 We camped at ~10250', and got up for a 4AM start to El Diente. Weather was uncertain, and we originally thought we might follow the ridge all the way to Mt Wilson |
 The trail in via Kilpacker Basin was muddy and slippery, and eventually added about 800' gain. |
 It was still fairly dark when I took this pic of a waterfall. |
 We started crossing snow a bit over 12000' |
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 View to Mt Wilson. I took this picture after I had been on a hairy exploratory of the ridge (not the intended traverse route!) |
 Mt Wilson in distance |
 View over Navajo Basin. |
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 El Diente summit. We got some flashes of blue but clouds were forming below us. |
 Collin heads down. |
 Hannah on typical terrain. |
 Hannah |
 Columbines |
 Larkspurs (Delphinium) |
 This log was harder to cross in the dark |
 ...and when we got back the sun came out over El Diente! |
 Relaxing back at camp (10250') |
 Second day we woke up early, broke camp, drove about 40 miles, and took the cl 3 route to Wilson Peak. |
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 Pika |
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 View NW as we come up over big switchback before Rock of Ages Pass |
 View SE to Rock of Ages Pass |
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 This part is hardly mentioned, but the sketchiest part of the route is the "90 degree left turn" east of Rock of Ages. Depending on the snow, one takes a poorly-defined path through loose rock. |
 Now we're looking back SW toward Rock of Ages Pass |
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 Now I'm on the false summit looking NE. This is the cl 3 crux; there are climbers descending in this photo. They were actually slightly off-route. |
 I'm looking back SW at false summit as Eric descends. |
 Hannah below |
 View from top of Wilson Peak |
 Lizard Head is dark sharp low peak at left, El Diente is rightmost |
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 Descending now, false summit to SW |
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 Back to Rock-of-Ages |
 Well below R of A (which is in distance to ESE) |
 Hannah taking pic of Eric sitting behind NO TRESSPASSING SIGN |
 On the 3rd day, Hannah and I broke from the main group and went up Sneffels by the cl 3 SW ridge |
 Sun on Gilpin Peak |
 Sneffels to R |
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 Se start for the SW ridge |
 We're on L side of ridge, looking up. |
 View back at Hannah as we cross a deep couloir |
 View SSW back down ridge |
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 Kissing Camels, which don't look like Camels |
 Hannah below |
 Hannah's view of me. |
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 On top! |
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 At L is Nathaniel, an interesting fellow who joined us for the climb. |
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 Now we descend the standard route |
 we soon crossed to the west side of the gully to avoid dropping rocks on climbers |
 A view back at the ridge we ascended. |
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 A look back |
 4th day was a cl 1 route to San Luis Peak, the most isolated 14er. |
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 We saw many abandoned beaver dams -- only this one near start looked active. |
 Bluebells |
 The peak is quite aways in back of that |
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 thistles |
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 View W; Uncompaghre and Wetterhorn in far distance |
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 Jumping on Uncompaghre |
 polemonium |
 cinquefeuilles |
 forget-me-nots |
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 purple penstemon |
 ? Bistorts? |
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 columbine |
 roses |
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 wild geranium |
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 old (inactive) beaver dam |
 5th day was rest day in Denver. On 6th, went up Torrey's and Gray's. It was Saturday, and so crowded that I parked 0.7 miles below the TH. |
 Bridge at the official TH. I probably passed 20 groups before I took the cut-off for cl 3 Kelso Ridge. |
 Torrey's in back |
 Starting up Kelso Ridge |
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 The cl 3 sections were bottlenecks; I went R in a cl 4 chute with good rock... |
 ...and now I'm looking down the cl 3 chute at the fellow who was 2nd from top in previous pic. |
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 These folks were having some difficulty, so I traversed L around. |
 The normal route is on R side of pinnacle of white rock (pink); I went L (blue), which was probably not a good choice as there were very steep ramps. |
 View back at same choices. |
 Unfortunately, some folks saw mw, and initially tried to follow that route. |
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 Top of Torrey's |
 View to Gray's |
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 Top of Gray's |
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 Evans and Bierstadt in distance |
 I photobombed some people to my right. |
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 View back to saddle between Torrey's and Gray's |
 Mile-long TSA line at mile-high airport |
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