Colorado Mts. August 2004

[RAM]

Five plus years back, the wife (Judy) and the son (Aaron age 14) joined me for a pair of 3 day mountain trips on a pair of 14,000 foot peaks. The first was an ascent of the knife edge route on Capitol Peak. Then a trip over to the north ridge of Kit Carson with a day in the Valley View hot springs in between. Why no helmets on the first and then with them on the second, I have not a clue. Both routes have hours of and thousands of feet of, class 4 scrambling on good rock. Classic rambles.
Enjoy!
Ram

http://picasaweb.google.com/aramv14/ColoradoMtTripAugust2004#

[erial]

Enjoyed the photos. Managed to get up Kit Carson this past September from South Colony. A class 3 route, engaging and demanding. Some of your photos reminded of the transition between Kit and Kitty including the swirling clouds.

Yet to go for Capitol. Maybe next year. jeff

[RAM]

Enjoyed the photos. Managed to get up Kit Carson this past September from South Colony. A class 3 route, engaging and demanding. Some of your photos reminded of the transition between Kit and Kitty including the swirling clouds.

Yet to go for Capitol. Maybe next year. jeff

Glad you enjoyed, Jeff. I did the South Colony, over Kitty, many years back. Challenging to keep it at class 3 coming off Kitty and a long time spent up high, in thunderboomer country. The Willow Lake approach on the other side is a charming and from the higher Trail head a bit over 4 miles of trail as opposed to the gutted road on the other side. The north ridge route is 45 degree angle forever on that amazing conglomerate rock. You suffer from too many hold options. The occasional hole where a rock used to be, reminds that although the rock is solid, it is not perfectly so. One can descend over Challenger Peak, which gives a nice tour of the place.

Capitol has a 6 mile trailed hike in. Lots of aspens. Lots of wildflowers, but unfortunately. lots of cowed out areas too. But its nice being on trail, as opposed to the old minors roads that go as routes on so many of the 14-r's. A suggestion...When you get to the Daly-Capitol col, follow the ridge up to K-2 (sub peak of Capitol). This is endless class 4 on great rock with NO ONE around. Adds an hour to the day and is stellar.
Ram

[erial]

Ram, Thanks for the info. I still have to go back and tag Challenger. Thought I'd likely go from South Colony again since I enjoyed it so much this time out. However your route discription offers a tasty alternative.
Will keep it in mind as well as the suggestion regarding Capitol. jeff

[Scott P]

Nice photos!


Capitol has a 6 mile trailed hike in. Lots of aspens. Lots of wildflowers, but unfortunately. lots of cowed out areas too. But its nice being on trail, as opposed to the old minors roads that go as routes on so many of the 14-r's. A suggestion...When you get to the Daly-Capitol col, follow the ridge up to K-2 (sub peak of Capitol). This is endless class 4 on great rock with NO ONE around. Adds an hour to the day and is stellar.

Capitol is a nice one. I've already failed twice.

The first time we had to turn back because of high avalanche danger in spring. We tried the direct route from Daly-K2, but when it is covered with snow, it is dangerous without fixing ropes. You have to cross one slab that if you slipped on the snow (there isn't much room to self arrest) it would carry you all the way off the face. By the time we got done messing around on the direct route, the sun was too warm and the snow was too unstable to try the normal route (I was the one who insisted on going back since I didn't think the snow was stable enough). If you are interested, here is what the peak looks like when covered with snow:

http://www.summitpost.org/trip-report/170130/summit-or-plummet-an-sp-attempt-on-capitol-pk.html

We also tried the peak in March 2006, this time from West Snowmass. By the time we got into the upper basin, most of the group was too tired from breaking trail hour after hour to the upper basin. By the time the next morning came conditions were good and stable, everyone but me (especially since I didn't want to come back another time and break all that trail again since it was so much hard work) just wanted to just go home. I didn't want to climb the peak alone so went home with them.

We're hoping to give it another go this winter, but you have to be really lucky with conditions on this one. I guess if we fail again, I might give up and do it in summer.