Archive for the ‘Mountaineering’ Category

Mountaineering – Mt. Columbia (14,073′) and Mt. Harvard (14,420′)

Tuesday, August 11th, 2009

Mt. Harvard (14,420 ft) Summit Nice Group Shot
On August 10th, I met with Kris and Brian to attempt Mt. Columbia and Mt. Harvard (14,073′ and 14,420′, respectively) the following day. The plan was to drive up to Buena Vista, have dinner, and then bivy until o-dark-thirty, and head for the high points.

Before I get into the details about Harvard & Columbia, I must rewind to ealier on Saturday.

Dennis & I had so much fun Mountain Biking in Canada, that we decided to give it a whirl locally. As luck would have it, a co-worker of mine, Dan, was happy to show us around. So, on Saturday,we went for a nice little ~10 mile single track bike ride around Bear Creek Lake Park.

After the bike ride, Dennis dropped me off at Kris’ house, so that I could go climb mountains. What a hectic 36 hours, for me!!! (more…)

Day Hike – Mt. Fairview (9,001 ft)

Saturday, July 25th, 2009

Mt Fairview Panorama (West)
Our last day full day in Canada was celebrated by a lovely hike up Mt. Fairview from the Chateau Lake Louise. The hike climbs just over 3,400 ft to the summit, over 9 km. We followed the Saddleback Pass Trail to the Pass (at around 7, 700 ft) and then made the final summit bid up scree to the top.

VFF's Kept My Toes Clean, But My Feet...
I decided to do the hike in my new VFF (Vibram Five Finger) shoes, it was an experiment in foot dexterity & toughness!

Clare & Dennis Champions of Mt. Fairview

Our stats:
Start Time: 12:35 pm
Saddleback Pass: 1:50 pm
Mt. Fairview Summit: 2:40pm
Finish Time: 4:30pm

For More Pictures of the hike, (more…)

Day Hike – Chester & Headwall Lake Loop Hike

Sunday, July 19th, 2009

Chester Lake and Mt. Burstall (9,056 ft)

Headwall Lake, Peter Lougheed Provincial Park

On Sunday, we were all tired from the previous day’s mountain bike excursion, so we slept in a bit. We made bagels & eggs and had a leisurely morning.

Peter & Lynn recommended we do a really nice, but challenging day hike in the Peter Lougheed Provincial Park. The hike is a loop which goes up to Chester Lake, over a pass, then down to the Headwall Lake, and finally back to the parking lot.

Elevation Gain: about 3,000 feet
Distance: about 10 miles
Total Time: 10am to 6 pm (8 hours)
Hiking Posse: Lynn, Peter, Coryn, Clare, Dennis, & Rachel

(more…)

Day Hike – Mt. Sherman (14,026 ft)

Sunday, July 12th, 2009

High Altitude Antics Summit of Sherman (14,036')

On Sunday morning, way before the sun came up, I drove over to the West Side of Denver. My goal was to join Kris in his summit bid for Mt. Sherman (14,026 ft).

Mt. Sherman From an Indirect Approach

I had no idea what to expect; I hadn’t prepared as I normally do. All I had done was read Kris’ email, which just mentioned meeting him sometime around 5am.

Lucky for me, Mt. Sherman is just about the easiest 14’er, short of driving up Mt. Evans… (more…)

Day Hike – Crystal Lake (11,520 ft), RMNP, CO

Saturday, July 11th, 2009

Dennis, Clare, Charles, & Mary Crystal Lake Hike
On Saturday, we met Charles & Mary in Estes Park. We were set to do a lovely day hike up to Crystal Lake (11,520 ft), via the Lawn Lake Trailhead. It was especially exciting because we hadn’t seen these guys in nearly a year.

Crystal Lakes Topo

The hike to Crystal Lake is 7.7 miles one way with nearly 3,000 feet of gain. It’s listed as “strenuous”, although we found it to be quite pleasureable. It follows a creek, and has ample shade, making it a lovely mid summer hike. (more…)