Travels and Vagabonds
Turkey Perch
On a Saturday in August, we made a quick local-ish trip around the south Platte. There were a pile of us from the gym that hit up some real rock. Apparently we only climb at locations that have animal names. Everything started at the sheeps nose.
Yellowstone
The journey started on Saturday where we picked up Pat & Garrett and headed from Denver to Thermopolis, WY. Wyoming had dinsoaurs, jackalopes, buffalos and cowboys perched alongside the highway to entertain us on our journey. Thermopolis is a small town with the world’s largest mineral hot spring (they proclaim this with white rocks on the hillside). After driving through town a few times lost, we finally found our campground where we’d pitch our tents in the median between two gravel roads. Classy camping (they had wifi and showers!). We quickly ate and headed over to the hotsprings and chose Starplunge! because it wasn’t in an enclosed igloo and it was open. The retro sign hinted at what was to come… To sum up the Star Plunge I can state the following, rickety, lack supervision, wild, sketchy, and fun. We retired for the night and fell asleep quickly
Crestone Needle and Crestone Peak
I had finally convinced Ben to climb the Ellingwood Arête up the Crestone Needle, and so we went the first Sunady in August. We left the Springs early and drove down to the South Colony trailhead on Friday. We 4×4-ed to the new lower 4-wheel drive trailhead and were on the hike up by 6pm, slogging along the old 4×4 path. We made camp above the Lower South Colony Lake in a grassy patch and settled in for a nights rest before an AM start.
Continue reading “Crestone Needle and Peak: 14ers (Ellingwood Arete)”
Kelso Ridge
Late July, I convinced Derek to finally hike a 14er with me. We drove up in the pouring rain to the Grays Trailhead. The Blazer powered through some steep rutted 4×4 roads, after watching a Subaru burn through its clutch. Two and a half hours after leaving the house we were at the trailhead and settled in for a quick nap in the back of the blazer until 3:30am.
Continue reading “Grays and Torreys (Via Kelso Ridge) : 14ers”
Orange Oswald
Before heading out to Jay’s Bachelor party weekend in Deep Creek Maryland, Nathan and I loaded up his truck with climbing gear and drove down to Summersville, WV to meet Alexis for some climbing. The plan was to spend 2 days down there swimming and climbing before the party weekend.
Continue reading “West Virginia: Summersville and New River Climbing”
The Trail Up to the Summit
Next Morning after climbing the Wetterhorn, we mustered together and set off to climb Handies. It is one of the easier of the 14ers. Handies is located in the American Basin, next to cinnamon pass, which will lead you straight into Silverton. The road was ruff and we combined cars halfway up.
Wetterhorn Basin
Bruce and I carpooled out to Lake City late on a Friday night. Were cruised through Lake city around 1100Pm and made the trailhead by midnight. We had made plans to meet Barnoff in the morning, so we made a quick camp and watch as the milkyway took over the sky.
Sharkstooth
Early June, Ben and I climbed the Sharkstooth in RMNP. The day was going to be three man team, with us bivying at the start. However due to complications, it turned into Ben and I doing a solid one day push starting at 1 AM in Boulder.
Summit Sunrise
Four 14ers in one morning was a impromptu to decision. At first I was just planning on crashing in the blazer alongside the road and continue up to vail for the Teva Mtn Games in the morning. But during the drive through the high plains of Hartsel, I knew there was easy 14er hike I could do while leaving plenty of time Mtn games. So I made my way to the Kite Lake trailhead.
Solar Eclispe
After bouldering in Boulder on Sunday, Pascal, Mirthe and I tried to get a good vantage point for the solar eclipse. The outlook wasn’t good with the incoming clouds. Continue reading “Solar Eclipse 2012”