Mountaineering – Horseshoe Mountain (13,898 ft) via Boudoir Couloir

June 8th, 2014

Horseshoe Mountain
Horseshoe Mountain, a Mosquito Range Centennial

Horseshoe Mountain Lake
Beautiful Alpine Lake

Getting Closer to Boudoir Couloir
The Boudoir Couloir!

Smiles at the top of Boudoir Couloir
Snow Climbing is Fun!

Horseshoe Mountain Summit
Doug and I enjoying the summit of Horseshoe Mountain

The Roaches give Horseshoe Mountain’s Boudoir Couloir route a *Classic* rating. This fact, combined with the ease of access to the trailhead, straightforward approach (no stream crossings!), small amount of elevation gain (~2,350 ft!), and mellow angled climbing put this climb at the top of my list. We were looking for a half day’s worth of effort and this climb was perfect!

Also, thanks to Bill Middlebrook, of 14ers.com, for posting a condition report of Horseshoe while out on White Ridge. That report was super helpful!

The Schedule:
Departure from Denver: 4am
Departure from TH: 6:30am
Past the Lake: 7:20am
Start Climbing Boudoir Couloir: 8:10am
Finish Boudoir Couloir: 9:20am
Summit of Horseshoe Mountain: 9:30am
Start Glissade of Boudoir: 10am
Back at the TH:~12pm

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Mountain Biking – Cherry Creek State Park

June 6th, 2014

Dennis Riding Cherry Creek State Park Trails

Cruising Cherry Creek State Park
On our Friday off, Dennis and I went for a nice, mellow bike ride around Cherry Creek State Park. We knew there were going to be afternoon thunderstorms, so we wanted a ride which was close to shelter. The trails of CCSP are wide and not technical, so we were able to ride fast, if needed.

Going Down the Practice Ramp
First, he took me to the practice course, where I took several laps around the beginner’s loop. There are a few obstacles which are at just the right level of difficulty for me. I practiced riding with my new clip in pedals and gained some confidence each time I did another loop. Read the rest of this entry »

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Mountaineering – Mount Silverheels (13,822 ft) via Northwest Ridge

June 1st, 2014

Silver Heels on Mount Silverheels
Clutching our Silver Heels on the Summit of Mount Silverheels

According to summit post, “Mount Silverheels was named after a dance hall girl who during an epidemic of smallpox, was the only woman who stayed in town and took care of the ailing miners. Because of this altruistic act, you could say that Silverheels is literally and figuratively a very beautiful mountain.”

I previously attempted Mount Silverheels on March 30th, but turned around due to winds in excess of 100 mph. In those treacherous conditions, I thought of Mount Silverheels as a malicious and vindictive mountain. It was not at all “a very beautiful mountain”!

However, it was my birthday and I was determined to greet the mountain, and the upcoming year, with a renewed optimism. So, I enlisted the help of my friend Jenny, who is seriously one of the most altruistic persons I have known. With patience and open minds, we attacked the mountain!

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Mountaineering – Quandary Peak (14,265 ft) via Cristo Couloir

April 26th, 2014

Quandary Peak Summit Shot
Group Shot on the Summit of Quandary Peak.

Fred on top of Quandary Peak
Fred approaching the summit of Quandary.

Leader Doug
Doug leading the way up Cristo Couloir. Here we are almost at the top.

Bill and Fred Climbing Cristo Couloir
Bill and Fred topping out on the Cristo Couloir. North Star ridge is behind them.

Left Winter Trailhead: 6:30am
End of Road, base of Couloir: 7:45am
Begin Climbing Couloir: 8:00am
Summit of Quandary: 10:50am
Begin Descent: 11:15am
Back to Road, base of Couloir: 12:30pm
Back to Trail Head: 1:30pm

We ascended and descended via the Cristo Couloir. The guys skied down while I glissaded. What a great day!

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Rock Climbing – CMC Self Rescue Practice

April 19th, 2014

Darin Walking Francesco Through a Rescue
Darin walking Francesco through a rescue of Andy

Jen at Self Rescue Practice
Jen, My “Victim”!

Jen Standing Up on the Foot Prusik
Jen practicing ascending a rope, using a prusik.

Tandem Rappelling
A Tandem Rappel

Every year, I like to spend one day reviewing self rescue skills. It is important to practice, at least yearly, or else I forget how to do it. If ever there was a need for these skills, it really should be second nature.

This year, we practiced:
1. Getting “hands free” using a Mule knot
2. Escaping a loaded belay
3. Passing a knot, using prussiks
4. Tandem Rappelling
5. Rappelling to a Victim and “picking them off their line”. Then, rappelling with them down to the ground.

Much thanks to Darin, from Rocky Mountain Rescue, for coaching us through the motions!

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