Huron Peak / Aspen weekend

This is my first Blogger post, and it is one that I write with great joy... and sore calf muscles. All the photos from this trip (not just the ones below) will be on Flickr as soon as my Yahoo account transfers (too bad they're closing down!). I'll try to keep the tangents to a minimum, but I am not really sure how this will all come out (I have a hard time leaving details out so I apologize in advance for the novella), so without further adieu, here goes:

I've lived in Boulder for almost 8 weeks. [As those who know me will recognize, I am incapable of telling a story without a precursor, so this is the obligatory precursor.] I've heard it takes 6 weeks to get acclimated to 5,280 ft above sea level in Denver, and I feel well acclimated to that after moving from Austin, TX. Since moving here, I have spent several weekends at varying elevations attempting to acclimate to higher than 5,280 (hiking up to lakes at 10,500, driving Trail Ridge Road to over 12,000, etc). Ryan and I hadn't been higher than 12,300 ft, but after an REI session about how to climb 14ers, we decided this was a good weekend to try for our first 14er... Huron Peak southwest of Leadville. For route and photos, see 14ers.com's page.

We planned on leaving from Ryan's (near the DTC) as soon as I drove down from Boulder... the assumption being that we would get to the trailhead around 10pm for a 7am start up the trail. An emergency surfaced at work around 4:45 and kept me in the office until 7:30 (perfect timing... pinche trabajo!), so it was closer to 10pm by the time we got on 70W and out of Denver (not anywhere near the trailhead or preparation for the hike). I was extremely frustrated about the "work emergency" and continued to agonize as I wished we could see the mountains instead of the stars when we exited 70 at Copper Mtn and drove through Leadville at midnight. [sidenote: we listened to Radiohead most of the way from 70 to the trailhead... this is relevant later] Chaffee County road 390 to the old mining/ghost town of Winfield was a piece of cake. The final 2 miles from Winfield to the Huron Peak trailhead, however, were technical four wheel driving (do NOT disregard the signs about high clearance 4WD required) and were especially interesting at 1am. I was somewhat jealous that it was Ryan's weekend to drive, knowing my Jeep was parked in a garage 5000 ft below, but that jealousy was replaced by further anguish when I gashed my left thumb on a tent stake. I didn't even notice until I saw the blood that had smeared on my hand and all over one of Ryan's (sorry dude) tent poles. [side note: attempting to focus on the task at hand, Radiohead's Lucky lyrics were all I could think of... "It's gonna be a glorious day, I feel my luck could change"] It was 38 degrees (the trailhead is at 10,500), the tent was not exactly on flat ground, and the 7am wakeup was not my idea of fun, but I was in the mountains and the stars were fantastic, so I felt about as good as possible given the situation.

The next morning we packed up and ate breakfast quick enough to get on the trail at 8:40. I knew from the 14ers.com report that the steepest part of the 3 mile hike was the first half (a series of switchbacks to the treeline at 12,000 ft). Hikes that start out difficult usually kick my butt (such as the Smokies trip 1 yr ago to the day), and this was no exception. The dog vomit we passed told me I wasn't the only one struggling. I definitely slowed us down, but was relieved to eventually discover that it was my being out of shape and not the altitude (if I was huffing and puffing at 12,000 how the hell would I get to 14,000?). I also stopped periodically to take in the incredible scenery, which was incomparable to anything I had ever seen before. [sidenote: as the thought of me not dealing with the altitude spun through my frontal lobe I once again came upon Radiohead lyrics that seemed to subdue the concern... Optimistic "If you try the best you can, The best you can is good enough"... it better be or I am going to feel like an idiot] Once we hit the treeline the caffeine in my GU gel (or was it the lack of oxygen? or the fact that I subconsciously expected a cakewalk from here to the top having read that in a review? or maybe just simple old Rocky Mountain High) left me suddenly elated (loopy was the word I used to explain it) and our pace increased. At this point we also passed squirrel entrails and bear (or a huge dog - there were lots of dogs up there) scat. When we came to the basin (pic #4 in the 14ers.com route description) we lost the trail a bit and postholed up to the thigh in snow attempting to avoid stepping on the tundra. Snow got into my boots, but my SmartWools and Sundowners did not disappoint (no blisters!). Once we got back on the trail, the stretch from 12,000 to 13,000 became strenuous due to the thinning air. As we approached the summit, I began to feel much more acclimated and ended up passing Ryan who struggled a bit with altitude (again, I was hardly going fast, but at that height not stopping to catch breath seems to increase pace dramatically). We made it to the summit at 11:30, a little after our target but early enough to avoid the late afternoon storms. The view simply cannot be put into words.

I did not realize this, but Huron Peak happens to be one of the best places in the state to view other 14ers. From the summit we could see at least 15 other 14ers including

• Pikes Peak in the Front Range (to the SE),
  
• Snowmass Mtn, Pyramid Peak and the Maroon Bells in the Elk Mountains (to the NW),
  
• La Plata Peak, Missouri, Mt. Elbert and Mt. Yale in the Sawatch Range

The San Juans (~75 miles away direct) were also visible. Directly across the valley from us were The Three Apostles (click the image below for larger view; see also Collegiate, Sawatch and San Juans in the background).

Looking a bit north from the Three Apostles (cardinally West), we could see the Taylor Park reservoir on the other side of the Continental Divide. The Elk mountains (and, I believe, most of the popular ski resorts between Snowmass and Vail) are visible a bit north of there, as shown in the picture below.

Looking to the north we could see Mt. Elbert, which is pointed out by the red arrow in the pic below. La Plata is the highest point on the left.

We stayed on top for an hour to eat lunch and take in the view. Storms began to role in after noon (right on queue), so I was glad we had made progress towards the Jeep when lightning sporadically clapped above us. As we descended we both struggled with altitude, but with each measurable decrease in altitude the air felt noticeably thicker (I never thought I would say 11,000 ft felt like thick air, but it did very much compared to 14). About a half mile from the trailhead the clouds finally brought rain and sleet. The falling ice was pretty cold and about penny-sized, so we put our rain coats on... just in time for it to stop. We reached the Jeep at 2:30 with wet clothes and fully oxygenated lungs 3,500 feet below Huron. This was easily in the top 3 of most physically demanding days I've ever had, and is #1 on toughest 3 miles hiked. If it were any more than 6 miles total it would top the most physically demanding list.

Leadville produced much-needed food (burgers and chocolate milk to get the fat and protein levels back up). We took Independence Pass to Weller campground (highly recommended!) just east of Aspen. After we put the tent up we realized the sun wouldn't set for another hour, so we drove to Aspen for a Fat Tire. I forgot my Tiffany tennis bracelet (a fashion disaster!) and smelled awful, so I felt a little under par compared to the rest of the Saturday night Aspen crowd, but it was a great time in a great town. [sidenote: the Jazz fest is next weekend and I would pay $100 to see Herbie Hancock if it wasn't on a Thursday night... that sucks!] I slept like I hadn't caught a wink since March. The next morning we headed up to the Maroon Bells.

4 years ago I parked right in front of the lake; this is now not possible. It was annoying to drive back down for the bus after the ranger told us this, but I swear the area was more pristine (if possible), and I applaud the change. I pondered Colorado's population concerns and mass-transit on the way (back) up (would John Denver be happy or concerned that I was in Aspen?) the canyon. The bus driver gave us and explanation of the geology and history of the area as we went. The Bells were a tremendous sight on a cloudless backdrop.

We walked up to the head of the lake and saw a mountain goat on a cliff. After that it was time to head back to civilization. What an incredible 24 hours!

As we drove down towards Glenwood I became a bit melancholy over the increased population of Basalt and Carbondale (very noticeable compared to four years ago) then realized I was just like them by moving to Boulder (pointing the finger back at myself increased the melancholy)... similar to the way I felt when driving into Jackson, WY (also four summers ago). Let's just say I have mixed emotions or concerns about the issue (and being part of it), and wish there was a way for everyone to enjoy the mountains without filling the valleys. The traffic into Denver re-surfaced the thought a few hours later, but I could think of nothing but the awe-inspiring aspects of the weekend as I drove towards the Flatirons from Ryan's apartment. I navigated to John Denver on the iPod for good measure (mom would be so proud; Sharon, are you still reading?) and wondered how many people truly understood the Starwood in Aspen lyrics ("my friends are the snow covered hills"). You better believe Rocky Mountain High and I Guess He'd Rather Be In Colorado also made the playlist.

This weekend is why I moved from Austin. May the LORD strike me dead or make me visit Missouri if the sights or events of this weekend ever become ordinary.