three on the "new" section, it treats you to some very loose, steep, and nasty sections. I imagine that is why the the trail was swung around. You can't help but to cause some significant erosion and send some rocks a-flyin' by climbing down this section.

We had to wait several minutes as some climbers below us made their way up. We didn't want to send a shower of debris down on them.

The rest of the climb was uneventful and we ended up back in camp around 2ish. We relaxed a bit then packed everything away and headed off towards Uncompahgre's trail head. Unfortunately, on the way down the 4X4 road, we ripped a HUGE (about three inches wide) hole in Don's right rear tire. The tire nearly came off the rim and the rim ended up slightly damaged. We put the spare on and decided that, now that we had used our only spare, it would not be prudent to do any more four wheeling when we still had a 300 mile journey just to get home. So we regrettably headed back to the Denver area. We plan on bringing Don's lifted jeep back in the future and perhaps doing an Uncompahgre and Handies two day combo.

In hindsight we all agreed that this was definitely in the top three peaks we have climbed. The challenge, scenery, company, and the joy of the San Juans combined to make this a very special trip.

GPS track of the Wetterhorn Climb.

Harvard Education, Blisters, and Fembots

2008-07-28T08:32:00.021-06:00

The Platinum Team was thankfully successful for a summit bid of Mount Harvard. The original plan was to meet a mutual friend of the team, Dave Callais, a Colorado Mountain Club WTS instructor on the summit. Dave is currently hiking the entire CO Trail and he would be coming up Harvard from the Pine Creek Trail while we came up from Horn Fork Basin. The weather did not look like it was going to cooperate for a meeting on the 24th as planned. So the Platinum Team pushed back the summit attempt to the 26th. It was difficult to miss Dave but the delay did allow all the members of the team to climb Mt. Harvard.

During the hike up to base camp, and after many hours of diligently planning and packing as light as I could, two members of the Platinum Team (Erin and Don) saw fit to load me up with a few pounds of granite as they hiked behind me. Now coincidentally, and I am sure unrelated, I also somehow developed a blister on each heel on this short hike up. More on this later.

This hike was a total of 12 miles with about 4,600 feet of elevation gain from trail head to summit. We elected to backpack in a few miles just below tree line and set up a base camp instead of tackling all of this hike in one day.

We built a small tent city from one and two man tents and then set to work making a fire and hydrating some dinner. We finally sat around the familiar fire and dug into some re-hydrated cuisine after all was set up and in order in camp.

We awoke around five am on Saturday with some concern about the weather. The entire week had a 40 - 50% chance of rain and thunderstorms. Saturday was no different. So we elected to get a pretty early start in order to be leaving the summit before any sort of cumulonimbus tomfoolery could get started. A good portion of the team had been caught thousands of feet above tree line on La Plata Peak in a violent storm a few years back and we did not want any part of that again. So off onto the trail we started to overcast, but friendly skies. The overcast made for some lousy pictures as the light was completely flat. Oh well.

A short time into the hike the blisters that had started on my heels the night before began to get quite aggravated. I got very worried that if they continued to worsen then my summit bid would be in serious jeopardy (rocks - Don - Erin). Finally, I asked the team to stop while I tried to re-tape everything to see if I could find a way to keep hiking.

Above Erin recoils in disgusted terror as she views my right-foot blister. The worse one. We taped and bandaged and taped some more and we were again hiking in no time.

Needless to say the blister fix did little good and just a short time later I bravely instructed the remainder of the team to continue without me. I was out. I sat next to the trail as the Platinum Team faded into the distance. Thinking that I did not want to be the only one on the team in Buena Vista that afternoon without summit stories, I re-bandaged again and just thought I would start hiking and see how far I could get. 500 feet at a time...

In the mean time, the rest of the team was working their way towards the summit about 2,500 feet above and a mile or so distant. A few other teams of folks were working their way towards the summit as well though the gray rock under a gray sky. Its hard to imagine that this is beautiful but you have to spend some time above tree line to appreciate the high mountains.

This was an interesting hike but as we all knew, as most hikes are in the Sawatch range, these mountains are l-o-n-g, and high, and steep. And this was our Harvard education. The great portion of this hike is at a pleasant grade rising relatively evenly...for miles. There were even some parts of the trail that descended gently as the path traversed high alpine tundra.

The last mile of this hike, which started at the far end of the tundra shown above, presents the hiker with a short but very steep unpleasant grind to the summit. Which, by some undiscovered force of nature, appears to be exactly same distance from the hiker no matter how far they have walked, crawled, or fallen towards the summit.

Finally, after what seemed like days, the summit approached. The remainder of the Platinum Team had already made the summit and were sitting on what looked like a sort of natural balcony cheering me on. After several more days of hiking towards the summit. I scrambled up the remaining hundred feet or so where I collapsed in a heap. Luckily Don, in order to attempt to assuage his guilt for the "rocks in the pack" joke the day before carried my 2.5 pound tripod to the summit. In retrospect this may have really helped me. Between the blisters and fatigue I was glad for every pound I did not carry.

After a short rest and forcing down some food I revived enough to take the summit shot of the entire team.

We milled about on the summit. The weather was still overcast but non-threatening. Erin and Sara contemplated traversing the HUGE ridge connecting Mt. Harvard to Mt. Columbia. This is a long grind. After some initial discussion Erin and Sara decided to descend with the team and go for Columbia another day. We headed down to a point just below the summit where we picked up some gear we left behind for the scrambling section.

This was a great hike. We were all very happy that we all made the summit. The views are incredible from this smallish summit. We started our descent towards base camp a few miles away. During the down hike Sara had a small misstep (as all of us do now and then...some more than others) and managed to stumble. Unfortunately she fell across a small but pointy rock and ripped a small gash in the front of her shin.

Now this is where it gets a little weird. On a normal person if you rip your skin open you would bleed and you would expect to see some sort of human tissue in the wound. So, on Sara the skin was torn away but underneath no human tissue. Just white. Not bone either mind you. Just white. Still no blood. The white actually looked like some sort of fiberglass under structure. It became apparent that Sara was indeed a Fembot! But at least she is friendly and makes good brownies so we let her stay on the team.

We patched her up with some epoxy and glass tape and she was as good as new for the remainder of the hike back to camp and then back out to the cars. We drove to Buena Vista and stopped at the Coyote Cantina for chips, beer, and a hearty meal. And, we were all able to tell our stories about our successful climb of Mt. Harvard.

A special thanks to team member Mike O'Hearn for supplying several of the images for this post.

GPS track for the Mt. Harvard climb.

What We Did for our 4th of July Vacation - Humboldt Peak

2008-07-07T07:35:00.064-06:00

What a great time and what great timing. Don, Sara, and I had planned on climbing Humboldt Peak while Mike and Erin were out in California climbing Mt. Whitney. I received a text from Erin that indeed she and her dad had successfully summited Mt. Whitney on July 1st. At that time, and for a few days after that both Mike and Erin needed some recovery time after a very long and difficult ascent up the lower 48's highest peak.

But it soon became clear that our time lines would allow them to meet us in Westcliffe if they decided to climb Humboldt...which after some needed down time they did. We met in Westcliffe on the evening of the 3rd and had pizza at Pizza Madness. This was the first time that the "core" Platinum Team would hike together since Missouri Peak September 2007.

After some final planning and hearing stories and seeing pictures of Mike and Erin's climb up Whitney, we hopped into our cars and drove to the Humboldt 2WD trailhead where we then somehow piled a total of five people and one small Jack Russel Terrier, Callie, and all of our gear into Don's Cherokee. We drove up the 4WD drive road banging our heads together as Don gingerly made his way up towards the trailhead 5.5 miles away.

Finally we emerged into a clearing where there were several vehicles parked at the trailhead. We surveyed the parking area and started talking to a guy. I didn't get his name but he gave us some GREAT beta.

First off; he pointed us to a supreme camping spot and then even better he showed us a slightly different trail up Humboldt that cut off a good bit of distance from the "standard" 14ers.com route and also avoided a good bit of snow. The camp site was just off the trailhead of this new route, which joined the standard route right at the southern South Colony Lake.

We started hiking on the morning of the 4th to a bluebird day at about 6:30am. All five of us, and Callie, left camp with blue skies and optimism with scenery that is some of the best I have seen in Colorado. With the Crestones, Broken Hand Peak, and the South Colony lakes for company we started up towards Humboldt's western saddle. At right, Erin pauses to take in the views of Crestone Needle and the South Colony Lakes.

We crossed a few well consolidated snow fields and headed up the steep grade towards the Humboldt Saddle. The weather was perfect and everyone was feeling great. The switchbacks up to the saddle were long and tedious but we climbed through them in a relatively short amount of time. From the saddle we had a good view of the remaining hike up Humboldt's west ridge to the false summit.

We started up the long west ridge which was mostly class 2+ hiking with some trail segments and some easy class 3 scrambling. The route was well marked with cairns. We stopped a few times to rest, take pictures, or watch Callie try to rustle up some fun with a Whistle Pig (Marmot).

The final pitches up the west ridge were a blast. Just enough scrambling to make the climb interesting. We skirted just below the false summit following the well marked path through the boulders and talus.

This picture of the group was shot below the false summit looking back down towards the South Colony Lakes and the Crestones. You can see the chunky blocks of rock that made up this portion of the hike. Now and then Sara would have to pick up Callie to help her up a particularity high step that she could not jump. All-in-all that tiny dog pretty much cruised all the way up the mountain without any problems.

The weather was still perfect as we passed just below the false summit. The rest of the climbing group moved ahead of me as I slowed to shoot pictures and enjoy where we were.

While the terrain was rough on the upper ridge, the grade had eased somewhat making the traveling a little easier.
We eventually reached a short flat saddle between the actual summit and the false summit.
To the north of the trail the drop-off was deadly, which was fine as long as you didn't, "drop off." It was the kind of thing that was safe as long as you didn't go wandering. I would not want to try this at night however.

We strolled along this portion of the climb with the weather showing blue skies and just a few friendly fair weather cumulus clouds. The final steps to the summit were beautiful. The surrounding landscape was amazing with views of several other 14er ranges, the San Louis Valley, and the lands to the East of the Sangre de Cristo range.

We set up on the summit for some food, drink, and rest, and a lot of picture taking. As I approached the summit I looked down at Callie who was standing near what looked like some sort of party hors d'oeuvre made up of some sort of meat and cheese rolled together into a log. I asked Sara, "What the hell are you feeding that dog." Sara looked down and answered, "Apparently too much!"

All of those ingredients had gone into Callie without much chewing and then came back up and out in a nice neat meat and cheese hors d'oeuvre log. No worries though. Callie finished it all up before we left.

Looking west from the summit we had an unbelievable view of the Crestones (left) and Challenger Point and Kit Carson Peak (right) with the summit team in the center foreground in a rock shelter.

Still the weather was perfect. Just a hint of clouds and a slight breeze.

We all posed for our summit shot with the Crestones in the background. Don, Sara, Callie (the dog), Erin, Mike, and me. This was Sara's first 14er and she did perfectly. Sara cruised right up with a minimum of whining. The team hopes Sara will join us on more hikes. And I think she caught the 14er bug on this trip.

Now...If you have read the blog below on our Bierstadt warm-up hike you know for some inexplicable reason I tend to run into a lot of folks from Ohio (specifically Cincinnati) at the the tops of these 14ers. Well, when the team got to the top of Humboldt we had the summit to ourselves. Indeed a treat in and of itself. However, as we got ready to descend two other guys showed up. We talked for a few minutes and gave them some info about the shortcut to the trailhead. Just as we were leaving, on a whim, I asked, "Anyone here from Ohio?" One of the guys answered, "I am."

We all busted out laughing as it had happened again. To make matters more improbable not only was he from Ohio, but specifically Cincinnati! In fact he still lived there and was visiting Colorado just to climb.

On the way down we paused a few times for a quick break to take in the views before we were too low on the mountain. The lighting had changed since early morning and in this later portion of the day the scenery took on a very different look from earlier. The Crestone ramparts looked so massive as to be almost unnerving in their size.

As we descended near the lower portion of the trail close to the South Colony Lakes we spotted a heard of curious Big Horned Sheep. They were milling about munching on the local flora and keeping an eye on us.

We shot a few quick pictures of the sheep and then we continued down the lower and less steep portion of the trail towards our camp site. As we neared the sheep they cautiously walked and jumped up towards the Humboldt saddle.

This hike was definitely, for me, in my top 3 as far as fun hiking and great scenery. The company was great and luckily all the logistics worked out perfectly. It was great to finish Humboldt. I had previously thought this peak to be undoable due to the rough 4wheel drive road in. But Don (and Becky) made this hike possible with the use of their capable Jeep Cherokee.

Parting Shot
And until the next hike...This is The End!
GPS Route:

Mt. Bierstadt Warmup Hike

2008-06-23T07:28:00.013-06:00

June usually brings the first reliable weather for climbing 14ers. So as Spring turned officially into Summer the Platinum Team struck out to hit the high country and prepare for another season. Wanting to do something logistically easy and still fun we chose to climb Mt. Bierstadt on Saturday, June 21.

The weather forecast looked great for Saturday. The team, most of the team, chose to camp near the trailhead so we didn't have to wake up heinously early. I drove up to Guanella Pass Friday afternoon after the rest of the team had arrived, arriving around 8:30PM to a couple of huge thunderheads towering over Bierstadt at sunset. It was an amazing sight. I pulled in the West parking lot next to Mike and his daughters Erin and Lauren.

The next morning we began hiking about 6:30am and were surprised to see several other hikers already on the trail. Typically, for this mountain, folks get started later but for some reason on Saturday it was already getting a bit crowded early.

The hike through the willows and up the alpine slopes was beautiful with great weather and little wind. This was going to be Mike's daughter Lauren's first 14er and she cruised along with nary a complaint. Mike, training for Whitney, hiked out ahead while Erin, Lauren, and I stayed together at a somewhat slower pace.

As we pulled up onto the shoulder just below the final summit push we were very pleasantly surprised to see that a great portion of the usual tedious 250 vertical feet boulder-hopping to the summit could be avoided by an easy walk up some well consolidated snow. This made the final push much easier and more interesting. It always feels more "mountainy" when there is some snow involved. Mike, Erin, and Lauren pulled up ahead as I stayed below for a while shooting pictures.

I continued on to the summit a few minutes after the O'Hearns. The weather was perfect. Great comfy temps, a slight breeze, and no clouds. A typical Colorado Bluebird day.

Nearing the summit I could see there were a few people already there. Actually a lot of people. More like a crowd really. It appeared as if a Broncos game had just let out. I am guessing there were 50ish people already on the summit with some starting back down and others arriving. But, as is usually the case, all were pleasant and it was fun if not a somewhat sereal scene to have this collection of people at 14,060 feet.

Oddly. Inexplicably, I thought I heard someone in the crowd say "Ohio University" So I asked. It turns out there was a group of about 5 graduates (2004) from Ohio University in this throng. I myself completed my undergraduate from Ohio U in 1984. So naturally I though it improbable to meet fellow alumni on top of Mt. Bierstadt. Yet there they were. And if there is any doubt, they posed for a summit shot forming the word, "OHIO." You have to be a Buckeye to do something like that in public.
Me, Lauren, Erin, Mike, and Cooper (the Beagle) from left to right, posed for our own slightly more dignified summit shot. We were on the summit by 9:30am. While we had started out a bit slow we all perked up a bit as we climbed up into the high 12s and kept on pushing fueled by various revolting gu's, jells, bars, and various other performance foods. But hey, they are all natural so how bad can they be?

The trip down was uneventful. The weather continued to hold and it was relaxing and filled with interesting conversations.

Lauren became a 14er Platinum Team visiting member as a result of this hike. Hopefully she will continue on to other 14ers and become an official member.

As for the remainder of the team. Ben and Don (not on this hike) will be joining up to climb Humboldt Peak on the 4th while Mike and Erin attempt to tackle Mt. Whitney in California over the 4th as well.

Good hiking all!...

Below is the GPS track from the Bierstadt hike: