Posts Tagged ‘CO’

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Mountaineering – Mt. Hope (13,933 ft) via Hopeful Couloir and Quail Mountain

Sunday, June 15th, 2014

Success on Mt. Hope
Summit Shot on Mt. Hope

Hopeful Couloir on Mt. Hope
Hopeful Couloir, our destination!

Summit Register on Quail Mountain
Happy Father’s Day to Dad…My summit registry entry on Top of Quail Mountain

Mt Hope from Quail Mountain
Hope Mountain from Near Summit of Quail Mountain

On Father’s Day, Fred and I set off to climb the Hopeful Couloir on Mt. Hope. It was on my list of desired snow climbs and I was happy Fred was there to join me. While we were out bagging peaks, Dennis was somewhere on the Colorado trail and tooling around Twin Lakes on his mountain bike. It was neat to be up high and wondering where he was over the course of our day.

Our Schedule:
Depart Camp: 4:30am
Nearing Treeline in Sheep Gulch: 5:30am
Hope Pass: 6:30am
Descent to 12,100 ft and donning crampons: 7:10am
Base of Hopeful Couloir: 7:40am
Top of Hopeful Couloir: 9:25am
Top of Mt. Hope: 9:50am
Descending Mt. Hope: 10:15am
Hope Pass: 11:30am
Quail Mountain Summit: 12:30pm
Back to Camp: 2:30pm

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

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

Sunday, 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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Mountain Biking – Rustler’s Loop, Fruita, CO

Thursday, April 10th, 2014

Rustler's Loop Mountain Bike Trail
Panorama of the trail.

Rustler's Loop Trail Head Signage
Rustler’s Loop Trailhead Sign

We Love Rustler's Loop
Halfway Around Rustler’s Loop

Dennis and I went mountain biking just outside of Fruita, CO. I rented a full suspension mountain bike with 29″ wheels, so I was excited to give it a try on single track! The nice guys at the rental company, Board and Buckle, guided us to the Rustler’s Loop trail.

There are several advantages to this ride:

1. It is close to Grand Junction, so returning the bike would be easy and we’d maximize the ride time.
2. The trailhead was easy to access with a non 4wd vehicle.
3. The loop has gorgeous views of the river, rewarding the rider along the way.
4. The loop was about 4 miles, just the perfect amount of commitment. We did it 2 times!
5. It is great for intermediate riders.

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Rock Climbing – Spring Storm Over Seal Rock

Sunday, April 6th, 2014

Jen and Clare at Base of Seal Rock
Jen and I are still hopeful to climb. This was when the sky was still clear!

The base of Seal Rock was still covered in snow. The route looked wet in spots, but still possible to climb had the weather remained clear. Unfortunately, upon our arrival to the base of Seal Rock, there were suddenly several little white puffy clouds. Hmmmm, what do we do now?

When climbing on the eastern side of the flatirons, one can’t see the west side. Thus, since many storms come from the west, it can be dangerous to attempt a climb if there is ANY doubt of weather. The Accidents in North American Rock Climbing book is full of people who have been caught in a storm on a flatiron. Wet flatirons are slick and prone to breakage. So, just say no!

While we discussed the risks, we watched in dismay as the small clouds quadrupled in size and started banding together. We decided to forego the climb. We had a nice hike back to the car and we got graupeled on for the last 30 minutes. Whew, disaster avoided. Justified by our smart decision; we climbed at the new climbing gym in Golden where we could be certain of our safety.

Seal Rock Spring Storm
Looking back at Seal Rock and the Spring Storm

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