 Map of the places I visited in CO. First day I drove up i70 to Guanella Pass for a quick (1h 40m to summit) climb of Bierstadt, then drove to Jon & Malia's house for a ride down south. |
 Map for Bierstadt. When I got to the parking lot at 7:30AM, it was already full. |
 Bierstadt at R, Sawtooth at L; Evans is out of sight in back. |
 It's not apparent here, but the route to Sawtooth had waist-deep snow, so I opted for a shorter day, rather than follow the wallowing hordes. |
 View to Evans (R). |
 View to NNW. |
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 Evans. |
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 This is for Jodie. I couldn't find someone wearing a 'Bama shirt. |
 View N to Grays and Torreys. |
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 View W, my pose. I've found stretches that don't pop the SI joint. |
 Marmot. |
 I cut off the "trail" so I could look back on the summit. |
 blue flowers are forget-me-nots; succiulent is alpine springbeauty. |
 alpine springbeauty and dwarf clover |
 dwarf clover |
 alpine springbeauty center, flanked by blue forget-me-nots and some pink dwarf clover (a legume). |
 pink is alpine primrose; lower left is alpine springbeauty |
 forget-me-nots |
 alpine primrose |
 Grays and Torreys |
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 polemonium |
 View back at sawtooth |
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 Next day, we start for Willow Lake in Crestones about 8AM or so. |
 1st bridge to cross. |
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 The conglomerate has lots of low-grade metasomatism -- the matrix and clasts have epidote and chlorite. |
 Kay by a mini-waterfall. |
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 Another stream crossing. I tried to put some more rocks in the water for steps, and discovered it is tiring to carry big rocks at 11000'. |
 Kay on the switchbacks |
 bluebells |
 Parry's Primrose |
 above my campsite |
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 Next morn, we went up Challenger and Kit Carson Peaks. |
 View E across Willow Lake |
 View back W across lake. |
 Kit Carson is the blocky peak R of center |
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 Kay crosses the narrowest part of the snowfield below Challenger. |
 Kit Carson at L, Challenger at R. |
 Randy on Challenger |
 view WNW as Kay comes up |
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 Now we cross the 1st part of Kit Carson Ave |
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 Now we've turned the corner and must descend on the E side of Kit Carson. Thge snow banks had good footprints, which became unstable later in the day. |
 Kay crosses 1st snow bank. |
 Kay comes up class 2 chute. |
 Kit Carson at L, Challenger at R. |
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 Crestone in back |
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 Crestone in back. |
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 Kay comes back across the snow. |
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 Jon and Malia wave from top of Kit Carson. |
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 View NW |
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 Kay is almost off the yucky loose, wet talus; Kit Carson in back. |
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 W over Willow lake. |
 Penstemons. |
 View from our campsite. |
 Next day, on hike out, view of Crestone town. |
 That evening, Jon does a BBQ. |
 Next day I drove to Leadville Valley and camped at Lakeview. It turns out I could have driven my rental Corolla a mile up the "4wd" road to Elbert and primitive-camped. |
 Elbert to WSW. |
 Next day I "climbed" Elbert by pleasant class 1 route, 6h RT with rests on way, lots of time to smell and photograph flowers. 12.7 miles, 4900' accumulated gain. |
 "4wd" road in through aspens. |
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 Elbert to R. |
 Shy ptarmigan |
 Shy ground squirrel |
 shy marmot |
 View N, near top of Elbert. |
 The view to the W is much prettier than view to E. |
 View NW. |
 This was the 3rd place I moved my pack, hoping to send a SPOT signal. A 12-year-old (next picture) was fascinated with the SPOT, and kept coming over to stand directly over it. His parents, being protective, would always join him. I finally asked them to not block the signal, and they seemed to be hurt by my request. |
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 Again, used a selective stretch. |
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 Twin Lakes on the way down. |
 Polemonium. |
 My buds from Missouri. |
 Polemonium, cinqfeuille, d warf clover |
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 alpine primrose |
 polemonium |
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 purple fringe |
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 lupine |
 wild geranium |
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 bluebells |
 irises |
 yarrow |
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 carrot family member |
 columbine |
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 roses |
 roses |
 milkvetch |
 near my car |
 my campsite |