Adventures in the Colorado Rockies!

“It can get pretty busy in the Wild Basin area.”

“you should go up to Rawah wilderness dood. Really pretty lakes up there - bunches of 'em!”

“Well I guess, some of the Backerpacker articles took care of that?

I think this is where I first heard of this area in RMNP, saying how it was a little used, out of the way area of the park.

I guess the word is out, or were they full of BS with their article, in the first place?”

“I'd like to do a flyfishing/backpacking trip in the Rawahs this summer.”

“How's the fishing at Lost Lake in RMNP?”

“Not sure... but it sure is a nice spot! It would be worth a try.”

“Pictures from this past weekend's dayhike.

We hiked to the top of Signal Mountain which is at the border of Rocky Mountain National Park. The total distance was 11 miles roundtrip with about 3,600 feet total elevation gain. Signal Mountain is 11,262 feet high in elevation.

”

“nice shot of the Columbine, i haven't seen them in bloom yet. Always surprises me how different the mountains and forests up on the north end of the park have a different character than the ones down around the I-70 corridor.”

“Thanks. The columbine was in bloom in a grassy area along the Pennock Creek. That monolith looks like a cool little climbing area!”

“does that big rock thingy have a name? it's on the trail to Signal Mtn, right? where did you guys start from?”

“I just see it called "monolith".

We started from Pingree Road.”

“BTW.. if you look at one of summit photos you can actually see it in the valley below.”

“Shot #33 looking down on the monolith is pretty wild!”

“I can see the monolith on my topo but it's not named. Cool lookin rock!”

“I'll climb it if you are interested and have the rope/gear. I have shoes and harness.”

“no trad gear - yet... By end of summer I'll be fixed for trad climbing though.”

“I saw some guys walking in with a crash pad. They said they were going to boulder on some stuff along the trail but not the monolith.”

“I miss the Rockies!”

“Latest hike in Rocky Mountain National Park this past Saturday. We had originally planned on doing Mummy Mania over 5 13ers but after clouds started rolling we decided to offtrail down past Fay Lakes and connect with the Ypsilon Lake Trail. One of my favorite hikes out here with the most offtrail hiking I've done in Colorado.

”

“Oh my!

Can I come?”

“Man, I miss Colorado!”

“LOL... that sounds very familiar!”

“Hmm, I still haven't done just Mummy, and you were planning Mummy Mania... Stupid strong hikers! :)”

“I wanna do Mummy Mania! I think it's better in the fall though just before the snows come - less thunderstorm activity then.”

“Yeah, I think thats when we might retry.

The approach from Ypsilon to Fairchild looks pretty tricky dead on. We were going to head up after dropping 1000 feet between.

Have to do it before Fall River Rd closes.”

“that's sometime in Sept when it closes... isn't it? I'm not sure.

gimme a holler.

wanna have lunch sometime this week? Thur or Fri?”

“I think so. Where ya think'n for lunch? Either day works for me. Send me an email.”

“Long story....

About 12 years ago I come out to visit an Uncle in Colorado over Thanksgiving. I figure I'm in good shape at the time. I'll drive up and make basecamp near the trailhead (the day I fly in) and climb Elbert the next day. I make camp, eat and go to get ready for bed. As soon as I get in my sleeping bag I start getting the bedspins and feel really nauseas. I've got altitude sickness, crap! I pack up and drive back down to Denver. Take some aspiring and go to bed.

Next year I come out again for Thanksgiving. This time I spend some time acclimatizing. I head up to Elbert and decide to do it all in one day. I make it up to treeline where I'm walking in about 3 feet of snow with snowshoes on. I'm by myself and a really bad storm rolls in covering the summit. I decide its not wise to continue on. I head back to Denver.

8 years later I move out to Colorado. The following November I try again with EddieS. We camp overnight in his Jeep and get too late of a start the next morning. Then we lose the trail among the hunters' paths heading up. We decide to head back after getting up to around 11,600'. We also get lost on the way back to the trailhead. The GPS didn't really help due to all the hunter trails.

And finally this past Saturday! Total time to hike up and back was 6 hours and 15 minutes. We started at the 4WD trailhead.


last edited: 10/08/07 9:14:27 PM”

“Sweet!!!

Persistence pays!”

“The pictures from the summit were amazing! I definitely live in the wrong state.”

“Good Job!”

“All right! Elbert's awesome!”

“Thank ya, thank ya very much. (Elvis Font)”

“Hmpph!

Thought this was a thread about the Phillies-Rockies series.”

“Nice pictures. They remind me to stop next time I pass through. The Mighty Mighty Tacoma's elevation record was set nearby @ 11,200 feet above mean sea level approximately :)

Ahh - elevation disease. I catch it at 12,000 ft, so it seems. Lower, I do fine, which I attribute to acclimitivin' by drivin'.

My ED episodes includes one in the Winds where I yelled at Sissybelle for not staying on her assigned rock while I finished the Bonnie Pass climb (irritability - cured by glissading).


My other was waking in the middle of the night with erratic breathing while camped at the top of Chicago Basin (nickin' - cured by smoking a cig).”

“Very cool. Congrats dude.”

“So...we have been in Colorado for 8 years now...where to next?”

“how your RI? under 3 hrs to the whites from here...”

“If I could be anyplace it would be Wyoming because of the small population. I'm pretty sure it would take me longer than 8 years to get tired of CO. I've been in CA 4 years and have only seen the smallest fraction of it.”

“Not really tired of the hiking just tired of the job market here for my work.”

“Well, there's that. But I'm spoiled by the scenery. I could never live in huge parts of the country no matter what.”

“I agree. For a while I was eying up a company located in Cody, WY.”

“Magificent country . Thanks for sharing.”