On Saturday the 22nd my Dad Tj, his friend Scott, Scott’s friend Rico, and I made our way to East Vail and started up the Gore Creek Trail carrying overnight packs. Our plan was to pack in, camp in the open meadows just below treeline, and climb Grand Traverse the next day. Though Grand Traverse is typically hiked in a day from the bottom, there were certainly advantages to a pack in for our group in particular. Read more…
The last time Rick, Mike and I got together in Rocky Mountain National Park before this trip was a 17 hour epic on the Kiener’s Route on Longs. The climb was “as advertised” and for me, one of the better days I’ve ever experienced in the hills. I remember the bacon bleu burger from Southern Sun like it was yesterday. Fast forward to the summer of 2012 and we found ourselves plotting another masochistic stroll through the park. Ben and I had done 80 to 90% of the “Glacier Gorge Traverse” (depending on who you are talking to) from Chief’s Head to Taylor the summer before. Keep reading…
After our return from the PNW in June Brian and I began laying down an itinerary for a summer backpacking trip to the Weminuche. We reached out for partners and established a group of ten highly interested, which would ultimately be reduced to a final list of seven. None of us had climbed any of the Ruby Basin 13ers previously with the exception of Brian, who headed in a few years ago and hit Pigeon, Turret, and the Animas Group with some fellow 14ers.com members. Matt, Mark, and Tim have been fast at work on the Centennials so their interests in a Pigeon/Turret/Jupiter combo were very high. Keep reading…
After a successful outing on Dallas, Matt, Brian, Tommy, and I motored over to West Cimarron Basin and found a place to lay our heads for the night. Where we ended up was undoubtedly some of the best car camping real estate any of us had ever seen. A large, grassy field with easy stream access and views of Chimney Rock and Couthouse greeted us with open arms. We pulled in with just enough daylight left to throw out the camp chairs and enjoy a few brews under the waning sun. Keep reading…