Mountaintop adventures
January 20, 2024
I pulled into the small trailhead parking lot below Monument Canyon around 8 am. Being mid-January, this meant the sun was only just beginning to rise above the tall hills and mesas to the East. Above me was Colorado National Monument, in my opinion among the most underrated units in the National Park system. Less than a mile in the opposite direction was the muddy floodplain of the Colorado River.
Continue reading “Monument Canyon (Colorado National Monument)”
September 30, 2023
We rolled through the small, sleepy town of Yampa, well before dawn. Already we had drove nearly an hour north from i70, passing only the occasional cabin or ranch. We had 40 minutes of driving left, along a narrow byway into the Flat Tops.
Continue reading “Devil’s Causeway”
September 24, 2023
We trundled up the bumpy dirt road to the North Cottonwood Creek trailhead. We arrived just before 5 am, and it was still pitch black. It would remain dark for over an hour still. The days were growing shorter, and chillier. But we needed every hour of sunlight we had for today’s adventure, and I always prefer starting in the dark to finishing in the dark.
Continue reading “The Harvard and Columbia Traverse”
September 17, 2023
I trundled along in the pre-dawn darkness, up the four-mile road along Nellie Creek. The objective: Uncompahgre Peak.
Continue reading “Uncompahgre Peak”
September 16, 2023
On my quest to summit every Colorado 14er, the San Juan Mountains have always presented a formidable challenge. The Elks may be slightly deadlier. And the Sawatch slightly more numerous. But the San Juans make up for these shortcomings in sheer remoteness. Getting to Southwest Colorado is just a lot of effort.
Continue reading “Handies Peak via American Basin”
September 9, 2023
Just north of Poncha Springs, I pulled off US-24, down a series of dirt roads towards the Mount Shavano trailhead. Around 5 am, I donned my headlamp and set off down the trail towards the summit.
Continue reading “Shavano and Tabeguache”
What are the steepest Colorado 14ers? If we’re talking about their standard summit routes, it’s a simple question with (maybe) a simple answer. So I’ll go ahead and answer it: North Maroon and Little Bear! But if you’re a bit of a data nerd like me, with an eye for detail, read on.
Continue reading “What are the steepest Colorado 14ers?”
September 2, 2023
The sun crept above the surrounding hills a I sped along an empty highway over La Veta Pass. This weekend’s adventure would be an overnight target: Blanca Peak and Ellingwood Point via Lake Como. On day one, the goal was just to reach the lake and set up camp.
Continue reading “Blanca Peak and Ellingwood Point”
August 20, 2023
Six weeks after summiting Missouri Mountain, I was back at its eponymous trailhead for two more fourteener targets. Today’s objectives were Oxford and Belford, a classic Sawatch twofer. The forecast called for flawless weather, but the stats were still daunting: nearly 6000 vertical feet over 11+ miles.
Continue reading “Oxford and Belford”
August 12, 2023
I pulled into the mostly empty trailhead lot for Square Top Mountain around 5 am. The forecast called for rain and clouds that day but I wanted a hike to a relatively high altitude. Square Top fit the bill. Despite the iffy weather, I saw dozens of cars piling into the parking lot for Square Top’s far more glamorous neighbor: Bierstadt. But more on that later.
Continue reading “Square Top Mountain: the road less traveled”