-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!!!!!!!!
