2020 Trip Log

INTRODUCTION

This is just a simple log to keep track of our 2020 trips.

See the 2019 Trip Log for 2019

See the 2018 Trip Log for 2018

See the 2017 Trip Log for 2017.

See the 2016 Trip Log for 2016.

See the 2015 Trip Log for 2015.

See the 2014 Trip Log for 2014.

See the 2013 Trip Log for 2013.

See the 2012 Trip Log for 2012.

See the 2011 Trip Log for 2011.

See the 2010 Trip Log for 2010.

See the 2009 Trip Log for 2009.

See also the 2008 Trip Log for 2008.

DECEMBER

December 31:  Riggs Hill (Colorado)

I climbed Riggs Hill in the morning.  It was a bit chilly, but the mud was all frozen making it an easier morning climb than an afternoon one.

December 30:  Peak 5750 (Colorado)

In the evening, Shaylee, Kimberly, and I climbed Peak 5750.  It was really pretty with all the new snow.

December 29:  Serpents Trail (Colorado)

Just after sunset, I hiked the upper part of the Serpents Trail to get photos of the moon and new snow.   It was a chilly walk, but very beautiful.

December 27:  South Fork Taylor Creek (Utah)

Kessler and I hiked the full length of the South Fork of Taylor Creek in Zion National Park.  It is a really beautiful hike.  There was snow to walk on, but it was packed down and hard.  

December 24-26:  Parashant Canyon/Side Canyons/Whitmore Trail (Arizona)

December 24

Since the East Rim Road in the Grand Canyon was closed, Kessler and I headed for the Parashant Canyon area.   It had been on my list for a long time.

We drove the rough 4wd road to below Whitmore Point and looked for a route down a little side canyon that drained into Froggy Fault Canyon and Cedar Spring.  After some scouting around, we did find a route down, but it was very rugged.

We then hiked down the rugged Froggy Fault Canyon and looked for and found Cedar Spring.   It was only a pool maybe six by eight inches by two or three inches deep, but it would be adequate.   We then looked around and found another brown and bug filled pool that we could cook with.

After looking for a tent spot, we found a tiny flat spot behind a boulder, which appeared to be the only possible campsite in the area.  We set up camp and then set off to explore.

We explored down the slot in lower Froggy Fault Canyon.   We climbed several falls before coming to a falls that would require a rappel to go farther.  We turned around there.   We then headed up canyon and climbed up to the Redwall Rim above Parashant and the north side of Froggy Fault Canyon.  There was no possible route into the Parashant Narrows from there, but we had a good view of the canyon.   We then went around Froggy Fault Canyon and explored the area to the south for a route into the Parashant Narrows.  This time we did find a route and it was quite spectacular.  There was an exposed climb and an exposed narrow ledge to negotiate as well.

After reaching the floor of Parashant Canyon, we returned to camp and settled in.   There are easier routes down into Parashant farther north and near Frog Spring, but we decided not to use them because of all of the cheat grass! We'd rather deal with exposed scrambling than cheat grass!    

December 25

In the morning, we headed for the exposed and spectacular route into Parashant Canyon that we found the day previous.  We went down the canyon and went up canyon first.  It looked more interesting.   We were treated by many miles of spectacular narrows.  We explored the lower part of Froggy Fault Canyon and couold climb to the area of the rappel that we desceded down to the previous day.  There were several short, but technical falls to climb up and down.  

We then headed up canyon and explored the canyon draining the area around the Copper Mountain Mine.  This was a spectacular slot canyon and a lot of fun to climb up and down.  It was a nice challenge.  We could stem the pools going up canyon, but stemming them going down canyon was harder.  I fell into one of the pools that I tried to stem so Kessler decided to just take off his shoes and wade it.

After exploring the side canyon, we headed up the main Parashant Narrows and followed them all the way through the Redwall Limestone.  We also explored the open Supai drainage.  Along the way, we explore two more interesting side canyons.

After seeing it all up canyon, we returned all the way back to our exposed climbing route into Parashant, but continued down-canyon before exiting.  We turned around when we started to run out of daylight, knowing that we still had a time consuming task of filtering water when we got back to camp.   We climbed up the exposed route again and headed back to camp.

Once reaching camp, we climbed up to Cedar Spring to obtain water.  Since the pool was tiny, we had to filter it than wait for it to fill up again. Since the filter was sitting in suspended dirt part of the time, it would clog up quickly.  We were able to obtain enough water for the rest of the trip.

We then returned to camp and walked down to the stagnant pool to obtain water for cooking.  Even though we were boiling it, we filtered it anyway since there were so many bugs in the water.

We were a little beat up since all the vegetation here is sharp, but it was a great day.

December 26

Originally we had planned on a four day backpack to explore Parashant Canyon, but because of the meager water supplies, we decided to head back out.  We packed up camp and reversed our route to the exit of Froggy Fault Canyon. 

After making it back to the vehicle, we drove the 4wd road again, but this time headed for the Whitmore Trail to hike down to the Colorado River.   It was a spectacular hike to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and had a really neat lava wall with columner jointing.  We rested by the river before hiking back out.  It was another great day.  0

December 22:  Serpents Trail (Colorado)

Shaylee, Kimberly, and I did a night hike of the Serpents Trail round trip from the bottom.  It was much windier than expected so chilly!  

December 21:  Peak 5750 (Colorado)

Shaylee and I hiked up Peak 5750 in the evening.  It was a nice hike.  We got back a while after sunset.

December 20:  Little White Roost Canyon (Utah)

After a chilly night of sleeping under the stars, Kessler and I headed for Little White Roost Canyon.  It was a great little canyon with good slots and interesting downclimbs.   The conditions were perfect as well and there was no water.  The exit was a bit longer than other ones in the area, but it was a pretty walk.



December 19:  West Fork White Roost Canyon (Utah)

Kessler and I did the West Fork of White Roose Canyon.  We didn't start until 1 PM, so we had to hurry a bit.  The canyon was harder than it was on previous trips.  There was a thin coating of snow and or ice on some of the obstacles.  The first downclimb was not jumpable and required an exposed traverse across a slippery ledge covered in snow.

The big rappel has changed a lot too.  Either the chockstone got washed out, or it has been buried with sand and gravel.  I yanked on the sling for the anchor that was there and it moved.  Kessler climbed up the previous drop and threw some rocks down so we could build a servicable deadman anchor.  It wasn't the best, but held.

December 18:  Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)

Kimberly, Shaylee, and I did a sunset hike up Peak 5750.  I also climbed Eagles Nest Rock.  It was pretty with the new snow and the views were different than normal because of the ice fog.  

December 16:  Horse Mountain (Colorado)

Kessler and I climbed Horse Mountain south of Palisade in the late afternoon and evening.   The road to the trailhead was pretty sketchy in the ice and snow.   The hike itself was nice and we had some good views during the chilly evening.  

December 15:  Serpents Trail (Colorado)

Kim, Shaylee, and I hiked the Serpents Trail, top to bottom, at night.  It was pretty chilly and there was no moon, but it was still a nice hike.

December 13:  Rabbits Ear Mesa (Colorado)

Starting in the early afternoon, Kessler and I hiked over the Rabbits Ear Mesa, completing a loop hike.  There was snow around that slowed things down a little, but it was a nice hike, even if a bit chilly.   We got back to the vehicle at sunset.

December 12:  Devils Canyon (Colorado)

Today Kimberly, Shaylee, and I hiked Devils Canyon in the snow.  At first, the snow was blowing in our face, but things got better later in the hike.

December 11:  Echo Canyon (Colorado)

In the evening, Shaylee, Kessler, and I hiked the Echo Canyon Trail.  It was dark by the time we finished.

December 10:  Dinosaur Hill (Colorado)

Kimberly, Shaylee, and I climbed Dinosaur Hill, completing the loop hike just after sunset.

December 8: Peak 5750 (Colorado)

Shaylee, Kimberly, and I climbed Peak 5750 around sunset.  

December 7:  Riggs Hill (Colorado)

At night, I hiked Riggs Hill, completing a loop hike.   There was no noon out so it was really dark and the stars were bright.

December 6:  Chimney Rock/The Wikiup (Utah)

Matt and I met at Exit 131 and took my Pathfinder to Dutchman Arch, where we headed for Chimney Rock in the San Rafael Swell.  It was a pleasant hike to the base of the tower.  Once at the base we climbed up the north face to an exposed red ledge and followed it around to a notch.  This is where the real part of the technical route started.   The standard route was covered in sketchy sand and runout, so we followed the notch and climbed a crack that offered better gear placements.  It might have been a little more technical, but it was fun.  Matt led the crack and I followed him to the summit ridge.  We then followed the exposed ridge to the summit.  It was a beautiful summit and climb and the views were great.   It was a fun climb as well.  We then returned to the top of the technical section and rappelled off a bush down to a notch and reversed our route.

After climbing Chimney Rock, we headed to Dutchman Arch and checked it out a bit.  After Dutchman Arch, we explored the area around Locomotive Point to find some really good pictograph panels.

We still had daylight left so headed for The Wikiup and climbed it.   It was a rather steep and tedious climb, but the views were great.

December 5:  Telephone Trail (Colorado)

Kimberly, Shaylee, and I hiked the Telephone Trail up on the Uncompahgre Plateau.  Shaylee said that she was tired of the desert and wanted to see some pine trees so we headed up there.   There was a bit of snow around and we had to cross a frozen stream, but it was a warm day for that elevation in December and the snow wasn't bad.  It was a nice hike.

December 4:  Peak 7182/Carsons Hole (Colorado)

First I climbed Peak 7182 above Unaweep Canyon.  It had a pretty interesting scrambling route and nice views.

I then headed for Carsons Hole and did some exploring around there.  It was also a scenic area.



December 3:  Devils Canyon (Colorado)

In the afternoon, Kessler and I met Jeremy at the trailhead and we hiked up Devils Canyon to the first bench on the left before we had to return.

December 2:  Horse Mesa (Colorado)

Today I climbed Horse Mesa near Rough Canyon.  It was chillier than expected, but was a nice hike.

December 1:  Crag Crest (Colorado)

Kessler and I climbed Crag Crest today.  It was nice and sunny in Grand Junction, but was very cold, windy, and snowy on the Grand Mesa and Crag Crest.  We broke trail (easy since there had apparently been some traffic on the trail during Thanksgiving weekend) through the new snow and turned around at the summit.  We couldn't see much since the weather was poor.  It was cold as well!

NOVEMBER

November 30:  Peak 5739 (Colorado)

Alone, I climbed Peak 5739 near Debeque Canyon.  I took the route from Plateau Creek.   There was no trail and it was steep in places, but it was an enjoyable climb with a fine view.

November 29:  Rustler Loop (Colorado)

Shaylee, Kimberly, and I hiked the Rustler Loop above Ruby Canyon and the Colorado River.  It was a nice hike with nice views and great weather.  

November 28:  Stegosaur Slot (Utah)

Mark, Kim, Kessler, and I met at the Hickman Bridge trailhead and headed for Stegosaur Slot.  The approach was really beautiful and had great views.  We opted for the longer North Fork. After resting at the main viewpoint, we headed up the wash and made the class 3 climb and traverse to the head of the canyon. After an easy rappel, we headed down the boulder choked canyon and had lunch at the confluence of the North and South Forks.  We ended up downclimbing what was supposed to be the second rappel.

After lunch, we headed down through the tight slot.  It was a lot of fun, but I dropped my pack in the tighest place and it landed in a pool of water.  Luckily my son Kessler was skinny enough to get to the pool and retreive it. 

After the slot, it was more boulderhopping until we once again met the main trail which we followed back to the trailhead. It was a nice day under blue skies.

November 27:  Cassidy Arch Canyon (Utah)

Mark, Kim, Kessler, and I met at the Visitor Center and headed for the Cassidy Arch Trailhead.  We then hiked the scenic trail to Cassidy Arch and had a break before doing the big and somewhat intimidating rappel to the floor of the canyon.  Once in the canyon, there were many rappels and nice chambers.  It was a beautiful canyon.

Once through the technical section, it was an easy walk back to the trailhead.

November 26:  Serpents Trail (Coloado)

At night, Shaylee, Kimberly, and I hiked the Serpents Trail.  It was a little chilly, but a nice hike.  We saw several bighorn sheep in the moonlight!   

November 25:  Riggs Hill (Colorado)

Shaylee, Kimberly, and I hiked a loop over the top of Riggs Hill.

November 21-24:  Beckwith Plateau/Mount Elliot/Short Canyon/Gray Canyon/Price River (Utah)

November 21

Kessler and I started at the 4wd crossing of the Price River and hiked to the base of Mount Elliot where we found a really nice place to camp that had good views.  We found that the 4wd road was in pretty good condition so if we had a shuttle, we could have drove this part.  It was a nice hike though, and had great views.

November 22

In the morning, we climbed Mount Elliot, which is a spectacular viewpoint.  The Class 3 scramble was interesting as well.

After the climb, we packed up camp and walked the ATV track towards Short Canyon before heading off cross country towards the head of Short Canyon.  We found a nice campsite and set out to look for the spring.  At first we thought that it was dry since it isn't where the topo map shows it was, but the spring is there, only it is below the cliffs and tucked back in a cave.  The water was clear and tasted good.

We explored the area around the rim and found the tiny and very rustic cabin where Charley Swasey died many years ago.  We also found some pit houses from the Fremonts. 

There were a lot of shooting stars at night.

November 23

Today we headed down Short Canyon.  It was very steep at first, but we made it to the bottom without any problems.  The canyon then became easier until we reached a couple of big drops.  We then traversed the south side benches for a few hours before finding a very precarious route to the floor of the canyon which was borderline technical.  After that, it was an easier walk through Short Canyon to the Green River.  

We then hiked up Desolation Canyon to the mouth of the Price River, seeing some deer along the way.  It wasn't hard, but the miles were long and it was a long day.  We set up camp after sunset.  A few drops of rain fell and it was windy, but the storm seemed to have missed us.

November 24

Today we hiked all the way up the Price River and back to the vehicle.  There were a lot of things to see.  We saw bighorn sheep, an old farm wagon, an abandoned ranch which was occupied ca. 1880-1930, and 40-50 pteroglyph panels.  Even though it was a big day mileage wise we took time looking at the sites and looking for petroglyphs.  We also did eight cold river crossings.

It was a great trip.



November 20:   Opal Hill (Colorado)

Shaylee, Kimberly, and I did a hike around and to the summit of Opal Hill.  It was a nice day, especially for late November.

November 19:  Lunch Loops from Whitecap (Colorado)

Shaylee and I hiked the Holy Cross Loop from Whitecap.  

November 18:  Serpents Trail (Colorado)

Shaylee, Kessler, Kimberly, and I hiked the Serpents Trail at night going downhill.  It was a beatiful night and very warm for November.  There was a crescent moon out as well.

November 17:  Mount Lincoln (Colorado)

Today I climbed Mount Lincoln from the Stagecoach trail.  It took longer than expected, but it was a nice climb on a warm day.  On the way up, I climbed the hill with the flagpole before heading cross country to the summit of Lincoln.  It was quite steep.



November 16:  Four Blocks/Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)

Kessler, Shaylee, and I headed for the Four Blocks and Roses Rock for some rock climbing.  We found the Four Blocks to be completely dry, but pretty sandy perhaps due to rain a few days ago.  After messing around at Sprocks Socks a bit, we headed for Roses Rock and climbed that several times.  It was more fun than expected and you could do a lot of variations.

At night, I climbed Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock alone.  There was a sliver of a moon when I started, but it went down and there were only stars.



November 14-15:  South Fork Ticaboo Creek/Peak 4906 (Utah)

November 14

Matt, Kessler, and I left really early from Grand Junction and drove to Ticaboo Shelf Spring.  We found the old cattle trail into the canyon and explored up canyon.  We made it to the headwall and hiked back down.  It was a beautiful section of canyon.

We then headed down canyon and up a side canyon and climbed peak 4906.  It was a really spectacular climb and probably a first ascent.  We headed up the southwest ridge.  There were a lot of exposed areas and a lot of routefinding. 

The most exposed part of the route was a narrow ledge only half the width of a shoe, but with several hundred feet of air below.  It wasn't that hard, but was a bit spooky.  Matt went first and around the corner.  Kessler and I were thinking of staying behind, but Kessler changed his mind and went accross the ledge.  Not long after that, so did I.  

Kessler and Matt were ahead and made it through the maze of fins and climbed the summit block and over to the summit.  I took a different route and found the cairn they left.  

Since they took a different route, they didn't know where I was so headed back to the edge of the summit block to see if they could see me.  I followed their footprints over to the edge of the cliff to find them waiting at the edge of the cliff looking around. We all descended together and then headed down canyon to a nice spring and campsite.  We saw some bighorn sheep as well.  It was a great day. 

November 15

Matt, Kessler, and I woke up, packed up, and headed down canyon.  Kessler and I climbed up to a really big alcove on the south side of the canyon while Matt explored one on the north side.  We then headed down canyon and up the side canyon heading north.   We explored it to its headwall.  It had a scenic ending and some waterfalls.  

We then headed back to our packs at our previous campsite and explored the next side canyon system to the west.  We went up the west fork of that canyon and found a big pool of water.  We bypassed it before coming to a dryfall that was too hard for us to climb without a rope.  

After exporing the side canyon, we headed back to the main canyon which we hiked back to the trailhead.



November 13:  Peak 5368 (Colorado)

I climbed Peak 5368 from the east.  There is a road to the summit of the peak, but it is blocked from public access.  I found an old abandoned road on the east side of the mountain before heading cross country to the summit.

November 12:  Crag Crest (Colorado)

Today I made an attempt on Crag Crest.  I didn't bring snowshoes since I expected there to be less snow than there was.   I gave up at 10,820 feet elevation.

The trees were all frosted white, making a fairyland scene.

November 11:  Mount Garfield (Colorado)

In the afternoon and early evening, I climbed Mount Garfield.  I climbed up the Gearhardt Mine Trail and down the standard route.  It was a bit chilly, but a nice climb when the weather is cool since it is so steep. 

 

November 10:  Gym

November 9:  Peak 5750 (Colorado)

Shaylee and I climbed Peak 5750 after work and on a chilly evening.

November 8:  Rifle Arch/Illusions/Mitten Slab (Colorado)

It was a cold, dark, and gloomy November day, but Kessler and I headed for Rifle Arch to do some climbing (assuming the rock was dry).  After confirming that the rock was dry we climbed the first pitches on Illusions and Arm and Hammer.  With gathering storm clouds, we headed down in light snow. 

November 7:  Flume Canyon/Paleo Trail (Colorado)

Kim, Shaylee, and I hiked some of the trails at Flume Canyon and in the Fruita Paleo area.  It was a nice day and a nice hike.

November 6:  Serpents Trail (Colorado)

Kim, Kessler, Shaylee, and I hiked the Serpents Trail top to bottom.   We didn't start until after 10 PM.  It was a nice night and was a bit breezy, but very warm for a night in November!  

November 5:  Bullet Hole Cliff Band (Colorado)

Kessler and I climbed at Bullet Hole Cliff Band.  We climbed WSPR 1, Hands, and Chimney, though I didn't make it to the top of Chimney.  

November 4:  Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Peak (Colorado)

Shaylee, Kimberly, and I climbed Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock on a really nice night.

October 31-November 1:  Knowles Canyon (Colorado)(continued)

November 1

It was 26F in the morning, but it was sunny and clear.  Kim had a sore foot, so I took off down canyon and got to near the Colorado River before turning back.   It was a beautiful walk.  We then packed up camp and hiked back to the trailhead.  My backpack didn't fit right so I was quite sore!  

OCTOBER

October 31-November 1:  Knowles Canyon (Colorado)

October 31

Kimberly and I started at the Knowles Canyon Trailhead and hiked over to the canyon.   We made it about half way down canyon and found a nice place to camp with water.  We did see three others near the exit trailhead, but the canyon was really pristine and the canyon was very scenic.  The approach wasn't bad either and was quite beautiful.  We had a nice camp under a full moon.

October 30:  Gym Climing

October 29:  Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)

Kim and I hiked Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock on a nice late afternoon.

October 28:  Serpents Trail (Colorado)

Kim, Shaylee, and I hiked the Serpents Trail under a nearly full moon.  It was a beautiful night, but a little chilly.

October 27:  Gym Climbing

October 24:  Redlands Mesa Trails (Colorado)

Kim, Shaylee, and I hiked the Redlands Mesa Trails, including a visit to Mr. Bones.

October 23:  Kodels Canyon/Devils Canyon (Colorado)

In the evening, Kim, Shaylee, and I hiked some of the trails around Kodels Canyon and Devils Canyon.  It was dark for much of the hike.

October 19:  Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)

Kim and I climbed Eagles Nest Rock and Peak 5750 in the evening.

October 18:  Crater Peak (Colorado)

I hiked up Crater Peak, the highest point on Grand Mesa.  It was tedious in a few places, but still a nice climb and the views were the best I have seen in a long time since smoke in the area was minimal.

October 17: The Knoll/Crips Slot/Gemini Bridges (Utah)

Kim and I planned to do some trails in Island in the Sky in Canyonlands National Park, but the line to get into the park was several hours long so we ditched those plans!  

Instead we first climbed the Knoll.  It doesn't look like much, but is the highest point around so it has fine views.

After doing that we headed for the Gemini Bridges area and explored the slot canyon below Crips Hole.  We were able to climb all the up it from above the big drop near Gemini Bridges.

Lastly we hiked to Gemini Bridges.  It was a good day.

October 13:  Oil Spring Mountain (Colorado)

After work, I climbed Oil Springs Mountain near Douglas Pass.  It was a fairly short and steep climb with some nice views on the approach (but the summit was heavily timbered so didn't have that much in the way of views).

October 11:  East Fork Ribbon Canyon/Ribbon Canyon (Colorado)

Kessler, Kim, and I canyoneered East Fork Ribbon Canyon and Ribbon Canyon, which are some of the best canyons in the Grand Junction area.  It was a nice day.

October 10:  Lizzard Canyon (Colorado)

Today Kessler and I descended the technical Lizzard Canyon (yes, there are two "z"s in the name) in Colorado National Monument.  It had been on my list since moving to Grand Junction. 

The canyon was OK, but not great and was a  bit of a disappointment.  The scenery was nice, but no nicer than on the non-technical hikes and the rappels weren't that great.   There was some interesting downclimbing in the granite though.

October 9:  Dinosaur Hill (Colorado)

Kim, Shaylee, and I hiked Dinosaur Hill after work/school.

October 8:  Serpents Trail (Colorado)

At night Shaylee, Kim, and I hiked the Serpents Trail top to bottom.  

October 7:  Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)

Kim and I climbed Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock at night and in the dark.

October 6:  Pike Ridge/Calf Point/Colorado River Trail (Colorado)

During a brief breakdown of equipment at work, I hiked up Pike Ridge and to Point 8874 before hiking to Calf Point.  All these places are east of Douglas Pass.

At night Shaylee, Kimberly, and I hiked the section of the Colorado River Trail near the Botanical Gardens.

October 4:  Crescent Canyon/Floy Canyon/Thompson Canyon/Sego Canyon (Utah)

Kim and I first hiked to the petroglyphs in Crescent Canyon.  We then went over to Floy Canyon to scout out routes around the private ranch.  We then headed to Thompson Canyon to visit the petroglyphs and pictographs.  Lastly, we explored Sego Ghost Town.

October 3:  Lake of the Woods Trail (Colorado)

Kim and I hiked the Lake of the Woods Trail on Grand Mesa.  We hiked to five of the lakes.  There were some autumn leaves along parts of the trail and we also stopped at the roadside overlooks to view more of them.

October 2:  Riggs Hill (Colorado)

I took a hike up Riggs Hill, completing a loop.

October 1:  Peak 5180/Lunch Loops (Colorado)

I hiked up Peak 5180 from the Whitewater Boat Ramp.  After a false start on the wrong trail, I found the correct trail and hiked to the summit.   There was a trail 3/4 of the way up and it was a pleasant walk.

SEPTEMBER

Setember 30:  Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)

In the late morning I climbed Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock, making a loop hike.

September 29:  Jabba the Hutt/Puttermans Nipple/Castle Rocks North (Colorado)

Kessler, Jackie, and I met at Rabbit Valley to climb Jabba the Hutt/Puttermans Nipple/Castle Rocks North.  They are all names for the same formation.  I'll use Jabba the Hutt for this log.  

We didn't bring any beta for the climb and thus had no idea where to start.  We first checked out the old piton route on the north side.  It was super slippery and covered in lichen.  Perhaps it was better in the past.  We could get to near the second piton, but it was too committing for our taste after that.  We all made fumbling attempts to climb the pitch.

We then went around to the south side and found the Wind, Sand, and Snow Route.  We climbed the first 5.8 pitch, but didn't see any anchors after that so turned around.  

September 28:  Serpents Trail (Colorado)

At night and under an almost full moon, Kim and I hiked the Serpents Trail.  It was a beautiful walk under the moonlight.

September 26-27:  Roubideau Canyon (Colorado)

September 26

Shaylee, Kessler, and I backpacked down Roubideau Canyon, top to bottom.   We couldn't quite drive to the top of the (abandoned) Traver Trail so we walked the last section.  We then hiked down the trail to the bottom of the canyon.  It was steep, but we could still find most of the trail.  We saw bear tracks both on the rim and in the canyon.

Once at the bottom of the canyon we explored up canyon and found some pools.  We then hiked down canyon, finding some running water.  We set up camp not far up canyon from the Ben Lowe Cabin ruins.

It was a nice night with a lot of shooting stars.

September 27

In the morning, we hiked down canyon, stopping at the Ben Lowe Cabin ruins along the way.  After that the canyon got much more difficult with much more bushwhacking, dodging cacti, and boulderhopping.   It was very unpleasant and not enjoyable.  I almost stepped on a coiled rattlesnake.  The bushwhacking seemed endless, despite finding scraps of trails in places.

We also saw a snake that caught a fish much larger than itself.  I don't know if it ever could finish eating it.

Below Criswell Creek the bushwhacking eased up a bit, but we were all beat up, scratched up, and sore.   This is not a route that I would repeat.  It was one of the least enjoyable hikes that I have done.

The last three miles or so were easy, but we were tired by then.  

September 25:  Eagles Nest Rock/Peak 5750 (Colorado)

I climbed Eagles Nest Rock and Peak 5750.

Setember 24:  Riggs Hill (Colorado)

Around noon, I climbed Riggs Hill and completed the loop.

September 23:  Peak 8980 and Pinyon Mesa (Colorado)

I climbed Peak 8980 and Pinyon Mesa on a nice day.  

September 22:  Crag Crest (Colorado)

Today I climbed Crag Crest.  It snowed and hailed a bit, but it was still a nice hike.

September 21:  Liberty Cap Canyon/Lower Ute Canyon (Colorado)

Kessler and I started from the top of the Liberty Cap Trail.  We had four objectives.  The four objectives were to hike the entirety of the Liberty Cap Trail, to climb Liberty Cap, and to descend the technical Liberty Cap Canyon and Lower Ute Canyon.  

We hiked the Liberty Cap Trail to the top of the rim and found that the rest of the trail was closed.  We debated on whether to turn around or to find a place to rappel off the rim into Liberty Cap Canyon. 

We found a place to rappel off the rim and headed for Liberty Cap Canyon, completing that canyon and then Ute Canyon.  We searched the pothole for a camera I had dropped several months ago, but we didn't find it.  The only drawback to the canyon was that the last rappel landed in poison ivy!

It was a nice trip, especially Lower Ute Canyon.  

September 20:  Echo Canyon (Colorado)

Shaylee, Kimberly, and I hiked Echo Canyon in the evening.  It was a really nice and beautiful hike.

                      

September 19:  Petrified Wall (Colorado)

Adam and I went climbing up Unaweep Canyon at Petrified Wall.  We climbed The Normal Life and My Weekend World, but I chickened out near the top because it was a bit intimidating.  It was still a good climbing day.

September 18:  Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)

Kessler and I hiked all of the trails in Petrified Forest National Park.  The logs were interesting and we fininished all the trails before it got too hot.



September 17:  Christopher Creek (Arizona)

Kessler and I headed for Christopher Canyon for some canyoneering.  It was a great canyon, but the water was a bit chilly at first.  The big pools and waterfalls were very scenic.

September 16:  Escudilla Peak (Arizona)

Kessler and I climbed Escudilla Peak.  It was a nice mountain and easier than expected.

September 15:  Mount Baldy (Arizona)

Kessler and I climbed Mount Baldy today, seeing one bear along the way.  We used the West Fork Route.  We didn't bring a topo map and got confused using the sketch map in an old copy of Hiking Arizona.  We ended up on Baldy Peak, mistaking it for the summit of Mount Baldy (which is on public land), which we had already passed over.  You aren't supposed to climb that one (it was unintentional) so we quickly returned.  Later I contacted the tribe to let them know that I unintentionally trespassed.  

We headed back the same way, passing an aggressive yellowjacket swarm.  It looked like a bear had tried to dig up their nest.  I was stung several times.

September 13:  No Thoroughare Canyon (Colorado)

Kimberly and I hiked No Thoroughare Canyon, top to bottom.  It was a pretty canyon, but getting past the highest waterfall was a challenge.  Last time we went around on the west side; this time we tried the east.  The east route was definitely more of a challenge.

September 12:  Vega Lake Trails (Colorado)

Shaylee, Kimberly, and I hiked all of the trails at Vega Lake (reservoir).  It was nice and green and we saw lots of squirells and birds.  We also walked the shoreline. 



September 11:  Peak 5700/Tunnel Point (Colorado)

Kessler and I parked half way up the dirt road from Highway 50 and hiked over to Peak 5700.  The views were really spectacular from the summit area.  We then hiked over to Tunnel Point for more spectacular views. 

September 10:  Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)

In the afternoon, I climbed Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock in cool and cloudy weather.

September 9:  Devils Canyon (Colorado)

Kessler and I hiked the Devils Canyon loop in the McGinnis Canyons area.  It was a beautiful walk under cloudy skies and pleasant temperatures.  

September 8:  Colorado River Trail (Colorado)

Shaylee, Kimberly, and I hiked a section of the Colorado River Trail in the evening.  It was unusually cold for an early September evening with temperatures in the 30's.

September 5-7:  Blanca Peak/Ellingwood Point/Little Bear Peak (Colorado)

September 5

Kessler and I hiked the 4wd road to Lake Como.  It was a rather hot and tedious hike.  We found a nice campsite at 11,960 feet and set up camp there.

September 6

In the morning we climbed Blanca Peak and Ellingwood Point.   The views were a bit smoky.  Blanca Peak was OK, but Ellingwood Point was just a choss pile.  The ridge between the two was fun though.

Since we got back to camp fairly early we explored a bit around the basin.

September 7

In the morning, we climbed Little Bear Peak.  The first talus slope was tedious and not fun at all.  Then it was an OK traverse over to the Hourglass.  The Hourglass would be the best part of the climb, but it is plagued by rockfall.  In the Hourglass we met three people.  Two were headed down and one was headed up. The person headed up wanted to join us since he was solo.  We then joined up and climbed the rest of the way to Little Bear Peak.  We were off the standard route a little and ended up climbing a short 5th class wall.

We met two girls at the summit.   They were doing the traverse.  After resting at the summit, the thee of us headed down.  We were glad that there weren't more people on the mountain because of the rockfall danger.

The final gully descent was just as miserable as the ascent.   If I ever did it again, I'd do it as a snowclimb.

After packing up, Kessler and I walked back down the 4wd road and headed for home.

September 3:  Bullet Hole Cliff Band (Colorado)

In the morning, Kessler and I climbed Sport Route 3, Random Sport, Hands, and Fingers at the Bullet Hole Cliff Band.  We left when it got too hot.  



September 2:  Bullet Hole Cliff Band (Colorado)

In the morning, Kessler and I climbed WSPR 2, 3, and 4 at the Bullet Hole Cliff Band.  We left when it got too hot.

September 1:  Grit Wall/Serpents Trail (Colorado)

Earlier in the day, Kessler and I went climbing on the Grit Wall in Unaweep Canyon.  We both climbed Kibbles and Grits. Kessler then climbed Gritlock, but we had to head home after he climbed it.

At night, Shaylee, Kimberly, and I hiked the Serpents Trail top to bottom under a full moon.  It was a nice hike with nice temperatures.

AUGUST

August 31:  Riggs Hill (Colorado)

Kessler, Shaylee, Kimberly, and I climbed Riggs Hill at night and did the loop hike.  Obviously the kids took about half the time that the adults did. 

August 30:  Upper Mill Creek (Utah)

Kessler, Justin, and I explored Upper Mill Creek, a slot high in the La Sal Mountains.  It was a really neat and scenic canyon, but the water was very cold and we were in the water the entire time.  We made it down to about Horse Creek and returned the same way.

August 29:  Pleiadis Canyon/Warner Lake (Utah)

Kessler, Justin, and I went through Pleiadis Canyon today.  It was a great canyon and the flow was pretty low.  It was still a very refreshing activity on a hot day.  After finishing Pleiadis Canyon, we hiked around Warner Lake.  

August 28:  Peak 5750 (Colorado)

Shaylee, Kessler, Kimberly, and I climbed Peak 5750 at sunset.  It was a beautiful evening.

August 23:  Crescent Creek (Utah)

Kim and I canyoneered Crescent Creek today.  I was afraid that it would be pretty dry, but it was wet and wonderful.  We saw a huge tarantuala hawk wasp before hitting the narrows.

The narrows were great and really wet.  It was a pleasant canyon on another very hot day.

August 22:  Mount Ellen (Utah)

After setting up camp at Lonesome Beaver, Kim and I climbed Mount Ellen, starting at 5:00 PM.  We made the summit well before sunset.  The views were OK, but it was still smokey.  It was still better than back home though.  We made it back to the trailhead right when it got dark.   Lots of raptors (hawks and falcons) were out. 

August 18:  Serpents Trail (Colorado)

Kessler and I hiked the Serpents Trail at night, top to bottom.  We could see the bright glow of the Pine Gulch Fire.

August 16:  Fry Canyon (Utah)

Today Kessler and I did Fry Canyon.  The two slots were really nice (especially the second one), but a little short.  The first slot had one belly deep pool.  The second slot had one nice rappel, one nice downclimb, and one swim.   After completing the slot we took a break before heading down to White Canyon and then up canyon to the scrambling exit.  In the canyon we passed one group that didn't seem to be very experienced and they seemed somewhat lost so we hope they made it out OK. 

After exiting the canyon, we hiked back to the trailhead.  The weather was hot, but the swim was very cold so it was a nice summer canyon.

There was lots of life in the canyon.  We saw a bat, the biggest owl we ever saw, several tarantula hawks, including the biggest I have seen, and a humming bird.



August 15:  Mount Tukuhnikivatz (Utah)

Kessler and I climb Mount Tukuhnikivatz today, starting at 2 PM.  Usually you would want to start earlier because of thunderstorms, but there were no clouds in sight, only lots of smoke and haze.

We set off cross country from La Sal Pass, but found the new trail up to the ridge.  It was a nice change of pace from the old route.  Once reaching the ridge, it was a steep scramble and boulderhop to the summit.   Since there was so much smoke and haze in the air, the views weren't as good as they usually are.  We could still see the redrock country around Moab as well as the towers in Castle Valley.  

We saw a mountain goat on the way down. 

August 13:  Trail Through Time (Colorado)

At night, Kessler, Kimberly, and I hiked the Trail Through Time using headlamps to see the dinosaur bones and to read the signs. 

August 10:  Liberty Cap Trail (Colorado): 

Shaylee, Kessler, Kimberly, and I hiked the Liberty Cap Trail from the top and at night.   It was a nice night hike and the Milky Way was clearly visible.  

August 9:  Colorado River Trail (Colorado)

At night Shaylee, Kimberly, and I hiked the Colorado River Trail.  We saw a snake along the way and several ducks. 

August 8:  Crag Crest (Colorado)

Kim and I hiked up the Crag Crest from the west.  We saw several pikas, chipmunks, squirrels, and a deer.   The views were nice, but there was a lot of smoke to the north. 

August 7:  Redlands Mesa (Colorado)

At sunset, Kim and I took a hike to Redlands Mesa, including a visit to Mr. Bones. 

August 6:  Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)

Beginning at sunset, Shaylee, Kessler, Kimberly, and I climbed Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock.   It was dark on the descent.

August 5:  Riggs Hill (Colorado)

After being knocked down with COVID-19 for several days, it was time to get out.  Kimberly, Shaylee, Kessler, and I climbed Riggs Hill at night.

JULY

July 25:  Peak 5750 (Colorado)

Shaylee and I climbed Peak 5750 in the evening.

July 21:  Dinosaur Hill (Colorado)

Shaylee, Kessler, Kimberly, and I hiked the loop on Dinosaur Hill at night.

July 20:  Peak 5750 (Colorado)

I climbed Peak 5750 in the evening.

July 18-19:  Mount Wilson (Colorado)

July 18

After arriving at Woods Lake in the late afternoon, Kessler and I hiked over the pass and to Navajo Lake.  We took this approach since I hadn’t done it before. 

After reaching Navajo Lake and seeing that a lot of people were camped there, we pushed on up the talus and camped on a grassy bench at 11,960 feet elevation.   It was almost dark, so we set up camp, filtered water, ate dinner, and went right to bed.

July 19

I didn't sleep much at all, so we got a later start than planned.  We didn't it the trail until 6:40 AM.  We then hiked up towards Rock of Ages Saddle, but cut off to the north spur of Mount Wilson. The first half of the spur was a pretty nice scramble, but the second half was an unpleasant and steel talus slog.  We reached the ridge and then heded for the summit.   The last part was a fun and exposed scramble.  We reached the summit at 10:00 AM and spend 40 minutes on top.

On the way down, it started to hail and snow.  We went down the mountain as quick as we could, but my feet were really sore so we didn't go as fast as we wanted.   We packed up camp in the rain and then headed back to the trailhead.  It was a very long trip down with sore feet.   

July 17:  Good Vibes/Snakeskin/First Flats Trails (Colorado)

At sunset, Kimberly and I made a loop of the Good Vibes, Snakeskin, and First Flats Trail.  The sunset was nice and it was a good hike. 

 

July 16:  Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)

After sunset, I climbed Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock.  It was breezy and it was cooler than it has been so it was a really pleasant hike.  

July 15:  Colorado River Trail (Colorado)

At night, Kim, Shaylee, and I hiked a section of the Colorado River Trail.

July 14: Riggs Hill (Colorado)

Kim and I climbed Riggs Hill at night, making a loop hike.  

July 13:  Good Vibes Trail (Colorado)

Shaylee, Kessler, Kimberly, and I hiked the Good Vibes Trail at night.  

July 12:  Blind Lake/Pear Lake (Utah)

Shaylee, Kimberly, and I hiked up to Blind and Pearl Lakes high on Boulder Mountain.  It was a lot cooler up there than in the desert!

July 11:  Sulphur Creek (Utah)

Shaylee, Kimberly, and I hiked Sulphur Creek in Capitol Reef. The approach was hot, but once we got to the water it was very pleasant.   The canyon was very spectacular and the water was really refreshing.   The water was chest deep in one place in the narrows.

July 10:  Serpents Trail (Colorado)

At night, Shaylee, Kessler, and I hiked the Serpents Trail.  It is too hot to do the hike in the day in July!

July 5:  Upper Black Dragon Canyon (Utah)  

Ali and I headed for Upper Black Dragon Canyon since neither one of us had done that canyon.  The canyon was just OK, but the swimming in the 100 degree heat was quite nice.  

July 4:  Green Pools Canyon/Upper Black Box (Utah)

Ali and I went to Green Pools Canyon and Upper Black Box for some canyoneering.   The route was hot before we hit the water and swimming!   Once we were in the water, it was quite pleasant and a really scenic route.  

July 3:  Pinyon Mesa (Colorado)

Shaylee, Kimberly, and I hiked up Pinyon Mesa from the east side and Ridge Trail.  We then took the trail down to Black Pine Lake, making a loop hike.  It was a nice hike on a trail that we hadn't been on before. 

We saw several deer.

JUNE

June 28:  Wetterhorn Peak (Colorado)

Kessler and I climbed Wetterhorn Peak today.   It was a very scenic and enjoyable climb.   The climb is basically a nice trail followed by a really nice scramble and there is no scree or boulderhopping!  

We saw lots of marmots, pikas, and a baby pine marten.  

June 25:  Colorado River Trail (Colorado)

Shaylee, Kimberly, and I hiked 5 miles along the Colorado River Trail at night.   At night it was a pleasant walk.  

June 24:  Peak 5750 (Colorado)

Near sunset, Kimberly, Shaylee, and I climbed Peak 5750.   It has cooled down enough by sunset to make it a pleasant walk.   The sunset was nice as well.

June 20:  Francis Peak/Snow Horse Ridge/Thurston Peak (Utah)

My dad and I cimbed Francis Peak, Snow Horse Ridge, Thurston Peak, as well as one other un-ranked summit today.   It was a very scenic climb and with great views.  Thurston Peak and Francis Peak are two of the few remaining peaks I still hadn't done in the Wasatch.    Most of the hike was easy, but getting around the big cornices was rather challenging.    

June17:  Riggs Hill (Colorado)

After work and alone, I climbed Riggs Hill. 

June 14:  Phipps Wash (Utah)

Justin, Kimberly, and I first hiked down to the Weaver Pictographs in upper Phipps Wash.  We were hoping to connect the route with lower Phipps Wash, but we found that to be impractical without long ropes.  

We walked down to the Escalante River and followed it down river to Phipps Wash, which we hiked up.  We vistited teh side fork containing Maverick Natural Bridge before hiking up canyon and climbing up to Phipps Arch.  This part was tiring in the afternoon heat.

It was a good hike, but we ended up doing 15 miles, which was a longer hike than what we planned.   

June 13:  Upper Calf Creek (Utah)

Justin, Kimberly, and I hiked to Upper Calf Creek Falls.  Justin and Kimberly hadn't been there before.  After visiting the area and pools above the falls, we visited the area and pools below the falls, taking a few cold swims in the deep pool.

We then explored down canyon including to some alcoves.   The hike down canyon is very scenic and very green.  Most of it is walking on slickrock under the water.  We didn't quite make it to Lower Calf Creek Falls before running out of time.

It was a great hike, but Justin got some big blisters.  

June 11:  Cedar Mountain (Colorado)

After work I climbed Cedar Mountain at sunset.

June 10:  Cedar Mountain (Colorado)

After work and in the dark, I climbed Cedar Mountain.

June 9:  Cedar Mountain (Colorado)

I climbed Cedar Mountain after work, completing the shorter loop.

June 7:  North Fork Iron Wash/Zero Gravity Slot (Utah)

In the morning, Kessler, Ali, and I headed for North Fork Iron Wash.  We took the shortcut route over from Ernie Canyon.  We passed the interesting drilling derrick before climbing over the hill and dropping down into the canyon.

We headed down canyon, passing several minor obtacles before going through the first keeper pothole, which was easier than it looked.   We then climbed down canyon to the huge keeper pothole.

The climb up to the rickety log was more difficult than I remembered it.   It was pretty exposed as well!  We climbed over to the log and rappelled back down.  The rest of the canyon and the hike out was really pretty.

Since we went through North Fork Iron Wash rather quickly (less than 4 hours) we decided to head for Zero Gravity.  It was pretty full of water except for the keeper potholes at the end.  We made quick work of the keeper potholes before reaching the crux of the route.   Here we had to wait quite a bit for a less competent party to surmount the obstacles.  After they were through, Kessler and Ali went low while I had to go high.   I rappelled over the checkstone and we all downclimbed the final chute.  It was a great canyon. 

June 6:  Fremont River Gorge (Utah)

June 5:  Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)

Kimberly and I headed up to Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock in the morning in order to beat the heat.  It was a nice hike.

  

June 3:  Model A Point (Colorado)

Callen, Justin, and I climbed Model A Point after work.  The views were nice from the top and we checked out the old Model A truck after work.  It was a nice hike, but there were a lot of mosquitoes!  

We drove back over the Knez Divide seeing two elk and one bear along the way.

MAY

May 31:  Ouray Climbs (Colorado)

Kessler and I headed for Rotary Park in Ouray to do some rock climbing.  It started to rain when we got there so almost everyone else left the crag so we had our choice of climbs.  We climbed Sesame Street, Left Handed Blunt, Carjacking, and Dipthing as well as two other climbs which we didn't know the name of.  Kessler led all of the climbs.   

May 30:  Crag Crest (Colorado)

Shaylee, Kimberly, and I headed to Grand Mesa.   We were originally going to hike to some lakes, but we missed the trailhead and decided to hike Crag Crest.

There was some snow and mud around, as well as some menacing clouds, but there were almost no mosquitoes out yet.  Shaylee and Kim made it almost to the summit, while I pushed on ahead to the summit.

After reaching the summit, I headed back down the mountain and it began to rain, snow, and hail, quite heavily.  Shaylee and Kimberly had already headed down.  I met them on the trail near the trailhead.  

May 29:  Peak 5750 (Colorado)

Shaylee and I climbed Peak 5750 in the evening.

May 28:  Cedar Mountain (Colorado)

After work I climbed Cedar Mountain.

May 27:  Cross Mountain (Colorado)

Callen, Justin, and I headed to Cross Mountain after work.  We headed for the south summit and explored a ways along the rim.  As usual, the views were really great and we enjoyed the views for a while before heading back down.  

May 26:  Fruita Reservoir #1 Trail/Ridge Trail/Haypress Trail/Turkey Flats Trail (Colorado)

Kimberly, Kessler, and I headed for Pinyon Mesa for some cooler weather.   We made a loop of the Fruita Reservoir Trail, Haypress Trail, and Turkey Flats Trail.  There was a little snow around for a friendly snowball fight.   It was much cooler on the hike than back in Grand Junction!  

May 23-25:  Scorpion Gulch (Utah)

May 23

Josh, John, Ali, Kimberly, Shaylee, and I met in Escalante and headed for Scorpion Gulch.  We were originally going to do Boulder Creek, but we thought that it would be too chilly for that since a cold front went through.

We drove to the trailhead and then headed out across the desert, finding the nice arch along the way.  We took a rest there before hiking over to the head of Scorpion Gulch, passing a really impressive and hidden arch along the way.

After finding the sand dune entrance, we hiked down the big sand dune into the canyon.   We then headed down canyon through the sand and even had to climb over a huge sand dune blocking the canyon.  Scorpion Gulch was the sandiest canyon that I have ever seen.  

We got to the area of the springs and pools and were disappointed to find them to be dry.  There was only one sorry looking pool.  We had planned to camp near the pools and planned on taking our time to enjoy that section of the canyon. 

Since the pools were dry, we headed down canyon to the springs in lower Scorpion Gulch.  There was some poison ivy to try and avoid and some belly deep pools to wade.  We arrived at the Escalante River and found a really nice campsite in a large shaded sandy area.  It was a beautiful place to camp.  

May 24

Today was a pretty easy day.  We hiked and waded down the Escalante River to the Scorpion Horse Trail.  This part of the Escalante River Gorge is very scenic and first half of the hike was super easy since the river bottom was sandy.  We passed a nice spring on river right not that far downriver from Scorpion Gulch.  The second half of the route was a little more challenging with more rocks and boulders.

We arrived at a nice campsite at the base of the Scorpion Horse Trail and relaxed.   John, Josh, and Ali explored the canyon to the north and found a nice spring and swim hole in the canyon as well as a huge alcove.  

Since it was still early in the day, John, Josh, and Ali decided to hike the Scorpion Horse Trail to the rim and to make a dry camp.  I was worried about having enough water so Shaylee, Kim, and I decided to camp at the river and to leave really early to meet the others at the top of the trail.

Today was the best day of the trip.

May 25

Today Kim, Shaylee, and I woke up really early, when it was still dark and packed up camp.  After packing up, we climbed up the brutal 700 foot high sand dune and found the Scorpion Horse Trail.  We found a spring half way through the trail and we were wishing that we filled up with water there instead of at the Escalante River.

We met the others at the top of the rim and took a break before heading back across the desert.   It was a beautiful hike, but quite long.  We covered more than 15 miles on this day!  

May 19:  Doty Mountain (Wyoming)

After working, I climbed Doty Mountain.  There is a 4wd track not that far from the summit, but I walked the last few miles.

May 17:  Peak 5750 (Colorado)

Shaylee and I climbed Peak 5750 in the morning.

May 16:  Escalante Canyon (Colorado)

Shaylee, Kessler, Kimberly, and I headed for Escalante Canyon to visit the potholes area.  We did the short hike down to the river and found that the water was freezing.  We still had fun wading and swimming through the narrow canyon. 

May 14:  Cow Creek Butte (Wyoming)

After work, I climbed Cow Creek Butte in South Central Wyoming.  It was an easier hike than expected and wasn't very long.  I had originally hoped to hike some nearby peaks as well, but the roads were wet and it was getting dark.  

May 13:  Cedar Mountain (Colorado)

After work, I climbed Cedar Mountain.  The sunset was really nice.

May 11:  Monument Canyon (Colorado)

Ali, Kimberly, and I hiked Monument Canyon top to bottom.  As usual, it was a great hike and very scenic.  We had originally planned something technical, but the weather forecast wasn't good enough for techncial canyons.



May 10:  Big Dominguez Canyon (Colorado)

Kim, Ali, and I headed for Big Dominguez Canyon.  We hiked up canyon to the 4th waterfall, passing several petroglyph panels along the way.   It was a great hike.  

May 9:  Peak 5750/Kodels Canyon (Colorado)

In the morning, Kim, Shaylee, and I hiked up Peak 5750, making a longer loop than the route we usually take.

In the afternoon, Shaylee, Ali, and I headed for Kodels Canyon to do the technical section.   There was more of a slot than I suspected and it was a pretty good one with interesting downclimbing.

The next section of the canyon was easy.  We then came to the top of the big rappel and did it before heading down canyon, coming to more obstacles than expected.   We reached the car right around dark.

May 7:  Muddy Mountain (Wyoming)

After work, I climbed Muddy Mountain via the west ridge.  There were still snowbanks on the mountain, but they were easily avoided.

May 6:  Iowa Gulch (Colorado)

After work I hiked up Iowa Gulch towards Mount Sherman.   The weather was nice and it was a pleasant walk.  I didn't have time to go all the way to Mount Sherman, but turned back when it was getting dark.  The hike back in the dark was beautiful under the moonlight.

May 5:  Cedar Mountain (Colorado)

After work, I climbed Cedar Mountain by moonlight.  The moon was bright enough that I didn't need a headlamp.

May 3: Peak 5750 (Colorado)

Shaylee and I did a loop hike on Peak 5750.  We followed the Tabeguache Trail to the the Free Lunch Trail, then followed the Free Lunch Trail to near the summit.  We then tagged the peak before going down the standard route.

May 2: Black Ridge Trail (Colorado)

Shaylee, Kimberly, and I hiked the entire Black Ridge Trail with a car shuttle.  It was   bit breezy, but nice.  We saw a really colorful collared lizard on the hike and two bighorn rams on the drive out.  

APRIL

April 28:  Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)

After work, Shaylee and I climbed Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock.

April 26:  Black Ridge Trail (Colorado)

Alone, I hiked the Black Ridge Trail from the Liberty Cap Trailhead to the CCC Trail and slightly beyond.

April 25:  Main Canyon/Spring Canyon (Colorado)

Shaylee< Kimberly, and I hiked Main Canyon and Spring Canyon.  We saw several wild horses in two groups.  My goal was to see the waterfalls in Spring Canyon, but Shaylee and Kim didn't want much scrambling, so waited at the junction of the two forks of Spring Canyon.  I turned around before the waterfalls because I got covered in ticks!  

April 24:  Haystack 3 Point (Colorado)

Kimbery and I hiked up Haystack 3 Point from the north.  We parked at the Third Flat Trailhead and took some of the trails heading south to the end of the tracks.  We then headed cross country along the scenic ridge to Haystack 3 Point.  It was a fine viewpoint.  After enjoying the views we headed back down.

April 23:  Riggs Hill (Colorado)

Shaylee and I hiked up Riggs Hill, completing a nice loop in the evening. 

April 21:  Cooper Hill (Colorado)

I had to work in Leadville today so I climbed Cooper Hill on snowshoes. 

 

April 20:  Riggs Hill (Colorado)

After sunset, I hiked Riggs Hill, completing a nice loop.

April 18-19:  Mee Canyon (Colorado)

April 18

Shaylee and I hiked down to the big alcove in Mee Canyon.  It was really spectacular.  The route was challenging with overnight packs.

We then headed downcanyon and set up camp in another alcove.   After camp was set up we hiked down to near the tiver and back.   It was a scenic canyon and it didn't have nearly as much brush as Jones Canyon had.  There were lots of spectacular alcoves and rock towers along the way.

April 19

It rained during the night, but we were under an alcove so everything stayed dry.   We packed up camp and hiked the canyon to the exit.  Once again, it was quite challenging with a pack, especially the exposed ledge traverse.

April 17:  Monument Canyon (Colorado)

Kim and I hiked Monument Canyon.   We started at the upper trailhead, hiked through Monument Canyon to Independence Monument, and then crossed over to Wedding Canyon and descended that.  We then followed the base of the anticline back to the trailhead.  It was a really scenic hike and a nice day.

April 16:  Dinosaur Hill (Colorado)

Shaylee, Kimberly, and I hiked the loop on Dinosaur Hill in the evening.

April 15:  Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)

Shaylee and I climbed Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock after work.

April 14:  Riggs Hill (Colorado)

Shaylee and I climbed Riggs Hill after work.   It was a nice hike.

April 13:  Lunch Loops/Point 4930 (Colorado)

Alone and in the evening, I hiked some of the lunch loops, including to the summit of Point 4930.  The sunset was nice.

April 11-12:  Jones Canyon (Colorado)

April 11

Kimberly and I headed for the Middle Fork of Jones Canyon to explore it.  Since we didn't know how much water was available in the canyon, we carried heavy packs and a lot of water!   

We hiked over to some spectacular buttes and towers and looked for a way down into Jones Canyon.  We found a very steep, but not technical route in.  We headed into the canyon and took a break at a nice spring.  We then explored down canyon and found and intermitten stream of water.   We didn't need to carry that much water after all.

The canyon was a bit brushy and had a lot of boulders to climb over, so it was slow going.  We found that the water ended at the side canyon north of elevation 5529, so we decided to set up camp there.   

After setting up camp we explored the side canyon.  I tried to find a route to the rim thinking it might be a shortcut route that we could use tomorrow and avoid much of the brush.   I did find a route, but it was difficult and had a few technical pitches.   I did make the rim, but it took longer than expected and we had to find our way back to camp in the dark, having left our headlamps there.

April 12

In the morning, we explored down canyon, and found the canyon to be much easier walking below camp.   We explored the side (or possibly main?) fork a little before heading farther down canyon.   We saw a few arches and made it to the next major side canyon coming in from the north before heading back to camp.

After packing up camp, we headed back up canyon and found a different nearby route up to the rim.   We then made our way back to the trail and headed back to the trailhead.  

Jones Canyon is pretty, but it brushy and no more scenic than some of the other canyons in the area.   This was my second time in five months of visiting and it might be my last as there is so much more to explore out there.

April 10:  Serpents Trail (Colorado)

Kimberly, Kessler, Shaylee and I all hiked the Serpents Trail at night.   It is a great night hike and there are a lot of city lights visible.   The rock formations framed by the stars are also interesting.  

April 9:  Wedding Canyon/Monument Canyon (Colorado)

In the evening, I hiked a loop up Wedding Canyon and down Monument Canyon.   I started not long before sunset.   It was dark for most of the hike, but it was a really interesting night hike with the clear skies and rock towers framed by the stars.   The hike was a bit challenging near the end because my headlamp began to fade.  I was expecting at least some moonlight, but there was none.  

April 8:  Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)

Kimberly and I climbed Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock at night.  We started just after nine PM.   It was a nice hike under a bright moon.   

April 5:  Ribbon Canyon/Lace Canyon (Colorado)

Shaylee, Kessler, and I canyoneered down the East Fork of Ribbon, thus seeing a new fork of Ribbon Canyon.  We then went down the main Ribbon Canyon to Lace Canyon.  It was a really scenic and beautiful trip. We then went up Lace Canyon to see if we could find a walking pole I had accidentally left there last March.  We never did find it.

April 4:  Black Ridge (Colorado)

Shaylee and I climbed the Black Ridge near Grand Junction.   We followed the Black Ridge Trail a ways before cutting up the steep slopes to the summit of Black Ridge.  It was steeper and more rugged than expected.  We then followed the gravel road north to the saddle and found an old road which made a nice trail down to the Black Ridge Road.  We then followed the road and Monument Road back to the trailhead.   The weather and views were great.

MARCH

March 31:  Redlands Mesa (Colorado)

At night, Kimberly, Shaylee, and I hiked the trails on Redlands Mesa to Mr. Bones.   It was a nice night hike to a creepy skeleton.

March 29:  Devils Kitchen (Colorado)

Kimberly and I hiked up Devils Kitchen in Colorado National Monument.

March 28:  Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)

Kimberly and I started at the White Cap Trailhead.  We followed the Clunker Trail to the Coyote Ridge Trail and then followed that southwest to Curts Trail.  We then followed Raven Ridge, Eagle Connector and Eagles Wing Trail to the summit of Peak 5750.  

We then headed east, climbed Eagles Nest Rock, headed down Eagles Wing Trail to the Tabeguach Trail, went up the Tabeguach Trail to Prenup Trail which we followed north to Holy Cross Trail.  We then passed the Holy Cross and followed the Holey Bucket Trail back to the trailhead.  Phew!  

March 27:  Peak 5750 (Colorado)

After work, I climbed Peak 5750, making a loop of the Tabuguache Trail.  

March 25:  Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)

Alone, I climbed Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock at night.

March 23:  Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)

At night, Kimberly and I climbed Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock.

March 22:  Big Dominguez Canyon (Colorado)

Kimberly, Shaylee, and I hiked Big Dominguez Canyon.   It was a nice day, but a little breezy at times.  We hiked to the second panel of petroglyphs before returning to the trailhead.

March 21:  Peak 5239 (Colorado)

Kimberly and I climbed Peak 5239 near Rabbit Valley.   It was a scenic climb and a high quality summit.    There were lots of bighorn footprints, but we didn't see any bighorns.  

March 20:  Devils Canyon Overlook (Colorado)

Shaylee, Kimberly, and I hiked to the Devils Canyon Overlook.   It was one of the few trails in the area which we hadn't done already. 

March 16:  Serpents Trail (Colorado)

At night, Kimberly, Shaylee, and I hiked the Serpents Trail.   It was cloudy so there were no stars, but the city lights were bright. 

March 15:   The Block (Utah)

Mandi who we met the day before (see March 14 entry), along with her dog Cowboy, joined Shawn and I for a climb up The Block.  We followed the rough 4wd track towards The Block and then headed up the talus and boulders while trying to locate the old sheep trail.  We found it and followed it to the top.   After reaching the top of the South Block, we headed towards the land bridge connecting the South and North Blocks.   Along the way we found many flint chips and an arrowhead, which we left in place.  We also found several potsherds.  

Once we reached the Land Bridge, there were many clear potholes with fresh water.  This is where we originally planned to camp (see yesterday's entry).  We then headed out to the Land Bridge for some fantasic views and a lunch break.   The views were incredible.

After lunch, we headed for the North Block.  After visiting it, we returned the same way back to the vehicles.   

March 14:  Cove Canyon to Rock Canyon (Utah)

Shawn and I headed for Cove Canyon near Hite in order to climb and backpack up on The Block.   Unfortunately my vehicle got a flat tire in Cove Canyon.   It wouldn't have been a big deal, but the jack broke right when the vehicle was in the air!     Shawn and I then walked back to the Hite Road and walked back towards the highway.   We walked 12.5 miles before a truck came by.    Mandi, the driver of the truck drove us to the vehicle and we borrowed her jack.

March 12:  Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)

In the evening, I climbed Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock.

March 9:  Columbus Canyon (Colorado)

Dan, Kimberly, and I met at the Lunch Loop Trailhead before leaving one car at Devils Kitchen Trailhead and one near the head of Columbus Canyon.   We then walked around to the head of the canyon and down climbed in.   There were some interesting downclimbs and two overhanging rappels in the sandstone section of the canyon.  The second rappel was next to a big frozen waterfall.   We then scrambled down canyon and found several old and smashed up cars that must have been driven or pushed off the rim, some 500 feet above.  

The next section of the canyon was pretty easy until we got to the granite.  Then there was some really interesting downclimbing in the granite before reaching out last rappel, which was over a frozen waterfall.   This was the last major obstacle, but there were still a few downclimbs before we reached the national monument boundary.   We then hikes along the boundary and back to Devils Kitchen.

Columbus Canyon lacked a slot section, but it was a very interesting technical canyon.   

March 8:  Redlands Mesa (Colorado)

Kim and I headed for Rio Vista Road to hike some of the Redlands Mesa Trails.   We hiked down to the creek and ascended the Mumford, Ridgeway, and Trinity Trails to the Brick House Ruins.   We then follows the ridge southeast for some nice views.    We returned via some un-named trails, along with the Weaver, Dime a Dozen, and Narnia Trails, passing by a human skeleton (fake) along the way.    It was a nice hike with some nice views. 

March 7:  Lace Canyon/Echo Canyon (Colorado) 

Kit, John, and I shuttled cars before heading down the Ribbon Trail towards Lace Canyon.   We then headed west along some slickrock and rounded the head of the East Fork of Lace Canyon.  We found a place to rappel in and headed down the east fork to the main fork and then headed down the main fork.  We expected that there might be a rappel in this section of the canyon, but there was not.  The canyon was pretty with some nice potholes.

Once Lace Canyon reached the Ribbon Canyon drainage, we followed it down to Echo Canyon and to the big drop.  We made a spectacular rappel over the overhanging drop to the floor of the canyon at which point we hiked the Echo Canyon Trail back to Devils Kitchen.  

March 5:  Serpents Trail (Colorado)

Kessler and I hiked the Serpents Trail in Colorado National Monument at night.   The trail made for an interesting night hike and the moon was very bright.  We could also see the city lights.  We heard a coyote as well.

March 3: Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)

After work, I climbed Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock.  

March 2:  Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock/Highline Lake Trails (Colorado)

Kim and I climbed Peak 5750 and Eagle Nest Rock in the morning.  It was raining on the drive, but it did not rain on the hike and it was nice up there.

In the afternoon, I picked Shaylee up from school and we hiked the trails around Highline Lake to see the birds.    We saw lots of birds including a big bald eagle, swans, ducks, geese, etc.   It was a nice trip.

March 1:  Bald Knob (Colorado)  

After a rather sleepless night because of people snoring in the McNarama Hut, I climbed Bald Knob.   The views were a little disappointing since most of the peaks were clouded over by the time I reached the summit.

I headed back to the hut, packed up, and snowshoed back to the Hunter Creek Trailhead.  It was lightly snowing part of the time, but it wasn't bad, which is good because somehow I left my coat at home.

FEBRUARY

February 29:   Hunter Creek to McNarama Hut (Colorado)

After getting a late start, I snowshoed up to the McNarama Hut.  The weather was good and the views were nice, but I had to hurry in order to make it to the hut by dark. (I went up Bald Knob, but it was cloudy so the stars weren't as good as I hoped for).

 

February 28:  Peak 5482 (Utah)

In the afternoon, I climbed Peak 5482 near Rabbit Valley.   I took a route up the southeast ridge, which was surprisingly difficult.  There was some steep scrambling on loose dirt and some exposure.   

I made it to the summit of the peak and enjoyed the views before heading back down.

   

February 27:  White Cap Trails (Colorado)

After work, Kim and I made a loop of the Holey Bucket and Clunker Trails on a nice evening.

February 24:   Mack BM/Mack Ridge (Colorado)

Kimberly and I first hiked up to the top of the Mack BM near Mack.  We started in the morning when most of the mud was frozen.   We then hiked the Mack Ridge and descended to the Lions Loop which we followed back to the trailhead.   It was a great hike.

February 23:   McDonald Creek Benches (Colorado)

Kessler and I first hiked down McDonald Creek to the drop off.  We then found and took the trail along the rim of the canyon to an overlook of the Colorado River.   We then headed towards Peak 5236 and then looped around back to the trailhead.   We had originally hoped to climb Peak 5236, but there was no viable route from the direction that we were hiking along.  

Febraury 22:  Serpents Trail (Colorado)

Kimberly: and I hiked the Serpents Trail in the morning.

February 21:  Redlands Mesa Trail (Colorado)

At night, Kimberly and I hiked some of the Redlands Mesa Trails.  We went up the Mumford, Ridgeway, and Trinity Trails and descended the Dozen and Narnia Trails. 

February 18:  Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)

In the late afternoon, Kim and I climbed Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock.

February 17:  Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)

In the morning, Kim and I climbed Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock.   It was cloudy, but the weather was nice and it was a good hike. 

February 15-16:  Snake Gulch (Arizona)

February 15

Kim, Shaylee, and I started from the head of Snake Gulch and hiked down canyon to Table Rock before setting up camp.   Along the way, we looked for and stopped at the many pictograph panels.  We ate dinner at the spring before settling into bed.  At night, we heard a coyote very close to camp.   We explored around Table Rock and around the best panel in the canyon.  

February 16

We woke up in the morning and explored around Table Rock before packing up and heading back to the trailhead.  We saw a few pictograph panels that we had missed previously.   It was a great hike.  

February 11:  Peak 5750/Eagle Nest Rock (Colorado)

At night, I hiked to the summit of Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock alone.  

February 8:  Brides Canyon (Utah)

Three friends and I went canyoneering at Brides Canyon near Moab Utah.  There were no signs of previous descent in the canyon, even though it was close to Moab.   The canyon was interesting by Moab standards, but not as good as the best stuff in other areas. We got sketched out on the last part of my proposed approach route so we retreated and walked all the way around to the south side of the cliffs. Along the way, we found another possible approach, but it was iced up.

There were three rappels in upper Brides. The first one could probably jumped (8' or so), but it was an ice covered pool so we didn't want to jump into the ice and bust through. We avoided the pool completely with a 120 rap from north bench. Then some narrows and a 2nd rap 30' or so with a tree as an anchor. There were some interesting short side slots after that. Then there was a final 50' rap off a cairn anchor we built. After that was an overhanging section of canyon and the end. The trip took a lot longer than expected because we had to find a different approach that was longer than expected.

February 7:  Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)

Shaylee and I hiked up to Peak 5750 and Eagle Nest Rock at night.  The views of the city were nice, but Shaylee tripped on Eagle Nest Rock and scraped her knee.   We heard several coyotes on the hike.  

February 5:  Red Mountain (Colorado)

I had to go to Silverton for work.  On the way back I did some snowshoeing on Red Mountain from Red Mountain Pass.  Conditions were beautiful since there was lots of fresh snow.   I snowshoed for a few hours before heading back down to the pass.  It was quite cold and windy.

February 2:  Peak 12,585 (Colorado)

Peter and I met at Loveland Pass to climb Peak 12,585.  I don't know how I did this, but somehow I ended up leaving my boots at home.  Bummer.  We climbed Peak 12,585 and spent some time on top and then headed back.   It was chilly and windy, but not bad for February.  We would have preferred to go farther and climb more peaks, but my toes were cold.  The views from the summit were really nice though.

February 1:  Mount Falcon (Colorado)

Today I climbed Mount Falcon from Morrison (eastern route).  I made a figure 8 loop of the Castle, Meadow, Tower, and Turkey Trot trails.  It was a nice day and a nice hike.  It was a bit breezy, but the temperatures were not cold.   The trail was icy in places, but there were no other difficulties.  The views were really nice from the tower. 

 

JANUARY

January 28:  West Bench Trail (Colorado)

Kimberly and I snowshoed the West Bench Trail on Grand Mesa.  We didn't quite make it to the overlook, but it was a nice trip.   On the drive we saw the biggest fox that I have ever seen.

January 26:  Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)

In the afternoon, Kim and I hiked Peak 5750 and Eagle Nest Rock.   There was some snow on the trail, but it was a nice hike. 

January 25:   Lunch Loops (Colorado)

Shaylee and I started and ended near White Cap and hiked the Clunker, Miramonte, and Miramonte Rim trails.  

January 23:  South Table Mountain (Colorado)

I was in the Thorton area for class and wanted to get an after work hike.  the Table Mountains were the closest peaks to Thorton, but since I had already climbed North Table Mountain, I climbed the south.   I started well after sunset and went up the Golden Summit Trail and down the Sleeping Elk Trail.   The views from the summit of Castle Rock (a subpeak of the mountain) were really nice.   My headlamp was getting quite dim, but I managed to get down the Sleeping Elk Trail in the dark.

January 20:  Mount Sniktau (Colorado)

On my way to Denver, I stopped at Loveland Pass and climbed Mount Sniktau.   Conditions were pretty good and it was mild for January.   It was overcast so I didn't stick around to watch the sunset.  

January 19:  Ribbon Canyon (Colorado)

Kit and I met in Grand Junction to explore a technical canyon near the Ribbon Trail.  It was a very pretty canyon with some narrows, but no real slot. There was some snow and ice, but it wasn't more than a minor inconvenience. There was one rappel that humorously landed right into a tree. There were also a lot of neat frozen potholes in the canyon, but they were easy to avoid. The ones we did have to walk over were frozen solid so we didn't get wet. Since it is right next to the Ribbon Trail, Ribbon Canyon would be a good name.

January 18:  Gunnison Bluffs/Old Spanish Trail (Colorado)

Shaylee, Kimberly, and I started as the southern trailhead for the Gunnison Bluffs/Old Spanish Trail.  After walking a mile or so, Kim and Shaylee had to turn back.   I completed the rest of the Gunnison Bluffs Trail alone.    I saw hundreds of birds; mostly ducks and geese.

January 17:  Riggs Hill (Colorado)

Alone, I climbed Riggs Hill and completed the longest loop hike on the hill.   The trail was mostly dry.  

January 14:  Serpents Trail (Colorado)

Kim and I hiked the Serpents Trail before work.   It was sunny so it didn't feet too cold.   The views were really nice under blue skies.  

January 13:  Dinosaur Hill (Colorado)

Kim and I hiked the loop on Dinosaur Hill.  It was nice and sunny and there wasnt too much mud.

January 12:  No Thoroughfare Canyon (Colorado)

In the afternoon, I hiked No Thoroughare Canyon from the bottom.  I wanted to check out the falls so I could see if there was enough ice for climbing.  There wasn't, but it was a beautiful walk.   

At first it was snowing lightly, but the weather became a little clearer later.   

January 11:  Eagles Nest Rock/Peak 5750 (Colorado)

In the afternoon, I hiked to the summit of Eagle Nest Rock and Peak 5750.   There was snow on the ground, but it wasn't that deep and didn't hinder things too much, although the scramble of Eagle Nest Rock was slick.

January 7:  Ourika Gorge (Morocco)

Shaylee and I climbed several routes in the Ourkia Gorge with TJ from Colorado.  The routes were between 5.6 and 5.9 and the rock was of good quality.  We did seven climbs.  I led five of the climbs; TJ lead the other two.  The last one was the most fun, but I was tired by then.  

January 6:  Agadir Oufella (Morocco)

After seeing many tree climbing goats on the way to the trailhead, Shaylee and I hiked up to the old kasbah ruins on the summit of Agadir Oufella.  We explored around before heading back down.  

January 5:  Paradise Valley (Morocco)

Shaylee and I hiked through the Paradise Valley near Agadir.  It was pretty, but a little disappointing since the stream and waterfalls have dried up.  There were some stagnant pools, but that was it.

January 1:  Todra Gorge/Erg Chebbi (Morocco)

Shaylee and I hiked through the spectacular Todra Gorge on our way to the Sahara.  It was really beautiful, but a cold wind was blowing through the gorge.

In the evening we hiked to the top of one of the dunes in Erg Chebbi to watch the sunset.

ACCUMULATED TOTALS AND GOALS

Accumulated Totals for 2020: 

Days that I went hiking or climbing: 245

Summits Climbed: 143

Summits Attempted: 145

Rock Towers/Technical Buttes Climbed: 6

Rock Towers/Technical Buttes Attempted:  7

Technical Rock or Ice Routes Climbed:  32

Technical Rock or Ice Routes Attempted: 35

Technical Canyons Completed: 30

Technical Canyons Attempted: 30

Overseas Summits: 1

Goals for 2020:

Days to spend hiking or climbing: 250

Summits: 140

Rock Towers: 10

Technical Rock or Ice Routes: 30

Technical Canyons: 25

ELEVATIONS

Highest Elevation Reached

14,349 feet (4374 meters) on Blanca Peak (Colorado); September 6.

Highest Elevation Reached in USA 

14,349 feet (4374 meters) on Blanca Peak (Colorado); September 6.

Highest Sleeping Altitude

11,960 feet (3645 meters) at Navajo Basin (Colorado); July 18-19 and at Holbrook Creek (Colorado); September 5-7.

Highest Sleeping Altitude in USA

11,960 feet (3645 meters) at Navajo Basin (Colorado); July 18-19 and at Holbrook Creek Colorado; September 5-7.

Highest Elevation Climbed To By Month

 

Highest Outdoors Sleeping Altitude by Month

PERSONAL RECORDS SET

September 15

Highest ascent in Arizona; 11,420 feet (3481 meters) on Mount Baldy.  The previous record for Arizona was 8860 feet (2700 meters) on October 11 1984 at Kaibab Plateau.

September 6

Highest September ascent in Colorado; 14,349 feet (4374 meters) on Blanca Peak.  The previous September record for Colorado was 14,279 feet (4352 meters) on September 15 2001 at Grays Peak. 

May 14

It wasn't much of a record, but the the climb of Cow Creek Butte was the highest May ascent in Wyoming, at 7929 feet (2417 meters).   The previous May record for Wyoming was 7904 feet (2409 meters) at Muddy Mountain May 7 2020.

February 15-16

Highest sleeping altitude in February for Arizona; 5200 feet (1585 meters) at Table Rock.

February 15

It wasn't much of a record, but the hike in Snake Gulch at 5840 feet (1780 meters) might have been the highest I have hiked in February in Arizona.

Images

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