Mountains: Redcloud Peak, Sunshine Peak
Dates: May 26, 2007
Crew: Frank, Brittany, Me
Routes climbed: Sunshine: NW face
Redcloud: E Ridge back out of Bent Creek area
Routes skied: Sunshine: E face
Redcloud: W Gully

Well after leaving Denver a little late on friday night we arrived at the Grizzly/Silver Trailheads around midnight and found ourselves in bed around 12:30 AM. The 4 O‘clock alarm came ridiculously early, and we eventually stumbled out of bed some time around 4:25. After getting ready and eating some breakfast we found ourselves on the trail around 5:25. No need for skis or boots at this point and we started hiking in our trail shoes. We did the zombie walk for a while until we came to the trail split at around 11,100 ft.
Here is a view of Handies:

I looked up the valley and chose to throw my ski boots on before crossing the creek. Frank and Brittany chose to try and walk a little farther. After switching shoes and walking across the river I found them about 100 feet up the gully switching into ski boots and putting skins on. After a somewhat slow transition we headed up skinning towards sunshine. The sun had not found us yet, and it was still well below freezing in this valley.

We continued up the valley and finally just broke into the sun just below the lower chutes.

We skinned almost the entire way up until the last 15 vertical of the chute. However as we entered the chute some rockfall came off of the cliff next to us and I watched as Frank tried to get out of the way and in the process took a rock smack in the knee from 50 ft up. To say the least, he was in some pain. But after getting out of the gully he continued on.

After getting to the top we put our skins on for a while longer and finally gave into boot packing straight up the face.

I had been in the lead after we started booting up the face and topped out to find a nice face down the otherside and felt the warmth of the sun.

I love colorado! Here are Frank and Brittany coming up the ridge.

After a little grub and water (cheezits). We were ready to click in and ski.
Hanging over the cornice:

Frank off the top:

Brittany:

Frank leading the way:

Brittany:

Myself:

Looking back at our line skied:

We skied down to around 12,700 and then it was time to put the skins back on.

We skinned up the ridge to a point where it makes a “T” with the ridge between Sunshine and Redcloud. An hour or more later we were on top of Recloud.
Here is the first view we got of Redcloud on the way up.

The knee must have been alright because we didnt see Frank again until the summit.

We all put on our skis and were ready to ski fairly quickly. We headed down the ridge a ways and dropped into a gully that lead down to the lower south fork drainage.

Frank drops in:

Myself:

Brittany:

We skied out to the creek crossing, switched shoes, and headed on down the trail. We arrived at camp and spent the day eating, drinking PBR and hanging out by a camp fire. This was the first of 3 great days in the mountains this weekend.