Fall is in the air. Ted, on the route down the north side of Harvard. [Christy here again] After spending the last three weekends running through the incredible Maroon – Snowmass Wilderness, we thought we’d switch it up and explore a new area. Earlier this summer, we had done a fun loop run over Missouri and Belford Mountains. From the summit of Missouri, we had an amazing view of the...
Looking over to South Maroon Peak, 14,156 ft., from the summit of the North Maroon. The ridge goes from the lower right towards the center of the photo. The less technical ledge system is on the right side and below the ridge. The 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act was this past weekend. The local papers have been covering the “news” that more people than ever have been cramming into...
We wanted to go climb a mountain this past weekend, and we were unsure of where to go. We were looking for something that was tall, nearby, and was a summit we hadn’t yet climbed. It was actually kind of hard to find a mountain that fit that description.
Any finish at the Hardrock 100 should be considered a great achievement. There are so many ways to come up short on the burly course that anyone who makes it all the way back to Silverton deserves to be commended.
On the descent from Spread Eagle Peak, looking south towards the heart of the Sangre de Cristos We left town for the holiday weekend and made our way down to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains for a little backpacking and peakbagging. The destination was a place known as Lake of the Clouds, and the goal was to climb two nearby 13ers, Cloud Peak and Spread Eagle Peak. (more…)
The view from the summit of Mount Adams. Click for enlarged view. As far as Colorado ski mountaineering is concerned, I’ve always considered the 3rd week in May to be my favorite stretch of time. The random weather that tends to sweep through the state earlier in the season usually gives way to a dry and sunny summer pattern. That in turn allows for cold clear nights and a reliable...
On Eureka’s summit, 13,507 ft., looking down to Eureka and Hermit lakes and the Wet Mountain Valley. Continuing with our exploration of the Northern Sangre de Cristos, we backpacked up San Isabel Creek and climbed Eureka Mountain last weekend. Two years ago, Christy and I looked down on San Isabel Lake from the summit of Hermit Peak to the north, and knew we would have to camp there some day...
Descending Mount Bross. Democrat, Cameron, Lincoln, and Bross– a.k.a. Decalibron, at least to those who obsess over 14ers here in Colorado. Peakbaggers love the easy Decalibron loop, allowing for four 14,000 foot summits to be tagged from the trailhead at Kite Lake, outside of Alma. (more…)
The rocky ridge on the mountain’s north side climbs for about 2,000 feet to where it joins the standard East Ridge route. After our run up Quandary’s East Ridge we decided to climb the mountain a second time (the next day) at a more casual pace. The north side of the mountain has a seldom visited, semi-technical climbing route called the Inwood Arete that we wanted to explore. (more…)
Some of the group make their way down the broad East Ridge. The text from my younger sister wished me a happy birthday and went on to say, “Hope you are doing something fun-and I don’t mean running 100 miles or climbing a mt…hope u have a great day…” I guess we just disagree on what constitutes birthday fun. I was really excited for our plans later that afternoon– to...