rocky mountains Archives - Page 3 of 6

May 28, 2023May 29, 2023

Taking an AIARE 1 Avalanche Awareness Class in Colorado

December 18, 2022

A cold start

We gathered just beyond the parking lot below Fremont Pass for day two of our AIARE 1 Avalanche Awareness course. I felt nervous and excited. But mostly I felt cold. The sun had yet to climb above the nearby ridgelines and the thermometer read ~0F. In light of this, our instructor had us start up the old logging road immediately. We’d stop a few minutes later, after warming up a bit, to begin the day’s informational components.

October 6, 2022June 22, 2023

Mount Massive via the East Slopes

September 18, 2022

Arrival

Around 5 am I drove up past the Elbert Creek campground towards the trailhead for Mount Massive. Across the street, I saw a veritable rave of flashing headlamps and brake lights at one of several Mt Elbert trailheads. But I pulled into the Massive lot to find only a couple of other cars and no bustle.

October 4, 2022October 13, 2022

Mount of the Holy Cross via Halo Ridge

September 10, 2022

Arrival

Around 3:15 am I drove through Minturn, past empty streets and darkened windows. Then, I began the long winding dirt road up towards the Halfmoon Campground. The sun wouldn’t make an appearance for another three hours at least. But even still, I arrived at a bustling trailhead filled with headlamp beams and dimly lit truckbeds.

September 26, 2022September 26, 2022

Redcloud and Sunshine Peaks

September 4, 2022

The Approach

I left Lake City around 4 am, keen to get an early start on the day’s fourteener double-header. Lake City provides a comfortable base camp for no less than five fourteeners. And in fact, I had just hiked another, Wetterhorn Peak, the day before.

September 21, 2022September 23, 2022

Wetterhorn Peak (Colorado)

September 3, 2022

Lake City and the San Jauns

The late afternoon sun poked in and out of view as I sped along Colorado 149 into the heart of the San Juan Mountains. It occasionally ducked behind increasingly rugged mountain peaks and silhouetted stands of aspens. Suddenly, the road dipped into a canyon directly beside the Lake Fork of the Gunnison. It was the Friday of Labor Day Weekend, and I saw maybe two other cars.

September 20, 2022October 27, 2024

Crestone Needle via the Ellingwood Arete

August 28, 2022

South Colony Lakes

Our truck ambled slowly up the rough road to the South Colony Lakes Trailhead. It was mid-morning on a gorgeous, sunny Saturday in late August. Puffy white clouds had begun to coagulate as we donned our packs and divvied up the climbing gear.

September 17, 2022September 17, 2022

Huron Peak

August 21, 2022

Monsoon Season

Standing in a gas station parking lot near Buena Vista, we had a decision to make. The original plan involved driving down to the Sangre de Cristo to bag Kit Carson Peak. But moody clouds and bouts of rain had given us doubts.

August 19, 2022September 20, 2022

Humboldt Peak

Into the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness

I arrived in the small town of Westcliffe on a sunny Saturday morning. I sped along some dirt country roads towards the ‘lower trailhead‘ for the Crestones. This trailhead sat below treeline, in the open fields at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo range.

August 16, 2022August 16, 2022

Hanging Lake

June 26, 2022

Arrival via i-70

My day began zipping along the winding curves of Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon. This breathtaking stretch of highway involves a continuous series of bridges and tunnels over the Colorado River and through rocky canyon walls. This short section opened in 1992, among the last major links in the interstate system. At its heart, lies Hanging Lake Canyon.

August 13, 2022August 13, 2022

Castle & Conundrum Peaks

June 25, 2022

Castle Creek

We arrived at the Castle Creek trailhead around dawn. We drove the rough, 2-wheel drive road up towards 10,000 feet, parking just below the creek crossing. And after fiddling with some gear we were off, up the long dirt road towards Castle and Conundrum peaks.