# Summer 2009: Mega Thread



## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Now when I say "settle in folks", I mean *settle in folks*. For this may take me some time (days maybe?). This weekend we are having a garage sale and that also gives me a chance to update our hikes from this season. In eight weekends of mountain adventure I think I've not posted five. That was a weekend at my grandparents camped out on their property for altitude adjustment, and our recent accomplishments. We've been all over the central Colorado Rockies racking up the mileage. I'll start with the links to my posts so far this year, and the rest of our hikes will just be added to this thread...

Audubon Mt.

Camping FAIL

Pettingell Peak

*
July 11, 2009*oint 13,038

Last week was rough on us. I needed some alone time (which the wife takes personally) so I opted for a familiar region, Indian Peaks Wilderness. This is the area I grew up in. Yech, Nederland still elicits punches through drywall but the mountains are truly my thing. The decision was made on Friday that I would be taking Ridik and Bubba with me. They're my super agile alpine boys, and the Malamutes don't seem to understand what to do in the absence of a clear trail. Add the fact that I didn't want anyone with me and there was no way I could take all four dogs on such a busy trail. Let me tell you, this is a *BUSY* trail system. When I got up at 4:00am and started getting ready, not one dog budged. They were all dragged outside for a potty break before my departure. When I let them back in I cornered the two lucky ones and the others didn't care. That made a world of difference in my attitude because I felt bad leaving them home. Once it came time to depart, the boys needed hot dogs and coaxing to get outside and into the van...


















Doo, doo-doo...









I HATE, no, *HATE* anything associated with Boulder. Including the namesake canyon full of 30MPH Subarus and Priuses full of rock climbing double parking front range tourists that brake for uphill corners. The town that shaped my sarcastic angry ways...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

As you leave the rip in the Earth where all logic dies and hell spews forth, make a right heading to the town (not the ski area) of Eldora. Shortly after leaving the town up the narrow dirt road, the double black slopes of Eldora Mountain's Corona Bowl are clear and look much more manageable than when you're standing over them...









The main morning crowd had about fifteen minutes head start on us. We waited just a few moments more to head up right before the second wave clogged the way. The road used to go another half mile into the valley, but now it's closed and dozens of campsites have eroded their way into the previous road bed. It's amazing how fast the ecosystem reclaims what was, and how fast heavily traveled trails look decades old...









Almost immediately the trail is bound by 35-ish degree slopes on both sides. This makes the return trip an interesting affair every single time...









In several areas there are runoff streams that need to be crossed. Nothing terribly hard, but this crossing always has someone there confronting their fears...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

State flower FTW! These things are thick up there right now. There's probably two weeks at most of alpine flowering before the low 30's overnight take them away... 









Just to give you an idea of the possible hikes up there, this is one of five signs with multiple trail designations on THIS side of Indian Peaks Wilderness. There are ways in from Lake Grandby, Rainbow Lakes/Rocky Mountain National Park, Brainard Lake area and Caribou Pass from Nederland...


















(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Fourth of July Mine. I didn't take any pics of the mine itself since there appeared to be a geology class boring up the scene...









The turnoff is pretty much where treeline is...


















(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Mt. Neva, Lake Dorothy and Arapaho pass in background...



























Marmot turds are apparently a delicacy...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Decision time. Nearing the top of the saddle, I chose the easier mountain to the right. South Arapaho Peak looked a bit busy and I wasn't there for the crowds or high point this time...


















Starting up the no trail slope towards "Old Baldy". This mountain is visible from nearly every spot along the metro front range. But it looks like part of South Arapaho Peak when seen from a distance. Unless you know it's there, you won't see it against the other peaks in the range...









As we meandered around the summit I noticed a small cairn and we were met by a pleasant surprise. A registry! Apparently this is a recognized and marked summit and no one was within visible sight. Nice...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

The view from 13,038 feet...


















Pikes peak way the 'F' down there...









Pfft. Boulder...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Longs Peak up north. If I were a mathematician, I would figure out how far I could see north to south. Definitely one of the most impressive panoramas...









Winter Park was just visible past the continental divide. The high peak in the background is Pettingell, the previous weekend's journey...









Zooming in on Gray's and Torrey's peaks (14er's). Been there, done that...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Boulder's watershed. I wanted so dearly to urinate off that side. Alas, character held me back and I drank wine and had lunch with doggies up top for an hour plus...




































(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

South Arapaho Peak in all of it's front range imposing glory...


















"What the hell was that sound?"...


















(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Glacial runoff makes for a good break...




































(continued after dinner.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

*July 18th, 2009:* Blue Lake Trail, Medicine Bow Mountains

I had to wait until the wife got home at 3:00pm before departure. At the time it didn't seem like a big deal. But after working our way through Fort Collins and west on HWY 14, the clog of touristy trailer haulers set the pace for the next 40 miles. Some people were absolutely insane on that road. The most memorable instance happened when a diesel pickup came rushing up alongside everyone from four cars back hauling a trailer at what must have been 75-80MPH. He went *TWO* whole blind turns in the oncoming lane trying to get around all the cars. After which he proceeded to stop (yes stop), holding everyone up so his buddy behind us could pull the same dumb$#!+ maneuver. 

Once that drama was over with we continued on somewhat jealous that those guys got around the rock gawkers. Nearly ninety friggin' minutes later we finally found a campsite and unloaded. Since the entire region around Chambers Lake was choc full of campers, I had to drive about six miles back to the highway to meet my friend who was joining us. Night fell quickly after about three beers and it was off to bed early for another 4:00am alarm. 

Waking up the next morning was difficult. The dogs were placed perfectly around me and my bed felt so comfortable. But the mountains were calling and I groggily stumbled around bent over trying to get dressed. The trailhead was about 1/2 mile down the road and by the end of the day I would be grateful we didn't just walk there. 

At the trailhead. Doggies are getting better with every passing weekend. Soon they might be presentable in public...









The beginning of the trail system starts on an old road that winds it's way around the base of the mountains at 8400 feet. One thing making me a little nervous was the horses. There were trailers at the parking lot and lots of scrumptious droppings on the trial...


















Shortly after starting out there's a left off the road for Blue Lake Trail (including three other trails) and things look like this for pretty much the entire route...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

The area up there is one of the most unique I've seen in Colorado. Growth of every kind was abundant. Judging by the size of the trees, this area must get a decent amount of moisture every year...



























(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

West Branch Creek is your constant companion up the trail...









I can't quite remember the exact details anymore. But it seems like it took nearly two hours to get out of the trees enough for any sort of view...


















As we began to enter a huge alpine bowl, the trail turned south and we were presented with a decision. The winter had not been kind to the bridge across the creek. It was about 10 feet downstream and bowed to the point of being useless...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

After sucking it up and fording the creek things got steep. This made for several breaks upon which the mosquitoes went into blitz mode. By the end of the weekend I would be covered in a greasy layer of OFF and still sporting 115 bites. At least we were gaining elevation... 



























Coco was getting mad at the bugs. So was I...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Sioux was still going strong. He didn't know what the additional breaks were for. He Kept creeping away while I watered everyone else...









Approaching treeline, it was obvious how small the Medicine Bow Mountains are compared to the rest of the Colorado Rockies...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

We got to the top of the pass on trail and everyone was hurtin' and worn. There was to be no summit that day. The GPS wasn't working on the way up so the mileage was an unknown that we decided not to push. Ended up taking time for lunch and breathing. Still amazing views from our position in the saddle between Clark Peak and Cameron Peak...



























(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Clark Peak is getting moved to next year's schedule. Amazing how fast the window closes on clear trails above treeline. Maybe I can find a way to cram that one in still...









More views...



























(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

11,000 feet feels like such a failure anymore...




































(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Longs Peak seems to loom in the distance on every single hike...


















(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

They always seem so satisfied after the trip up...


















(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

With a solid GPS fix and lunch down, it was time to start back...









¿Did I mention that some parts were a bit steep?...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

More fording...


















Bubba was kind enough to take Coco's pack and let her have a break...


















(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

The road part of the trail was one of the most welcoming things I've seen in a while...









Sioux was unstoppable this hike. The others flopped down in the shallow banks for a drink while Sioux had a short swim...









Back at camp with calves-a-flaming. Tambi makes that face that says, "when do I get to go dad?" I probably will take her at least once this year. Still about three to five hikes left...









*I DID IT!!!* I finally found Ridik's breaking point. That stupid dog goes and goes and goes. He ended up carrying all 12 pounds of weight for the entire *14.2* mile journey...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

This pic pretty much sums up the hike...









We had a great time up there even though we traveled almost double what we were thinking. Our campsite was superb, the dogs were dead tired and behaved accordingly plus we had plenty of liquor and one more night to decompress and enjoy. 





_____________________________________________________________________




This mountain has been on this year's list just aching for a try. Rated as quite possibly the easiest 14er hike, I can tell you it's a bit easier than that even. Of course, a few weekends in a row at elevation probably had some impact as well. 

*Friday July 24, 2009:*

I'm so glad the dogs have gotten used to the morning load ups. Every weekend nets better and better behavior (despite what my mom would say)...









My mom and I tried so hard to leave before 6:00am to beat the road closure at 8:00am in Georgetown. As usual, our typical checklist fumbling had us out the door and on the road at 6:15. Mustering every bit of 3.8 liters out of the Caravan, we were bookin' it up I-70 and made it to exit 228 at precisely 7:50. The problem was this happened to be the time that the early weekenders were beginning to clog the narrow olde town streets. The cops were everywhere as they hit the roads for the day, so forcing my way around town was out. Finally out of the main drag traffic we panicked our way up the .75 mile run to the cutoff. 8:04am. Missed it. The crew had NO sympathy as they told us what we already knew. Back to Georgetown we went for a three hour mosey waiting out the closure. Time really flew just wandering around. A few poop stops and a couple of cups of coffee later it was time to get a spot in line on the road. At 10:30 the van was parked at the front spot to head up at 11:00. The road itself was very navigable and finding a campsite was quite easy since everyone was behind us. After unloading at our chosen site, I headed back down two miles to the last cell phone signal. Once I texted all the pm arrivals with the details I turned the van around and headed back up to get organized. *DING* My eyes scanned the dash looking for maybe the low fuel light or the always present o2 light. Nope, it was in the overhead console, "(1) Tire Low Pressure". Blimey...









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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Oh well, it's been nearly eight years and four sets of tires on two cars since the last flat. The thing that sucks is it was a straight gash. No patching that one, and with three 70% worn tires left that means we need four. 

Dealing with that turd took all of 10 minutes and then it was time to finish the setup...




































(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Everyone arrived without incident and somewhere around 10:00pm or six beers later it was time to call it a night. I set my alarm for 4:00am hoping to be out of the campsite by 5:30. See, it takes me about an hour to be ready enough for departure. Downed some coffee, a liter of water, an allergy pill and a pit stop later we were heading up trail about 5:30-5:45...


















Sunrise in the Rockies...









The group was doing quite well. My mongrels wanted to sprint up the mountain, so I spent most of the uphill journey slowing them down so they didn't kill themselves...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Argentine Pass/Peak lit up to the west...









Looking back at Guanella Pass. We were camped out where the road disappears into the trees... 









Bierstadt's shadow rapidly retreating to the east...









We made excellent time up the mountain. By the time we reached the last saddle, the sun was just breaking over the summit. The way up was pleasant and we hardly encountered half a dozen people on the way up...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Final segment...









Success! Everyone made it...









Now it's time for some views...









Colorado's newest ski area, Echo Mountain...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

The more difficult route to Mt. Evans...









Zoom...









Once again, Longs peak off in the distance...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Gray's peak and Torrey's peak under cloud shadow...









Looking west-ish. See that high point on the left way back there? Mount of the Holy Cross...









In the 20 something minutes we spent at the summit, the crowd went from about 15 to approaching 30. So expecting the coming pilgrimage, we headed back down to the saddle to take a luncher...


















(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

The light from a partly cloudy sky made for some unique scenes. I really like how this one of Gunny turned out...









Here they come!!!...


















Going down was easier once I discovered that people yielded instantly when I was jogging with the dogs. The sucky part was jogging. Summit temps were probably in the mid to upper 40's, and as we reached the parking lot it was definitely approaching 80. Ugh. All in all, it was great. We even made it back to the site before noon. Sweet. Then about 3 o'clock it all went to pot. I still have a pile of muddy wet tents that desperately needs scrubbing. At least I have a couple of weeks before the next camp. Still going to hike something in the meantime.

Some pictures I took during the rain storms moving in and out. Then the last two from Sunday's sunrise over the Guanella Pass valley...

Bierstadt...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

*August 2, 2009:* Quandary Peak

It seemed like the idea of taking a weekend off from hiking was destined to fail form it's inception. Not three days into the week rumors began to swirl as schedules and preferences were coordinated. By Friday it was on, Quandary Peak on Sunday. The week's cold snap had ended, the rain (snow up there) moved out and Friday/Saturday brought with them summer temps and clearing skies. I gleefully watched Breckenridge webcams and radars on Saturday as nothing, NOTHING moved through the Ten Mile Range that day. Feeling a bit smug about my abilities, I stayed up drinking beer and eating pizza. To top it off I woke up *before* the alarm at 3:30am. After the coffee, waking up, loading up and gas routine we were on our way at 5:00. The drive was uneventful and about as familiar as a ten year old wallet. 

With a slightly later start than originally planned (since weather was exceptional), we forged our way up the corridor and south through Summit county to arrive at the trailhead at 7:00am. The one and a half lane dirt road was choc full of cars just parking at the bottom. I decided to at least go up and maybe find a spot above the trail or just turn around. The parking lot area was stuffed and just past a right turn and DIRECTLY in front of the trail... A clear parking spot! Swwwweeeeeeeeet. Then I received another pleasant surprise. We were able to gear up the dogs and ourselves in less than ten minutes. One last offer of water for the dogs and we were off...









At the time the start didn't seem too bad. But later I would learn that it was indeed steep...









The tree section of the trail quickly thinned as every turn gained another few feet...


















(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Heh, the trail was clearly marked...









Approaching treeline the view nearly hits you in the gut as the obvious incline shows no other way up...









No one likes being with the dogs, so we took off ahead and covered the first mile in just under nine minutes. I sense that our future hikes will be mostly them and me...









Ridik and Sioux's packs are pretty much done with. For as cheap as we picked them up they definitely served their purpose. But it's clear that I'm going to have to make my own somehow. I know what works and what doesn't for our use...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Still below the Continental Divide to our south...


















HWY 9 and Hoosier pass to the southeast with Mt. Silverheels asking to be hiked....









The herd of goats that have no fear of humans. I've seen pictures of people right next to them, and someone in our party was within charging distance...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Bross on the left and Lincoln on the right. Showing another angle of how much further 14k was...









Looking north towards Breckenridge. Slowly but surely we were gaining on the surrounding hills...


















Wheeler Mountain...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

This bit was one of the longest slogs...









Sioux and Ridik battling for front. Sioux's recent talus skills have earned him the "most improved" award for the season...









The Kite Lake four just past the divide. Bross, Lincoln, Cameron and Democrat. We're determined to give these four one more try this year...









Progress was easy to see at this point. Finally looking down on Wheeler about 100 yards from the summit...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

BAM! Another one gets checked off the list. While thinking back it was a memorable hike. But I'm glad to have it over with, these busy trails are grueling. 3hr 10min up and 2hr 50min down; 10,904' to 14270' and 3633' vertical gain; 7.11 miles round trip...









Views. North with Ten Mile Range in foreground and Gore Range in background...









Another angle on Gray's and Torrey's...









South, Democrat...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

From left. Bross, Lincoln and Cameron...









Zoom on Gore Range...









West. Mount of the Holy Cross, next year...









There were a few folks arriving around the same time as us...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

...and it didn't take long before everyone was nearing ground level to counteract the wind and chill...









Southwest. The Sawatch Range beckons from afar. With it's 15 fourteeners that could keep a person busy for a while...









It was time to get back to the dogs before my mom got frustrated...









There's even a pic of me...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

On the way back down the dogs got a short break to cool off in the last bit of remaining snow...


















Bubba pissin off his grandma. The dogs don't work right for anyone else anymore. They're my dogs...









This is a good representation of the bulk of the trail. About half of our time was spent in this loose sharp stuff. Glad my dogs' pads are tough enough to handle that without issues...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Once the rocks were over with we could try to make up some time. Notice that Sioux is sans backpack. I'm frustrated with their gear. Making my own is going to be the only way. Good thing I have a winter to get it right...









Again with tired/happy face...


















Another successful hike in the books. No one had any real soreness or exhaustion, and that was a tough vertical compared to what we've done so far. The dogs were ready to roll the next day and so was I. It may be time to up the difficulty a bit. I just GOT to remember that horse hockey that is I-70 on a Sunday. Yeesh. Over two hours from the tunnel to HWY 6. Then the three lane bit opens it up again for the Floyd Hill ascent rally. What a buzz kill.

Now I'm all caught up. That's it until the weekend of the 15th. Hope you enjoyed tagging along vicariously.


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## MissMutt (Aug 8, 2008)

Holy crap.

Harrise, do you blog? I think you need to. Your stuff is too interesting for once-a-season picture threads on DF. Not that there's anything wrong with DF  but wow you get to go on some adventures. Awesome shots, I'm not even going to try to pick any favorites lol


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## zhaor (Jul 2, 2009)

There's sooo many places I need to go in Colorado. I must say I'm envious. Me and my friends are always talking about hiking and backpacking but usually end up just car camping and drinking around a fire. *sigh*


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

MissMutt said:


> Holy crap.
> 
> Harrise, do you blog? I think you need to. Your stuff is too interesting for once-a-season picture threads on DF. Not that there's anything wrong with DF  but wow you get to go on some adventures. Awesome shots, I'm not even going to try to pick any favorites lol


Well thanks for the words of encouragement. Never thought about it really. To be honest I would have to spend some time in Google searches learning what a blog is.  Forums have taken me long enough to get the hang of.



zhaor said:


> There's sooo many places I need to go in Colorado. I must say I'm envious. Me and my friends are always talking about hiking and backpacking but usually end up just car camping and drinking around a fire. *sigh*


Ha! ¿You have to start somewhere right? It has taken me a couple of years to get my mom and one friend to regularly tag along. I think the four big dogs puts them off a bit.


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## CrazyDog (Oct 16, 2007)

AWESOME thread Harrise!!  

I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Colorado! Usually we make it up there several times a year but haven't had the chance this year. We have been sticking around my state (New Mexico) this year and have been hiking/ backpacking almost every weekend. We will be hiking Wheeler Peak next weekend then we will be heading up to Silverton, CO in two weeks. Colorado here we come. Hehe... 

The mosquito's and the crowd's of people have been unusually thick on the trails this year around here too. Weird.....

Thanks for the Colorado fix...... the pic's are Awesome!


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## mintesa (Mar 30, 2008)

oooo nice hikes, cool pictures! i love to hike, but due to my allergies to the cold i only manage one day hikes, i need a hot shower at the end of hiking (when hiking high up) otherwise my allergies literally blow me up. hehe


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

CrazyDog said:


> AWESOME thread Harrise!!
> 
> I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Colorado! Usually we make it up there several times a year but haven't had the chance this year. We have been sticking around my state (New Mexico) this year and have been hiking/ backpacking almost every weekend. We will be hiking Wheeler Peak next weekend then we will be heading up to Silverton, CO in two weeks. Colorado here we come. Hehe...
> 
> ...


Ooh, I need to do Wheeler down there. Never hiked anything outside of Colorado. I'm jealous of your trip too. There's so much to do in the San Juans, and Silverton is one of my favorite spots in the state. 



mintesa said:


> oooo nice hikes, cool pictures! i love to hike, but due to my allergies to the cold i only manage one day hikes, i need a hot shower at the end of hiking (when hiking high up) otherwise my allergies literally blow me up. hehe


Heh, if you look closely at some of the campsite pics, you can see our shower tent. The best $50 we've ever spent. I can't handle being dirty and grimey with a thick sunscreen and bug spray layer. Nothing like starting a 2nd day of camping all cleaned up!


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## FilleBelle (Aug 1, 2007)

I'm sure I've said this before, but I grew up in Colorado (outside of Ignacio...outside of Durango) and it is truly one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.

Every time you share pictures of your adventures, I briefly wish that I had a dog who could (and would) hike. Then I realized I would have to take it hiking...and I'm kind of over it, lol.


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## winniec777 (Apr 20, 2008)

Wow - I'm so envious! What beautiful pics. It's been years since I was in the mountains in CO. I don't remember seeing that many people around. I could hike for a day and not see a soul. Guess things have changed.

Thanks for the travelogue - I thoroughly enjoyed it! 

Q: How much water do you have to carry for a day's hike for the dogs?
Q: Why don't people want to hike with the dogs? Heck, I'd use them to get my lazy butt up the hill!
Q: What's in Bubba's cask? In fairness, it should be something he likes since he's the one who has to carry it.


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

winniec777 said:


> Wow - I'm so envious! What beautiful pics. It's been years since I was in the mountains in CO. I don't remember seeing that many people around. I could hike for a day and not see a soul. Guess things have changed.


For the most part we can find nice quiet areas where you might run into 4 people in seven hours. But we started the 14ers and now the list must be completed for some reason. Those mountains are still tourist traps year round. 




winniec777 said:


> Q: How much water do you have to carry for a day's hike for the dogs? *They carry about 4 gallons combined, and I carry about 3. The last hike we had .5 liter left went we got back. Good thing I always carry extra in the van. It's hard to judge really. Usually we can find clean water but sometimes it's no good because of goats and horses and whatnot. It also took over a year to condition them for the load weight. *
> Q: Why don't people want to hike with the dogs? Heck, I'd use them to get my lazy butt up the hill! *They've gotten to the point where I have to take all four big dogs. No one will put in the time needed to work with them and use the correct commands. Yet they still expect them to act the way same way as if it were me handling. That and they can't be one tenth the dog person I am. Heh. *
> Q: What's in Bubba's cask? In fairness, it should be something he likes since he's the one who has to carry it.  *The cask usually carries water now. We busted it up pretty good on those rougher trails. Now it only has a seal that will last a day or two. Hmmm, still enough for whiskey... Plus, to fill it with something he likes means stuffing it with beef jerkey. *


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## winniec777 (Apr 20, 2008)

Thanks for the reply. I had no idea it would take that much water. Glad I asked. RE other people handling the dogs, have to admit it would be daunting, but what a fun challenge to try. There are definitely dog people vs. non-dog people, though, and I now can understand why some people would just prefer to enjoy the scenery and focus on their hike vs. the extra work of handling the dogs. Makes what you're doing that much more impressive to flat-landers like me.

Whisky, jerky. Tough choice!


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## MoonStr80 (Oct 9, 2006)

MissMutt said:


> Holy crap.
> 
> Harrise, do you blog? I think you need to. Your stuff is too interesting for once-a-season picture threads on DF. Not that there's anything wrong with DF  but wow you get to go on some adventures. Awesome shots, I'm not even going to try to pick any favorites lol


No kiddin' I was about to ask. You should also make a scarp book! And these are perfect pictures for them and addition all of the data 

I love the mountain pictures I really enjoyed looking at them


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## baorb (Mar 14, 2009)

Wow that is just amazing.


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## JessRU09 (Aug 25, 2008)

I always love your threads. Never been to Colorado, but I'm dying to go there and camp. Appalachian "mountains" don't compare.


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

*Kite Lake (Part Deux):*

A strong genetic embedding of procrastination cannot be overcome. For five days leading up to our departure I was expecting a somewhat soggy weekend. But it took me until Friday three hours before departure to fashion Sioux's raincoat. That set me back nearly an hour. Well, that and my OCD out the door checklist. The wife was working in Longmont and expecting my arrival at 2:30pm. That's when I actually put the van in drive. Oops, at least I remembered the liquor stop. There's not much else to add to this part of the journey. This made the third time that we've traveled this same route in 2009. 

Finally, after skillfully threading the van through I-70 at 80+-ish MPH, we were turning on to good old Buckskin St in Alma. It's funny how these trips have turned from a nice weekend outing in the mountains into a goal that needs to be met. Don't get me wrong, the time spent up in the hills is priceless. But the added factor of our 14er checklist has added another dimension to the experience. As we gain more experience with every weekend, we also gain efficiency in our camping technique. That all came together this past weekend when the weather, once again, tried to literally dampen our spirits. Thanks to our long time best friend we had a new tent with the capabilities of housing us AND the dogs through a rain filled weekend. It was on. 

Lindsay and I had arrived at 6:30pm after sweating the fact that we were late to be looking for a two night campsite. The site we did find was just below treeline about 11,000', and we had our site setup by 7:00. This was *good* as it began to PISS rain at about 7:15. The new tent worked magnificently...



















Save for a few occasional bouts where you could rush for a whiz, the rain continued on all night until the hiking party left at 5:15am. It wasn't that the rain ended, it was the elevation gain that turned the previously annoying rain into a bothersome sleet. Luckily this didn't last very long as our hike began with thick cloud cover but no precipitation...



















(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

It wasn't very long before we reached the demarcation line for sticking snow, and our first foray into these conditions...


















Looking up. Pictures are a bit limited as the amount of concentration needed to navigate the four dogs up slushy icy rocks became the primary concern. 


















(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

After the saddle between the three mountains to the right and Democrat to the left, the sun came out and made me regret layering my clothes incorrectly. It got hot in snow clothes but doggies were still lovin' it...









Steep is becoming a relative term...









When forced to weigh my footing against the dogs forward momentum, I let them loose. Good thing they listen (90%) usually. Then again I can always count on Bubba looking back on his companions...


















(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Cresting the false summit. Our companions out paced us to shame this round. I blame nothing but my own complacency...









Gathering clouds left little opportunity for good pictures... 


















Laboring our way up the trail on top of looking back on Cameron and Lincoln, made for an easy decision for one summit this day...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

...and despite the sideways icicle onslaught, we indeed hit the summit... 









4 hours 2 minutes, 2674 vertical feet and 5.9 miles round trip. Taking Democrat off the list...









We didn't spend too long at the top as weather forced a hasty retreat...














Back down at the saddle between the mountains, several groups were rationalizing their respective opinions on routes...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

This was the deciding view. Our group opted to call it good and fight our way back down after one summit. Ahhh, too bad, one summit...


















After losing tons of vertical we were greeted by clearing skies and a drying trail...









Looking over to what could have been...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

We would have gotten dealt with...









Yet looking directly 180 degrees from that last pic...









It was too late and we were too far down to head back with clearing skies. It still amazes me that we tried camping at the trailhead that late June weekend...


















(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Back at camp, we were treated to two fighter jets streaking through the valley. I only caught one glimpse on the camera in the 20 seconds I had...









We arrived at camp by 10:30am. WAY TOO EARLY! The rest of the day on the summits are clearly represented here...









Drink on...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

What an intriguing valley. I regret to inform that we'll be back...



























(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

We were out in record time today. Our new tent combined with our increasing efficiency made for quick packing and home arrival times. The season draws closer to an end every day. Just a handful of hikes are available and a winter to get ready, it's time to start thinking summer 2010.

Fin. Until next weekend that is...


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## winniec777 (Apr 20, 2008)

More beautiful pics. The shots at the summit are insane! Thanks for posting.

P.S. Nice flags.


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## Darkmoon (Mar 12, 2007)

Wow, I just read the whole thread. Your a great story teller! Man I've never been out west before and these photos are really making me want to take Nubs out west and go do some hiking. Only bad thing is, both Nubs and I like our heat. not only would I have to dress for the cold but so would he!

Thank you for sharing all of these photos! I can't wait for the next addiction!


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

*August 22, 2009: Berthoud Pass 1...2...3!*

These mountains had been in the back of my mind for nearly six weeks. I learned that topo maps look different than actual terrain. All of the coordinating came together rather easily, and we were to have eight dogs and five people. Despite getting up at 3:12am, we weren't out the door until 4:27. Not quite enough time for the 6:00 trailhead I told everyone, but we managed to make it around 6:15-ish kinda. Shortly after that we were ready to roll. I'll call it 6:30am when we headed out...










For the first mile or so the trail follows the access road to the top of Colorado Mines Peak...


















Just a couple of switchbacks later treeline begins to show, the view opens up and the trail heads off on the northwest side of Colorado Mines...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Looking up to 12,493' and the array of junk at the top...









The walk over to Mt. Flora (and our first peak of the day) was straightforward and simple. The climb was steady but not even moderate in difficulty...


















(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Doggies were pluggin along just fine...









Hardly an hour into our hike we were clearly above the ski resorts to the north...


















This was about as difficult as it got up to Flora...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

I'll tell you what. HWY 40 from I-70 to Winter Park is one of the best stretches of road there ever was for driving hard. Especially after the rebuilding a few years ago. They're almost done putting down new pavement on the north side of the pass...


















Edging up on 13,000' and looking down on surrounding mountains...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Except these two...









Summit of Mt. Flroa, 13,133'...


















Ethel Lake below to the east...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Looking across the ridge at our path north for Mt. Eva (not shown)...









The distance between the peaks was clearly visible after the trip up to Flora. Eva looked like it might take some work...









Evans and Bierstadt almost due south. I'm sure those mountains were packed. The weather was spectacular with no signs of any storms whatsoever...









Sioux, Jack and Sierra...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Bubba hangin out with anyone who wants to hang out...









Guess who! Longs Peak is starting to annoy me with it's ever present profile from wherever I hike...









Scoping out more peaks for next year. Square Top Mountain and it's nearly half mile summit ridge are on the agenda. As are the surrounding hills...









¿Who's a pretty girl?...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

At 13,000' the trail before us was an unrelenting drop to 12,500-ish before rising just as much to the top of Mt. Eva...









It was just 10:00am and we had plenty of time and supplies for the assault on Eva. So onward we forged...









Sure didn't look as bad as it felt on the way down...









At the saddle between the mountains I grew weary of the dogs tangling and packs falling off. So it was time to go off lead since it's allowed in this area. These less popular peaks make for a great opportunity for the dogs to roam around freely...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Approaching the hump at 12,700-ish with Eva getting closer and closer. Doggies were being SO good and loving every minute of it...









Idiots...









With their little Pinewood Reservoir stunt still fresh in mind, these two remained tethered lest the whole bunch go tumbling off a cliff one by one...









This was Super Cooper's first big hike, and by the end he would be feeling it...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Someone else is a pretty girl...









More sled dog wandering...



























(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Good boy knows his recall in the wild...









Small fire or explosion over at Henderson mine. Pettingell towering over the gulch...









Almost to the summit of Eva. This structure got dealt with through the years...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Mount of the Holy Cross just barely peeking up over the divide...









The Gore Range just about due west...


















Summit from Eva, 13,130'...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Three more peaks to the north above 13,000'. Too far and too much vertical loss for this group of dedicated travelers...


















Winter Park and Fraser up north...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Poor Coco was done, but we still had the entire trip back in front of us. So we spent a bit longer at the summit and rested up for the slog back...









Sierra always knew when the camera was on her...


















Ugh, heading back and realizing the true meaning of vertical gain... 









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

See, here is where we screwed up royally. The trail heads STRAIGHT up to the right of this photo, but we decided to try and hug the lower elevation around Mt. Flora...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

There were good views at least...









About 70% of the way around Flora, the terrain gave way to a steep loose and sandy bowl. We were forced to regain the 600' we were trying so desperately to hold onto. Cooper's feet finally gave out. Lucky for him he's a small guy...


















(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Finally back on a constant descent, my mom and I decided, for some stupid reason, to go ahead and top out Colorado Mines Peak. 









The very easy trail up to the top meets the access road about 200 yards down. What should have been a very easy summit was made more difficult by the work from the previous two. The view from 12,493'...


















(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Looking back on the day's accomplishments and feeling pretty good about it...









The dogs enjoyed a bit of snow and cooled off before we headed straight down the mountain following the powerlines...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

...and DONE! 13.1 miles, 4,560 feet vertical gain, 7hrs 13min and three peaks. Nice. Still, 36 hours was all I could get out of the dogs after that. Then they were up and ready to run again...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Now I'm sleepy. But I did find the pictures from our missing weekend at my grandparent's house. So tomorrow I might get around to posting that and every weekend will be accounted for.

Fin. Again, until this coming weekend's attempt at Audubon. Finish the year with the mountain we started on. Everything else we can hike is all bonus from there...


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## colliepam (Jul 29, 2009)

harrise said:


> Glacial runoff makes for a good break...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


thankyou for amazing photos!quite cheered up this little depressed person in her boring front room over in england!brilliant,thanks!


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## Leroy&Lucy'sMom (Mar 2, 2009)

This is just amazing! You definitely need to start your own blog, especially if you are already thinking about 2010. Your dogs are all so beautiful! But Bubba has stolen my heart, he is way too cute with his cask! 

Thanks for taking the time to post and explain everything. Wishing you tons more fun and safety for the final part of summer!


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## bella and lolas dad (Oct 29, 2007)

Amazing, ur dogs are beautiful and the pics are price less


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## ChrissyBz (Aug 10, 2007)

harrise said:


> BAM! Another one gets checked off the list. While thinking back it was a memorable hike. But I'm glad to have it over with, these busy trails are grueling. 3hr 10min up and 2hr 50min down; 10,904' to 14270' and 3633' vertical gain; 7.11 miles round trip...
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I bet you feel like you can see forever from up there.


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

*Mt Audubon Again: Pickin' Them Off One By One*

After this year we will be experts at this camping thing. Every time we pack up we have slightly more things, and yet we still manage to end up with slightly more space in the van too. This creates that "what in the hell am I forgetting" syndrome. Beginning on Monday, I piled all of our gear together in groups by categories and seam sealed the tent as well...



















By Friday's load up it was all clean and packed. After a short run to the LQ and grocery it was unnerving to actually SEE out of the back window. Everything was happening right on schedule. Which meant I was more than likely going to be late picking up Lindsay at work. At 1:20 the dogs were released out the front door to stampede their way into the van, and the first hiccup in departure occurred. That idiot Jasmine thought we were going for a walk. Foolishly, I had thought she would simply follow the herd into the van. She did nearly the polar opposite of that and booked it down the road full tilt. I'm sure you all know how tough it is to be happy-go-lucky when what you really want to do is chain them out the window, and drag them down the friggin' road if they want to run so danged bad. Ugh. Not even a block into her journey, the sun worked it's fusion powered magic and she was done. The best part? My dogs remained in the van anxiously awaiting another weekend in the Rockies. 

Okay, so Jasmine was loaded and I finally got on my way to pick up the wife and take the dog back to her house to crate her. ¿Would you believe that I arrived somewhere TEN WHOLE MINUTES EARLY? That was just enough time to pit stop the dogs so they could make the rest of the trip to Brainard. The weekend before, Jasmine had broken out of her crate and systematically destroyed her house. So I was perplexed as to why her dad would request that I crate her for the four hours it would take him to get home. Once at the house, I put her in the busted up crate and pretended to leave. It wasn't even two minutes later and she had gotten out of the crate, opened the basement door (lever handles) and B-lined for the kitchen. While she hoisted herself up for a counter surfing free-for-all, I sneaked up on her and let out a voice of God "HEY!". Oops, that made for a mess to cleanup. Oh well, she got the point. Leashed her up and took her back downstairs for what I knew was going to be a chunk of time. We repeated the fake departure and capture to crate a few times before she was tired and confused. About the fifth time and around 30 minutes later, I put her in the crate once again and she gave up lying down. Noticing several free weights and remembering Sioux's crate destroying house condemning ways, I secured the hell out of the crate and left. It turns out that's where she was when her dad got home. Success. 

Driving away I put it all out of my mind and road raged my way through school hour traffic at a blistering pace. Less than one hour from Longmont we hit the fee station for Brainard Lake. The turn for fee free camping is a left immediately before the booth and the road itself, intimidating in a minivan. Well, I should say intimidating to those not proficient in approach/departure angles, breakover angles, ground clearance and line sighting. Brimming with confidence I took down the road to Lefthand Reservoir and was forced onto a less than preferred line due to an oncoming truck. That was one NASTY sounding muffler scrape, but I've heard much worse from this workhorse Dodge. Hardly a quarter mile up the road I called it over and tried to find a spot wide enough for a 10 point turnaround. At the next wide spot there was also a foot trail that crested a small ridge only to reveal a great campsite. Too perfect. We unloaded and setup camp not seconds before it began to rain just a tad. The rain never got too intense and the seam sealer worked marvelously. As did the dogs. They still had to be long lined while we got setup, but once the conga line to the van was over with they went off lead for 90% of the camping. The rain and familiarity of this process made them calm and sleepy, save for the occasional squirrel chatter...



















(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

The other member in our group made it up and we commenced drink on as the sun went down. Then sometime around 11:00pm-ish I think, Lindsay caught sight of something in the trees and asked "what's that?!?" The only thing I saw was a gray ragged tail and a canine hind quarter fade into the darkness. Needless to say we flipped out. The dogs were secured and we clung to our weapons and upped our sound levels to drive off the critter. Periodically I would walk around the forest hitting the shovel against the trees and trowing softball sized rocks into the surrounding area. We went to bed somewhat sketched out and sleeping lightly because of it. 

Waking up later than usual, due to wanting some sunlight before we left camp, we leisurely put our stuff together and readied the dogs... 









Nursing the van back down the road, we made the next bend a few yards away and saw something familiar. The gray rear end of what looked like an Old English Sheep Dog crossed with a Poodle. Sorry, but it was not the best looking of dogs. At least we could rest easy knowing it was a domesticated animal we had visit us the night before. Still, that thing could have very easily been shot. Not to mention the rocks I was hurtling down the hill in these folks' general direction. *KEEP YOUR ANIMALS ON LEASH IF THEY TEND TO WANDER, PEOPLE!!!* Gaw. 

Back at the pavement, I realized that I left the ******* fee money in the tent. No checks on hand and no card reader in the booth, I was forced to do the unthinkable. Gasping for breath, up the road I ran. Suck. The silver lining was I didn't need to stretch at the trailhead. One more pit stop for me, and Casey had the dogs geared up and ready. That left me and my junk. Finally, we got on the trail...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

The forces of nature up there are amazing. It was mid June when we first started on this mountain, and then we were fighting drifts of snow at this spot that were four to six feet in height...









Adding to the ease of the is trip was the fact that we had been there before...









This is where the demon snow drift was that sent us off trail scrambling for a route. Notice there was a trail under that...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Edging out of treeline and keeping a good pace, Audubon looms yonder...









In under an hour we made it to the Buchanan Pass junction. An hour in is usually where the water breaks are more frequent...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

*Shakes fist at mountain*









The biggest obstacles to a steady pace were the pica turds and this...









Otherwise we were pluggin along all fine and dandy...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

I would call this trail moderately busy during the active season...









Something in the back of my mind said we needed to move a bit quicker...


















Finally captured a shot of those blasted pica...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

The saddle/ridge where we topped out at in June...


















Sorry, apparently I took zero (0) pictures on the last leg of the mountain. Between the storm overhead and doggy talus hopping, I had little time to think camera...









Summit shots!...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Home is off somewhere that-a-way...









Our campsite was left of the big lake and almost out of frame...



























(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

As you can see, the storm moved out and we had a calm sunny 40 minutes...


















Paiute Peak to the west...


















(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

While enjoying the awe inspiring views of the Indian Peaks, we neglected to glance north towards Rocky Mountain National Park. Oops...



























Upper Coney Lake looked very close, but VERY far down...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

One last look east-northeast and it was time to retreat. The oncoming clouds that formed over Longs Peak were coming straight for us!...









Now I try to always adhere to the guidelines and remain on trail. But that storm looked menacing and we decided the best course of action was down. Straight down...









GO! GO! GO!...









Yeah, my dogs' feet can handle this, can yours?...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Back down the trail a ways and feeling a smidgen safer, I looked back at the terrain we had just straight lined...









...and about ten minutes after that, the storm caught the wind between Indian Peaks and Rocky Mountain then headed due east just barely drizzling us as it flew past...


















Things move *FAST* up there. Don't forget it...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Back down in the trees, it got hot. Not many more pics, but this one caught a sole individual barely visible on Pawnee Peak. No small feat is that...









We blazed down the final portion of trail...


















Pavement! 7.95 miles, 3hrs 15 minutes up, 2hrs 1 minute down 10,457' to 13,223' and 2866' vertical round trip. Not too shabby...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

The home stretch...









Now them's some satisfied dogamoos...









Drink on! To top it off, my uncle brought fish to fry. Perfect...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

...and a cameo from Super Cooper...









Me and my brother were beginning to feel the drink on...









Motivated by beer, our friend set out to replenish the camp's firewood stash...









Tambi was quite stealth. But it's always hard to find her not in someone's arms or lap...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Not many useful pics left due to all of the drinking on. Tons of blurry wood chopping and a multitude of campfire stills. Heh, not bad at all. Sometime during the evening it was obvious that I made it to the tent as I awoke balled up in my sleeping bag surrounded by sled dogs. Then it was time for breakfast...



























Right after eating, my uncle showed up again and we went fishing at Lefthand Reservoir up the road. I took Ridik because the last thing Lindsay wanted was a shrieking howling Husky. We caught nothing, my phone was dead and I left the camera back at camp. That sucks because Ridik did an awesome job pulling the Blazer back to camp while I held his lead standing out the sunroof. Not your typical day out, and don't try that at home.

That makes nine summits this year in 12 weekends. One more is driving me nuts. At least I have ten days to figure it out...

Fin.


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

*Mt Evans: Everything Is A Bonus Now*

Originally, we had planned to camp in the Rawah area again as a season ending. The overnight lows along the front range had dipped into the low 50's, and the thought of gearing up for cold at elevation made for easy consensus. Canceled. It was a good decision too. By the time Tuesday rolled around the multitude of weather forecasts seemed to be on the same page. A cold front for the weekend was predicted to include highs 25° lower than normal, mostly cloudy skies, fog and rain. Knowing what Colorado weather is like, we all decided to give it a go anyhow. Except this time we all had plenty of time to plan for various types of gear. 

4:30am Saturday we were on the road and pushing the time frame for a 6:30 trail time. Just to make it more of a challenge, my mom got pulled over for following me too close through an intersection. We made great time on an empty I-25, and the cloud cover was very high so we encountered no rain. Until Floyd Hill dropping down to Idaho Springs. Even then it was more of a floating drizzle and the interstate was only soggy on the shoulders. Heading south on Mt. Evans Highway as the sun and elevation began to rise brought a significant change in conditions. The precipitation was becoming more rain like, and there was a wall of fog wrapped around 9,000 feet. It still didn't look like severe weather, just a bunch of wet. Then as we started getting close to the fee station the fog was gone, settled into the various valleys and gulches. Those of you who live in micro climates can understand how fast fog and rain can be pushed around. A short battle with an automated fee station that didn't like cash put a slight cramp in our style, but we were on the last nine mile leg before 6:30. Then we passed 11,000' elevation...










In some spots the fog was so dense that only two or three center line dashes were visible. Slow and steady doesn't even begin to describe our pace from there. As I mentioned earlier, we committed to this hike knowing full well what typically happens with 3,000-4,000 feet in elevation change. Night and day...



























(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Arriving 20-something minutes late, I was sure "someone" felt annoyed. After parking the van, I jumped in back and started gearing up the dogs as fast as I could. Despite the blue skies we were fighting an unknown time table. Straight for the trail we went... 









The trail begins at approximately 12,800', so it I thought we were in for a nice treeline stroll above the clouds...









Our first break came rather quickly. Even though this route is minimal in distance, elevation gain and exposure, I would never recommend it to anyone just starting out. The biggest obstacle probably being how long you spend at those elevations. With most of our hikes it's up and down with little time spent at any given altitude. This hike was different. Starting at 12,800', Mt. Spalding is 13,842' and the rest of the loop over to Mt. Evans never drops below 13,600'. A continuous workout with that air is taxing I don't care who you are...


















(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Stunning cliffs surround the Chicago Lakes area to the north...









The trail was obvious at the beginning but slowly faded as we entered the rocky portion. It's rated a class 2 for good reason, but somehow I think we meandered left of the route and ended up in a class 3 situation. While not perfectly vertical, there was a rock wall we encountered that was a couple of feet taller than my 6 foot frame. We got the smaller dogs (Cooper and Gunny) up with some simple lifting and coaxing. My mom and Danielle easily climbed their way onto that next segment. Then my two alpine boys (Ridik and Bubba) surprised the hell out of me by scrambling up the face sans assistance! Okay, I DID have to give Bubba a little butt push to keep him from sliding back down onto me. Idiot sled dog was carrying 12 pounds in his pack too. While none of the three cameras documented the actual scene, I believe this picture shows the area in which we were no longer hiking but climbing... 









Sioux and Coco didn't quite make this segment the same way. They hadn't been picked up in a long time and I was feeling stupid for not keeping up with that exercise. We ended up leading them around an outcropping and having to lift them a much more manageable four feet. Here's that segment from my vantage point at the end of the group...









Poor Coco, she hates scrambling...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

...and looking back over our success. I actually enjoyed the challenge...


















After that it was all tip-toeing through the tulips to the summit of Mt. Spalding. Mom and Cooper...


















(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

¿You know the car culture term "sleeper"? This is my sleeper mountain climber...









Casey brought something along for our accomplishments, he won it on a forum somehow...









Me and doggies on summit #10 for the year!!! (# 9 for Malamutes)...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

...and this is what fortified vodka at 8:15 in the morning at 13,842 feet tastes like...









We only hung out for maybe 15 minutes on Spalding before the rising fog gathered above the mountains and started falling as rain a few miles west of us. It wasn't looking wet near us, but watching the clouds rise from the valleys and sit in the sky a couple of thousand feet above made it obvious we were not exempt...









The approach form Spalding to the west ridge of Evans...


















(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Ratings are very subjective. This is considered by many to be a no brainer walk across to Evans. Maybe it was the four dogs, or maybe it was the fact this is our first big summer of hiking, but I would not call this easy. Simple yes, but easy no. I have a fear of heights that only shows up on certain angles. Looking down over 1100 feet to Abyss lake happens to be one of those angles...









No pictures from our traverse on west Evans. I think we were all feeling it and just trying to get to safer ground before those rocks got wet. Right before things got easy again, some locals decided to rile up my dogs and test my physical fortitude on steep terrain...


















(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

We lucked out. The weather held and the trail remained dry as we rounded the mountain and caught sight of the final stretch...


















Then we merged with the tourist trail to the top...


















(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

It was cold. It got windy, and above all else, it was WET. ¿But you know what? SUMMIT # 11!!!



























(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

The trip down was beyond interesting. But knowing this state like Lance Armstrong knows his bike helped to cut three plus miles off the route following the road. Our original route down was a no-go due to weather so we had to improvise our way back to the lake with 1/8th mile visibility at best. After that experience it was clear how some folks can get completely lost up there. No, I can't imagine any of us getting lost on Evans in snow, but I do see how it's possible if one is not a regular in Colorado. I had a blast. Even with the numerous tail bone to rock encounters I experienced. The silence of the mountain surrounded in a snow storm is surreal. Nothing exists except your current footing and the dogs' locations. There was no view, there was no sound, there was no sun and there was no trail. Perfect...


















(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

A quick look at our original descent route. Yeah, right...









Back down at the lake/trailhead and feeling great about finishing in the snow instead of *starting*.









4hr 47min, 12,840' to 14,264, 5.72 miles and 1724 vertical gain. It felt at least twice that with the changes in weather. But a bad day out on the mountain is better than a great day on the couch. It was an awesome route in killer weather with gnarly sections. Fun was had by all...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Not many hikes left for me to bump this thread. 

Fin. Until I edit the things I don't like...


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## baorb (Mar 14, 2009)

My dog would be so jealous.


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Yeah, that hike made me itch for some winter. Stupid summer. It's too hot down here to enjoy anything, but winter means no hiking. Classic catch-22. Now to inventory what I still need for skijoring. I spend so much money on doing things with the dogs...


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

*September 19, 2009: Grizzly Peak*

This trail has been in the back of my mind nonstop since I first discovered it. All available trip reports and obscure blogs made it sound like a mix of steep and easy. Easy meaning there wasn't supposed to be any serious rock jumping or hand holds to move upward. But no matter how many different ways I looked at topos or adjusted views in Google Earth, the hike looked relentless in elevation change. It _seemed_ easier than the Berthoud Pass hike, just with an additional high point along the way. The weather through the end of the week melted almost everything from the previous weekend and all I expected was a bit of cold. Since the potential distance was big with an elevation gain to match, Sioux and Coco stayed home. Their happy driven attitudes change dramatically when the hikes get intense to one degree or another. I just couldn't do another multi-peak torture fest to them (nor could I carry any additional water for multiples). 

At 3:40am I was sitting in the van going over the checklist in my head. All was in order and we the all to familiar drive up I-70 to Loveland Pass. Just barely before 6:00 I was jumping in the back to gear up two dogs and myself. My guess is we hit the trail around 6:15. In the rush to get going before sunup I neglected to note the time. 

It was still quite dark when we started out, and for the first 20 minutes or so...









Throughout the first half hour I took many pictures of the changing light. Unfortunately, my turd of a camera only let me have a handful of good shots once the sun was creeping up. The summit of Point 12,915 was a quick half mile, but a laborious 1,000' gain...









The sun cleared the foothills just as we reached the top...









The Mosquito Range dusted in snow off in the distance...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Sunrise on Ridik...









Quickly we resumed heading south on the ridge which is where the most of our day was spent...









Bubba was not pleased to have any distance between the group members. I swear you could see him counting everyone over and over...


















(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Finally I had to let him loose so he could go back and check on everyone...









A quick drive by shot of Point 13,117. The walk to that point wasn't bad. Only dropping 200' from the first point and rising 400'...









But the next drop and climb is obvious...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

The first unsettled area we had to descend through. Still a very leisurely stroll up to here...









Looking west at the shadow cast by the Continental Divide...









Looking down on HWY 6...









Most of the way up the last climb to Grizzly Peak. I think it was named for the steep hike in loose sandy ankle bashing rocks... 









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

From the summit of Grizzly (13,427'), the front range mountains are starting to become very familiar...









If it seems like this recap is going rather quick, it's because I have very few pictures worth posting. The sun angle coupled with my own ineptitude handling cameras left much to be desired. Plus it was a BONUS hike I wasn't sure we'd get to... 









Lake Dillon off yonder...









Casey heads out to the edge of the ridge to assess the situation. He summed it up poignantly by saying, "Man, we just hiked all that to get here. And there's STILL a 14er to climb" At Grizzly's summit we had covered 3.5 miles and 2,300 vertical feet, but still had to double that to get back to the van. Not to mention what Torreys would add to those numbers...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

A nice shot of three Summit County ski resorts. Arapaho Basin in foreground, Keystone and Breckenridge in the distance...



























Torreys taunting from oh so close-ish...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

More mountains not yet hiked...


















Heading back over Grizzly to trudge our way back...


















(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Things were looking busy on the big mountains...



























This is one of the tougher parts of the trail to Torreys that helped in the final decision...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Most of the route back is visible here. Except one additional rise hidden by Grizzly...


















Every person we met on the summit of Grizzly eventually came back instead of continuing on to the 14ers...


















(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

More of these guys...



























(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

By 11:00 the clouds were beginning to gather...



























Luckily there was a clear trail cutting across 12,915, saving a couple hundred feet of gain...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

The final stretch back to the top of the pass and the van...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Back amongst the tourists looking up at the start...









After a little break and some lunch, I was feeling the need to cram in one more high point. So we joined the conga line up the east side of the pass and made our way over to Point 12,585. Some of the people up there looked like they had no business trying to walk at 12,000 feet. Bright red faces, bugged out eyes and breathing so heavy they can't say "Hi"...









Being such a short walk, I left my pack at the van. What a difference that made. Poor Ridik hauled crap all day long...









That was easy...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Yet another backcountry playground with an easy approach...




































(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

We arrived back at the van about 1:00pm. I was still somewhat regretting stopping short of the big mountain. But it did look far and steep compared to getting to where you can see the trail. By the end of our hike we were at 8.62 miles, 6.5 hours, 11,990' to a high of 13,427' and 3,553' of vertical gain. 

Now it looks as though the season has ended. There *might* be one more opportunity for an alpine hike, but I'm not counting on it. Doggies and I have an entire winter to work on our strength and endurance. The 2010 calendar is full of some serious distance and altitude. For now, I'm going to enjoy the hell out of these 40° days. 


















¿What do I post about now?

Fin.


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

*September 26, 2009: Buffalo Mountain, Delayed Update* 
(At last, the end of this thread!)

When determining the various hikes through the season, my biggest resource was individual trip reports posted on obscure blogs. The big sites often have generic info in poorly written reports with nary a picture. Add the fact that Buffalo is just a lowly 12er and you have a recipe for little information. What I did find filled me with wondrous thoughts of a quick five mile round trip mountain. So it was decided that Saturday would work out peachy for a short hike to return the van for Lindsay's plans at 4:00pm. "No sweat", I thought confidently to myself. 

The weather that week was wet. 50's and 60's along the front range with precipitation every day at altitude. But, it was an up-slope event which typically isolates the moisture to east of the divide. Most of the hills got some amount of dusting above 10,500'. Thursday brought some sun into the mountain valleys and we all coordinated for something on Saturday. I was glued to every Summit County web cam I could find. The snow slowly retreated to the tops of the mountains and Friday's non stop sun excited me. We truly were headed for one last hike! 

Two big factors played into Saturday's late start time of 7:00-ish am. First, the fact that there might be some lingering fluff on the top meant that the sun was needed. Second, it was a five mile hike according to every report I came across with stats. PUH-LEEZ, five miles meant we could be off the trail by noon. Heh. 

My mom arrived ready to roll at 4:30, but I was still one cup of coffee behind. At 5:00am, Casey fidgeted and mumbled something about not going. I helped get my mom's stuff into the van, loaded the five dogs, grabbed my junk and we were moving at 5:10am. We made great time drafting a Supra down I-25 until he got nabbed by State just before 120th. Losing our pace setter did nothing to slow our progress. From my driveway in Loveland to the parking lot at Wendy's in Silverthorne took us 1hr 47min. A new personal best, AND IN THE VAN NO LESS! Emerging from the tunnel brought forth a glorious sight. Buffalo was practically dry...










The rest of our party took just a bit longer to arrive, and we were off to the trailhead above Wildernest. Seconds before 8:00am we were in the trees hiking...




























(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

The first segment through the trees was a fight against layers. The sun was shining through just enough to sweat, but not strong enough to fend off bitter cold by shedding a layer. Boy was I glad I went with a wind layer only...









From reports I knew to expect a fork in the trail and we arrived there rather quickly. The furthest left trail is the one to Buffalo Cabin, and it gets a little steeper from the fork to the cabin. Nothing this well conditioned gang would be phased by though. Sure enough, we reached the "cabin" after what felt like a morning stretch...


















No doubt layers were headed for the packs...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Invigorated by adjusting to the rising temperature, we hammered out another 600 vertical feet like no one's business. The trees were thinning and the views were widening...









Six hundred feet is six hundred feet no matter how you cut it. We took our first water break around 10,600'...


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Not too long after heading up again, snow was gradually appearing through the trees. This is also where Jack discovered exactly how his pack was attached. (You can still see the puppy in his crazy eyes.) The thing is, this caused an ongoing dilemma for Jennifer as his pack shedding proficiency increased...



























Ute Peak to the north, northeast...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

As we emerged from treeline, a large cairn marked the beginning of a rather large rock field...










Following the trail left of the cairn things got interesting as the dirt went away. Lose the the trail interesting. We must have scrambled some 200 yards up the rocks before I reached a level spot and found... THE TRAIL! 

Visibly I could see we were supposed to go right of the cairn and into the rocks. There's a slight ridge that hides your view from below, making you think the trail heads left. A trail DOES go left, but only because so many people go the wrong way. Then it ends promptly at the rock field. 

I had barely reached that spot when I heard an all familiar rock clack followed by cussing...









She gave us a teeth clenched thumbs up and we continued the scramble through what would come to be the worst part of the trail...


















(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Even Ridik grew weary of the rock scramble. Despite the warnings posted at the trailhead, I let them off leash through the rocks. They were phenomenal. I second guessed their choice of route twice and ended up rounding four foot vertical rocks. That's what it took for me to trust what they were doing. There should be a rule that the route is right or left of the cairns...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

The rock field was over, but a false summit remained...









Coco bringin' up the rear of the front group...









There was a nice little snow patch the dogs chilled in while the rest caught up...


















(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Idiots...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

The final push...









Cresting the ridge and visualizing the summit...


















(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

This is one of those mountains I can remember from being a kid. Summit shots!!!...




































(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

We could see Silverthorne/Dillon from there...









The previous weekend's hike hidden against Torreys and Grays...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Bubba came up from behind me and demanded a hug...




































(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Mount of the Holy Cross. I know going in that's not going to be an easy hike...


















(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Red Peak looking nasty to the northwest...









My dogs have finally given up on pica...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

One last solid view of Copper Mountain as we descended...









That rock field can kiss my...


















I really need to give my dogs more credit. They have become very accustomed to low class three rocks. This hike really opened my eyes to their capabilities. Coco no longer hates rocks and they all know exactly what is going on. The capacity of a dog brain is something to behold...









(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Like a Kanye style jackass, I made it to the bottom of the tough part while half of the group still remained fighting the rocks on the downside. At least we got a long break...


















(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Bit by bit the rocks were conquered...


















(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

The others deserved a break and none of the dogs had a problem with that...



























(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

It was well past 1:00pm and we all had curfews to meet. I had to get back between 3-4pm and it was looking bad. The rock field screwed us like something that screws things. There are very few pics of the end as we hurried our way back...



























(cont.)


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

One last stop in Silverthorne for gas and wine relief. Then I was off on an attack of the I-70 corridor. I rocketed to I-25 only to get a flat at the on ramp. That made me totally super late. Luckily, Casey's decision to stay behind left Lindsay a way to Longmont. Damn, I was about to make the trip in less than 90 minutes. Alas, it was not meant to be...









6.15 miles, 9,726' to 12,777', 6hrs 21min and 3,151 vertical gain. Add the nasty fall I had entering the trees and I was a hurtin' unit. I logged about 14 hours of sleep that night. Telling the story again is worthy of a nap...












*2009 Totals*
My total along with Bubba and Ridik: 103.05 miles, 35,876' vertical gain and 16 peaks
Malamutes: 83.71 miles, 29,335' vertical gain and 10 peaks



Thanks for tagging along with this never ending post.
Summer 2010 is right around the corner...


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