Archive for January, 2015

Mountaineering – Mt. Massive via East Ridge, A Winter Attempt

Sunday, January 25th, 2015

Mt Massive East Ridge
David, Jane, and Sonja Ascending the East Ridge in Gale Force Winds

Sneak Preview of Massive
Mt. Massive (Taken the day before!). The Lower portion of the East Ridge is blown free of snow.

Mt. Massive East Ridge - Topographic Map
Our Route, the East Ridge, (Failed Attempt in Red).

The Crew: Jane, David, Sonja, and myself.
Launch Time: 6am
High Point Turnaround: 11:40am (from ~12,700 ft)
Trench Contribution: (~1 mile)
Return to Fish Hatchery: 3:10pm (~9,620 ft)

We enjoyed a fabulous winter day in the beautiful mountains of the Sawatch. We had high hopes for summitting Mt. Massive, but were thwarted by gale force winds up high on the East Ridge.

Mt Massive East Ridge GPS Waypoints
The Waypoints!

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Mountaineering – Mt. Elbert (14,439 ft)

Saturday, January 17th, 2015

Winter Camping Gear Schmear
Gear Schmear, for Winter Mountaineering trip up Mt. Elbert

Approaching 11,000 ft on Mt. Elbert
At 11,000 ft and almost to our camping spot. Enjoying the bluebird day.

Mt. Elbert and Bill
Bill, the CMC Trip Leader. He’s taking a breather before we reach camp. Elbert stands tall behind him.

Silly Summit Shot on Mt. Elbert
Flying High on the summit of Mt. Elbert!

I wanted to try winter camping and I hadn’t yet climbed Mt. Elbert. So, why not join Bill’s CMC trip which would combine both elements? Bill is leading a trip to attempt Aconcagua later this year, so this trip was a warm up and test of sorts for his participants. Lucky for me, there was a last minute cancellation on his trip, which opened up a space for me, AND my friend, Helen, needed a partner for her tent. It was almost like I was meant to be on the trip, all along!

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Ice Climbing – Hidden Falls in Rocky Mountain National Park

Sunday, January 11th, 2015

Alpenglow from Hidden Falls
Alpenglow in RMNP

Clare Ice Climbing at Hidden Falls
Ice Climbing at Hidden Falls

I volunteered to be an assistant instructor with the Boulder CMC Ice Climbing class. We took a trip up to Rocky Mountain National Park and hiked into the Hidden Falls area.

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