Jay H
New member
OK, I guess it's about time for me to share what I did on my summer vacation.
After climbing Gannett with Tmax, and Matt (non-ahp/vftt), we drove back to CO to do some 14ers. Our initial intent was to go over to MO and climb Granite but after talking to a guide we ran into on Gannett we decided to get more beta on the peak, a bit of conflicting data on how technical the peak is, whether we would need rope and some rock pro.
Anyway, no big deal, CO was appealing and I've never been there so it would be cool. Plus, spending a week in WY which in many cases is just as high in elevation as in CO, we figured we'd be pretty acclimated. So we spent a day getting back to Colo Spgs and a day planning our peaks. However, we did get a chance to go to Cripple Creek and not gamble, but check out the Molly Kathleen mine, a working gold mine.
So, the next day, Aug 18th, we head west over towards Fairplay, CO, to do one of the relatively easy 14ers, Mt Sherman, which is only like a 2100ft climb and over 6.5 miles round trip...
We would take our rental Hyundai (aka the stealth mobile for the complete lack of plates or tags) up Four Mile creek to about 11,700' and through the mines you walk by to get to the col between Sheridan and Sherman, bang a right and hit the canister and the long summit ridge.
Afterwards, getting off, we'd go explore the buildings that are in various disarray and we wound up finding a good camping spot on the Buena Vista side and in the Arkansas Headwater's State Park.
The next day, we starting working our way north, hiting more peaks in the Sawatch range although keeping to the ones we could access easily with our Stealth Car and we hit Mts Shavano/Tabegauche, Shavano named for an Ute chief.
This was a longer hike with a short 3-400' drop in the col but a nasty loose scree climb to get up to Tabegauche. However, weather held up and we made it out before a few thunderclaps came.. lots of swtchbacks...
Wednesday was a rest day and also a travel day as we would drive north towards Twin Lakes and Leadville. We inquired about rafting the Arkansas river but the one outfitter we talked to in Nathrop, told is many outfitters were ending the season since the downstream river users stopped requesting water from the owners of the dam, it wasn't really worth the money for a simple float down the river, despite the beauty, so we rented cruiser bikes and die the 12.5 mileish loop on the Mineral Belt Tour in Leadville itself. A few really nasty thunderclaps chased us during this ride but fortunately, the storm held off, at least til we got to Twin Lakes and after the ride. A nice paved MUP (multi use path) with a nice tour up the various hills they had mines on. Leadville, being somewhat famous for where the Unsinkable Molly Brown got her fame and fortune. (Of the titanic fame too).
The next day, Tmax and I would do a really great peak, my favorite of our CO trip, La Plata Peak, the Photos do not do it justice and it was a fabulous blue sky day which Tmax and I spent like an hour at the summit soaking in the rays and enjoying the views... Even the mighty Mountain Duck approves! Quack Quack!
Nevertheless, even good things have to come to an end and we came off the peak and back to Twin Lakes where we camped the last three nights at White Star campground, right on the lake. The next day, Tmax took a relaxing walk around the lakes while her arm was bothering her and I went and hiked Mt Elbert (which Tmax has climbed before) from Black Cloud Creek, the non-standard approach over South Elbert to the summit. A nice day, but with crowds starting to gather at the summit, I went back to South Elbert and had lunch and spent about 45 minutes there. Needed the sunscreen for this trip as we had good weather, no major t-storms or electrical storms though a few storms were dodged before setting up camp.
Took some random photosfrom the campground, i.e. views from the tent.
So, our 5 peaks are done, 49 more I guess for another trip to the rockies....
Jay
After climbing Gannett with Tmax, and Matt (non-ahp/vftt), we drove back to CO to do some 14ers. Our initial intent was to go over to MO and climb Granite but after talking to a guide we ran into on Gannett we decided to get more beta on the peak, a bit of conflicting data on how technical the peak is, whether we would need rope and some rock pro.
Anyway, no big deal, CO was appealing and I've never been there so it would be cool. Plus, spending a week in WY which in many cases is just as high in elevation as in CO, we figured we'd be pretty acclimated. So we spent a day getting back to Colo Spgs and a day planning our peaks. However, we did get a chance to go to Cripple Creek and not gamble, but check out the Molly Kathleen mine, a working gold mine.
So, the next day, Aug 18th, we head west over towards Fairplay, CO, to do one of the relatively easy 14ers, Mt Sherman, which is only like a 2100ft climb and over 6.5 miles round trip...
We would take our rental Hyundai (aka the stealth mobile for the complete lack of plates or tags) up Four Mile creek to about 11,700' and through the mines you walk by to get to the col between Sheridan and Sherman, bang a right and hit the canister and the long summit ridge.
Afterwards, getting off, we'd go explore the buildings that are in various disarray and we wound up finding a good camping spot on the Buena Vista side and in the Arkansas Headwater's State Park.
The next day, we starting working our way north, hiting more peaks in the Sawatch range although keeping to the ones we could access easily with our Stealth Car and we hit Mts Shavano/Tabegauche, Shavano named for an Ute chief.
This was a longer hike with a short 3-400' drop in the col but a nasty loose scree climb to get up to Tabegauche. However, weather held up and we made it out before a few thunderclaps came.. lots of swtchbacks...
Wednesday was a rest day and also a travel day as we would drive north towards Twin Lakes and Leadville. We inquired about rafting the Arkansas river but the one outfitter we talked to in Nathrop, told is many outfitters were ending the season since the downstream river users stopped requesting water from the owners of the dam, it wasn't really worth the money for a simple float down the river, despite the beauty, so we rented cruiser bikes and die the 12.5 mileish loop on the Mineral Belt Tour in Leadville itself. A few really nasty thunderclaps chased us during this ride but fortunately, the storm held off, at least til we got to Twin Lakes and after the ride. A nice paved MUP (multi use path) with a nice tour up the various hills they had mines on. Leadville, being somewhat famous for where the Unsinkable Molly Brown got her fame and fortune. (Of the titanic fame too).
The next day, Tmax and I would do a really great peak, my favorite of our CO trip, La Plata Peak, the Photos do not do it justice and it was a fabulous blue sky day which Tmax and I spent like an hour at the summit soaking in the rays and enjoying the views... Even the mighty Mountain Duck approves! Quack Quack!
Nevertheless, even good things have to come to an end and we came off the peak and back to Twin Lakes where we camped the last three nights at White Star campground, right on the lake. The next day, Tmax took a relaxing walk around the lakes while her arm was bothering her and I went and hiked Mt Elbert (which Tmax has climbed before) from Black Cloud Creek, the non-standard approach over South Elbert to the summit. A nice day, but with crowds starting to gather at the summit, I went back to South Elbert and had lunch and spent about 45 minutes there. Needed the sunscreen for this trip as we had good weather, no major t-storms or electrical storms though a few storms were dodged before setting up camp.
Took some random photosfrom the campground, i.e. views from the tent. So, our 5 peaks are done, 49 more I guess for another trip to the rockies....
Jay
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