Just a few short months ago I found myself bagging peaks in the Grenadiers with Dave Rasmussen.
Arrow Peak from part way through our approach.
This time around the crew is different as is the approach. Winter transforms these peaks from a state of isolation to what could almost be considered a small expedition.
Nick Thompson and Ben Sanders gave a go at making this trip in April of 2010, but for a variety of reasons didn’t really make it all that far. 2011 looks to have a snowpack that was short of average, but still stable in the San Juans so our trip is on. I work night and day right up until the day we are supposed to leave, so packing is a bit of a rush! Thanks Nick for Handling the food!
As with any trip that involves driving from Aspen to the San Juans, we are a little slow to get out of town on Friday April 1st. Finally leaving Carbondale around 7:30 PM we begin making our way towards Ridgeway to meet up with Ben who was coming from Telluride. Sorting gear in the dark is never a good idea, as you will inevitably forget or misplace something. Happened to us. Could happen to you. Oh well, guess we have to make do. We load into Ben’s truck and what starts with excitement for a trip turns into sleepiness for me and I fall asleep despite the roar of the diesel engine up and over Red Mountain Pass to Silverton, and on up Molas pass to our starting trailhead. Bivy’s, sleeping pads, and sleeping bags come out and are strewn between the ground and pickup bed. Sleep comes quickly. The following morning we get an early start. Skis are on. Skins are in the pack. We are headed down to the Animas River.
The skiing is of the mixed bag variety, but with small exception we make it to the river on snow by sticking to more north facing slopes.
Nick finding a bare spot. We hoped this would be the most treacherous skiing of the trip, but sadly we were mistaken.
Down to the river it is a short skin down to the footbridge where we cross over to the tracks and head up the Elk Creek Trail for a few miles.
A sign points for tourists riding the train.
The sites along the way keep the mind off of the straps digging trenches in our shoulders.
We finally reach a crest in the trail at the edge of a large ravine and catch an incredible view of our intended playground.
Vestal and Arrow.
Passing the beaver ponds we find the snow to be completely unsupportive. We watch as wet slides pour off of the mountains above our intended pathway. We opt to throw up our megamid and sleep til morning, hoping for frozen temperatures.
Our 5 star accommodations for the evening.
Dinner Time. Nick serves up mac n cheese.
Sleep comes early and easily after humping loads up to this point. We get a reasonable early start the next day, and after a quick breakfast we cross the creek and are on our way up the last 1,500 feet to camp. Much to our dismay the snow has not frozen. In fact, its about as bad as it gets.
Very very rotten snow in the trees.
Some interesting sections of skinning ensue.
Finally we arrive at our home for the next few days. We start the process of digging out a base for our BD Megamid and sealing it up as tight as possible. We finish just as the storm comes in. Time to relax for the night. On to tomorrow.