| Ref: 14ers.com
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I left at 2 AM to beat incoming
snow and lightning.
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Scramble:
RT 10.5; 6.25 up. Following a long arduous
trip on Mount Princeton, Tim suggested I take it easy and pace myself;
we had another big trip planned for the weekend. I spent two days
resting before tackling
Mount Antero which is a 26 kilometer schlep this time of the year. The
weather was changing and the forecast was dismal with 90% chance of
snow
starting during the night and T-storms around noon, the odds were
stacked against me... During the sunny preceding day, I checked the
weather relentlessly; I was disappointed that I hadn't gone. I guess
this made me keener to succeed! I decided
to sleep at the trailhead and leave the truck at 2 AM, the night sky
was starry and I didn't want to miss out on mileage without snowfall.
Travel was fast on the access road, gotta
say I hustled to make it to the summer trailhead. I continued on the
road
but it got tougher to discern as I progressed towards
treeline because
of abundant snow coverage; luckily for me, I was able to pick up
old drifted-in tracks. At some point, I knew I was nearing the
switchbacks but with limited visibility in total darkness, I had to
pull out my GPS to confirm. Happy with my position, I booted up a steep
talus slope and stumbled onto a switchback. I decided to follow the
road given it was still pitch dark. I encountered some of the toughest
conditions of the day by doing so, some sections were completely
covered
by steep firm snow with unfavourable runouts; in places, I opted to
shortcut the switchbacks on the snow-covered talus as it was the lesser
of two evils. Eventually dawn was upon me and I was able to scope out
better travel and an alternate descent in one of the very long slide
path that is transected by the road. Weather was unsettled by now and
both Point 13800 and Antero were engulfed in low cloud, I worried about
the predicted storm. At the top of the switchbacks, I carried on to the
south-western saddle; I left the road and ascended Point 13800 just
south of
Antero. As I climbed, the sun peered through the
multiple layers of cloud and the ceiling rose enough for me to see
Antero. With no hesitation, I dipped down to
the saddle and continued along the interesting summit ridge; I then
climbed
the final pitch to the summit on firm snow. I couldn't believe it,
I had made it to the top
despite all odds! My summit stay was brief but the absence of wind
made it comfortable. Although the view was reduced, I was treated to a
fantastic display of cloud formations with the occasional glimpse of
sun;
the scenery was incredibly textured and full of mood. I called Tim, my
emergency contact, and took pictures before backtracking. After going
down the
summit ridge, I decided to follow the road on the east side of Point
13800 back to the switchbacks. At the switchbacks, I called Tim
again
to let him know I was descending all the way to treeline via a
spectacular avalanche path. The descent was
painless and fast, I called again once I was clear of all potential
hazard. After a well-deserved break, it started snowing hard. I
lollygagged back to the truck feeling quite contempt, this was a
bold solo ascent!
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Now that it's light, I can see
the terrain I've travelled.
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Atop Point
13800 with Mount Antero beyond.
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The sun is
peering through a hole in the dark cloudcover.
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Looking back.
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Summit ridge.
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The top of
the road that circumvents Point 13800 on its east side.
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The sun and
the clouds create spectacular scenery.
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Good travel
on the ridge.
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More moody
multi-layered clouds.
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No wind and
no storm yet, this was a bold solo ascent!
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Looking over
the summit ridge and Point 13800.
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Western
aspect and Baldwin Gulch.
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Selfie under
momentary sunshine.
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Heading back
down.
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Todays
clouds engulfing the mountains offer sights to die for.
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Centennial
13er Cronin Peak to the south-west.
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Stellar
contrast with the sunlit slope and the dark background.
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Walking into
the cloud.
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Taking the
road around Point 13800 for my return.
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Despite the
obscured views, this scenery deeply stirs my emotions.
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I chose this
gully for a speedy descent.
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A bit of
blue sky before the storm.
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Back in
Baldwin Gulch.
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Ski pole art.
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Mount
Princeton has been shrouded all day. |
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