PDA

View Full Version : Peak Bagging 14er's In The Colorado Rockies



tom_alan
09-10-2008, 00:02
I've knocked off seven of them and on Thursday/Friday I'll have eight in. Anyone interested in knocking off a few before the Fall snow sets in? I live in Pueblo and would like to keep them close to there.

rafe
09-10-2008, 00:04
Pick up my plane fare from Boston and I'm in. :D

Welcome to Whiteblaze... :welcome

tom_alan
09-10-2008, 00:08
Can't do that right now ~ I'm looking for work ~ that's why I have the extra time!

rafe
09-10-2008, 00:17
Yeah, well, I thought it was worth a shot. ;) Work is over-rated, anyhow. Enjoy your freedom.

tom_alan
09-10-2008, 00:17
Pick up my plane fare from Boston and I'm in. :D

Welcome to Whiteblaze... :welcome

Thanks for the welcome

tom_alan
10-08-2008, 21:19
Pictures are posted of our summit of Mt Sherman (14,036ft) ~ Check on my page.

The Solemates
10-09-2008, 11:37
I've knocked off seven of them and on Thursday/Friday I'll have eight in. Anyone interested in knocking off a few before the Fall snow sets in? I live in Pueblo and would like to keep them close to there.

I'll be in Denver next week 10-14 until 10-18. what day do you have available during these dates? climbing thursday 10-16 would be best for me. if we can work something out, i may be interested. but the problem is I probably will not have a car. what peak would you suggest? grays/torreys/bierstadt/evans are close to DEN. have you done these? if there is any way you could swing by denver to pick me up the night before, and then we could head west to the closest 14er, that may work. i would help with gas to/from DEN, but I would need to be back to denver the night of the 16th.

tom_alan
10-09-2008, 16:32
:-? 16th looks like it would be good for me and being on a Thursday there shouldn't be many hikers on the trail. I have done Grays (got socked in with 10 yards of visability on the top of Grays) but not Torreys ~ they can be done as a double by only adding on 1 mile of hiking and 600ft of climbing. Going up from Stevens Gulch Trailhead summit Torreys from the south ridge than head south to grab Grays from its north ridge. It will be cold at that altitude (already geting into the 30's at night in Denver) and possibly snow. It's possible we may have to cance due to snow ~ we will just have to watch the weather. I could stay in Denver at my parents on Wednesday Night and we could leave early on Thursday morning. No need to camp the night before ~ there is a road that takes us to the trailhead at around 12,000ft and if we leave Denver betweend 5:30 - 6:30 we will have plenty of time. At that altitude and the incline we can plan on a pace of about 1 mile per hour going up and possibly 2 to 2.5 miles per hour coming down so around 5.5 to 6.5 hours total. I do live by the rule "Getting up is optional, getting down is mandatory" ~ Steady Ed Viesturs ~ so if things don't look right or feel right I turn around. I will be paying special attention on how you are handling the altitude.

The Solemates
10-09-2008, 17:47
:-? 16th looks like it would be good for me and being on a Thursday there shouldn't be many hikers on the trail. I have done Grays (got socked in with 10 yards of visability on the top of Grays) but not Torreys ~ they can be done as a double by only adding on 1 mile of hiking and 600ft of climbing. Going up from Stevens Gulch Trailhead summit Torreys from the south ridge than head south to grab Grays from its north ridge. It will be cold at that altitude (already geting into the 30's at night in Denver) and possibly snow. It's possible we may have to cance due to snow ~ we will just have to watch the weather. I could stay in Denver at my parents on Wednesday Night and we could leave early on Thursday morning. No need to camp the night before ~ there is a road that takes us to the trailhead at around 12,000ft and if we leave Denver betweend 5:30 - 6:30 we will have plenty of time. At that altitude and the incline we can plan on a pace of about 1 mile per hour going up and possibly 2 to 2.5 miles per hour coming down so around 5.5 to 6.5 hours total. I do live by the rule "Getting up is optional, getting down is mandatory" ~ Steady Ed Viesturs ~ so if things don't look right or feel right I turn around. I will be paying special attention on how you are handling the altitude.

tom....

i just checked my calendar and i told you wrong about the date earlier. Friday the 17th would be much better for me...sorry for the mistake. is this doable for you?

If so, I'd also prefer to leave a little earlier than you suggested, because I would like to be back to DEN by dinner if possible. I think if we leave DEN between 4-5am, that would give us enough time. I always shoot for an early alpine start.

light snow would be no biggie for me, and I've done other 14ers so I shouldnt have any problem with altitude. there is a coworker I am traveling with though that may want to come...and he doesnt have as much experience, but is interested in going.

Let me nail down my travel plans and I will get back with you tomorrow. I'll also send you a PM and we can exchange contact info.

tom_alan
10-09-2008, 18:12
tom....

i just checked my calendar and i told you wrong about the date earlier. Friday the 17th would be much better for me...sorry for the mistake. is this doable for you?

If so, I'd also prefer to leave a little earlier than you suggested, because I would like to be back to DEN by dinner if possible. I think if we leave DEN between 4-5am, that would give us enough time. I always shoot for an early alpine start.

light snow would be no biggie for me, and I've done other 14ers so I shouldnt have any problem with altitude. there is a coworker I am traveling with though that may want to come...and he doesnt have as much experience, but is interested in going.

Let me nail down my travel plans and I will get back with you tomorrow. I'll also send you a PM and we can exchange contact info.

Friday wont work for me. I need to be back in Pueblo by noon on Friday. Let me know if the Thursday will work. I wasn't talking about light snow ~ I have seen 5+ feet of snow get dumped in one night in Pueblo on the 17th of October 1997 when an Albuquerque Low moved in and an up-slope held the front against the front range. If something ugly moves in there could be well over 5ft of snow at that altitude. Breaking trail in that type of snow would slow us down to below .5 miles per hour. I wouldn't do it ~ there would also be a risk of an avalanche this early in the year ~ the snow is very unstable if it is that deep.

Leaving earlier in the morning would not be a problem. I did look at your profile and saw PeakBagging so I assumed you would be god to go.

tom_alan
10-10-2008, 21:46
I'll be in Denver next week 10-14 until 10-18. what day do you have available during these dates? climbing thursday 10-16 would be best for me. if we can work something out, i may be interested. but the problem is I probably will not have a car. what peak would you suggest? grays/torreys/bierstadt/evans are close to DEN. have you done these? if there is any way you could swing by denver to pick me up the night before, and then we could head west to the closest 14er, that may work. i would help with gas to/from DEN, but I would need to be back to denver the night of the 16th.

I will be able to pick you up on Thursday if you can make it happen. Evans is a long drive from Denver because of the winding road and this is the best time of year to do Bierstadt (all ready bagged it). However, on the most popular route you descend for about a mile before you start climbing. If the swamp bed is frozen than it is a great climb ~ if not it makes for a long day finding your way through the swamp. This is one of the best winter climbs and you can ski down.

I lead a church group up to the top and all of the 11 of us made it; however, it was the first week of August and the swamp was deep ~ at times over the tops of my boots. Turned out to be an 11 hour day. With that in mind I suggest Grays or Torreys or go for the combination Grays and Torreys.

The Solemates
10-13-2008, 15:40
I will be able to pick you up on Thursday if you can make it happen. Evans is a long drive from Denver because of the winding road and this is the best time of year to do Bierstadt (all ready bagged it). However, on the most popular route you descend for about a mile before you start climbing. If the swamp bed is frozen than it is a great climb ~ if not it makes for a long day finding your way through the swamp. This is one of the best winter climbs and you can ski down.

I lead a church group up to the top and all of the 11 of us made it; however, it was the first week of August and the swamp was deep ~ at times over the tops of my boots. Turned out to be an 11 hour day. With that in mind I suggest Grays or Torreys or go for the combination Grays and Torreys.

Tom, sorry for the delay. I cannot do Thursday, no matter how much I try to rearrange my schedule. Sorry to get your hopes up...I may be available for Friday, but right now I will need to play it by ear. If you are up for Friday, let me know.

I am most interested in the Grays/Torreys combo. I talked with a friend of mine today who lives in Denver and is on the Rocky Mtn Rescue Squad and he said their will be virtually no snow on the mountains yet. They got 1-3 inches above 9K this week, but that its been warm and most of it will be melted by Friday.

tom_alan
10-13-2008, 16:44
Tom, sorry for the delay. I cannot do Thursday, no matter how much I try to rearrange my schedule. Sorry to get your hopes up...I may be available for Friday, but right now I will need to play it by ear. If you are up for Friday, let me know.

I am most interested in the Grays/Torreys combo. I talked with a friend of mine today who lives in Denver and is on the Rocky Mtn Rescue Squad and he said their will be virtually no snow on the mountains yet. They got 1-3 inches above 9K this week, but that its been warm and most of it will be melted by Friday.

Yea ~ I did have my hopes up; however, I can't rearrange my schedule either. Looks like it may be cold as you start out but it will warm up quickly. I read that there was talk of making Grays Wheelchair Accessibe (http://www.hikingincolorado.org/gray.html). It's as busy as an Interstate Highway on the weekends. Be safe and have fun.

Tom

Mags
10-14-2008, 15:51
Yea ~ It's as busy as an Interstate Highway on the weekends. Be safe and have fun.



Another reason to hike peaks that are "only" 12 and 13k ft high. :)

tom_alan
10-14-2008, 16:39
Another reason to hike peaks that are "only" 12 and 13k ft high. :)

This is true!

tom_alan
10-23-2008, 01:49
Tom, sorry for the delay. I cannot do Thursday, no matter how much I try to rearrange my schedule. Sorry to get your hopes up...I may be available for Friday, but right now I will need to play it by ear. If you are up for Friday, let me know.

I am most interested in the Grays/Torreys combo. I talked with a friend of mine today who lives in Denver and is on the Rocky Mtn Rescue Squad and he said their will be virtually no snow on the mountains yet. They got 1-3 inches above 9K this week, but that its been warm and most of it will be melted by Friday.

Did you get a chance to tag Grays and Torreys on Friday. Would like to hear about it if you did.

Tom

The Solemates
10-23-2008, 10:02
Did you get a chance to tag Grays and Torreys on Friday. Would like to hear about it if you did.

Tom

unfortunately no. had 2 meetings pop up on Friday. my next peakbagging adventure will be Mauna Kea :) ....at least til next season