Ref: 14ers.com
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The last 3.5 kilometers to the
trailhead require a high clearance vehicle.
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THE
CLIMB -North-west slopes class 2
Hike:
RT 5.75; 2.75 up. My plan for today was to attempt Mounts Columbia and
Harvard but Tim
suggested I downscale a little, he figured I'd be too tired to complete
the Ellingwood/LaPlata trip we'd been planning since last april;
we were to climb it in two days!
This was a legitimate concern, I had been going steady since I got here
in Colorado and was starting to accumulate some fatigue.
Following my arrival on august 30th, I had climbed 17 summits: ten
14ers and seven 13ers. I decided to hike
up Huron Peak instead and this turned out to be a good decision, the
outing was short and delightful. I drove
to the Chaffee County 390 road, which is located roughly between Buena
Vista and Leadville and continued towards the trailhead. After the
ghost town of Winfield, I drove past
the Huron Peak 4 wheel drive sign; I sure was glad to have a 4X4
pickup. The narrow road is rough in places and requires some care but
I was
mostly worried about meeting other vehicles. As I was heading up in
late afternoon, of course I met other vehicles, luckily at convenient
spots where I was able to move off to the side. At the
trailhead, I prepared my pack for the following day and made my supper;
the rest of the evening was spent writing with a glass of wine. This
objective wasn't really demanding, I was looking forward to
lollygagging my way up and down the mountain but I still left early to
beat the
crowds. The trail was very easy to follow, pleasant hiking ensued as I
witnessed the sun rising
on the mountains across the valley. Beyond treeline, the trail
skirts a beautiful tarn in the alpine meadows; there was a thin layer
of ice on it. I had a
nice break there, the objective was in sight and it didn't seem far. A
little further, the trail climbs the talus slopes towards the
summit; a lot of work was spent building stairs out of rock. I enjoyed
a casual ascent and once again, I
reached the summit with nobody else in sight; it's been the theme on
most of my ascents and I love it!! The view towards The Three Apostles
is
stunning and steals the show, I could also see numerous 14ers all
around. The weather was fabulous, I stayed at the top for over an hour.
I felt a bit nostalgic, my journey in CO
was
coming to an end... After much procrastination, I picked up my stuff
and retraced my way down the mountain. I drove out to the historical
town of Winfield without mishap and took pictures of the lovely
buildings that remain. It was still early in the day, I slowly drove
back to Leadville and hung out at the coffee shop. The apex of my trip
awaited, Tim and I had been
psyching ourselves for LaPlata Peak via the infamous Ellingwood Ridge
for a long time; whoowee, couldn't wait!!!!!!!!
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At the
trailhead.
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The sun
rises across the valley as I reach treeline.
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Huron Peak
comes into view.
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A thin layer
of ice has formed on the small tarn in the meadows.
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The lovely
tarn is a gem at the foot of the mountain.
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Lots of work
has been invested in this trail.
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The very
good trail leads to the summit close by.
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I'm finally
in the sun as I near the top.
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Almost there!
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South-eastern
view with several 14ers in the far distance.
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The Three
Apostles steal the show to the south, Ice Mountain (13,951') is the
name of the tallest apostle in the middle.
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South-western
view towards Taylor Reservoir, barely visible beyond the mountains.
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I have the
summit all to myself, can't stop gawking at Ice Mountain's north face.
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Looking down
at the trailhead below.
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More 14ers
to the east and a couple of 13ers in yellow! |
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View north
with some of Leadville's famous 14ers in red.
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Impressive
LaPlata Peak (right), I fell in love with that 14er when I first saw it
from Mount Elbert.
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Heading down.
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Western view
as I retrace my way to the tarn.
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Looking back
at Huron Peak from the thawed tarn.
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On the drive
out, not many places to pull off to the side...
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The tiny
ghost town of Winfield was founded in 1881, the last ores (copper and
silver) were hauled out in 1918.
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This is a
maintained historical site.
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