2023 Trip Log

Introduction

This is just a simple log to keep track of our 2023 trips.

See the 2022 Trip Log for 2022

See the 2021 Trip Log for 2021

See the 2020 Trip Log for 2020

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: RB-18 BM/Tunnel Point (Colorado)

Along with Kessler and Shaylee, I hiked to Tunnel Point and RB 18 BM (name of a peak). The views were great.  That does it for this year. It doesn't look like winter around here!

December 30: Devils Kitchen/Lemon Squeezers/No Thoroughare Canyon (Colorado)

December 29: Peak 5239/McDonald Creek (Colorado)

Along with Justin Kuhn, Kimberly and I climbed Peak 5239.  It is one of my favorite hikes in the Rabbit Valley area and has a sidewalk in the sky to walk across.  After that we hiked McDonald Creek, seeing several pictograph and petroglyph panels.

December 28: Haystack 3 BM (Colorado)

In the morning, I climbed in the morning to take advantage of frozen snow, mud, and scree (all of which were frozen) and climbed Haystack 3 Benchmark.

December 27: Lone Mountain (Nevada)

Along with Kessler and Shaylee, Kimberly and I climbed Lone Mountain near Las Vegas and before beginning the drive home. Without the sunshine, it was a world of gray.

December 26: Red Rocks (Nevada)

December 25: White Owl Canyon/Boulder Beach Climbs (Nevada)

First Kessler, Shaylee, Kim, and I hiked through the White Owl Slot, making a loop hike.  The canyon east of White Owl wasn't that interesting, but White Owl itself is a good one.

After White Owl Canyon, we headed for Boulder Beach to climb. We tried Little Lizard, but found it to be a bit harder than expected and it was getting late.  After trying that one, we climbed Gila Monster again too.  Even though Gila Monster is supposed to be harder, it didn't seem to be.  

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December 24: Saddle Island/Boulder Beach Climbs/Red Hawk Canyon (Nevada)

First Kim, Kessler, Shaylee, and I hiked up to the summit of Saddle Island. It was a fun little climb to a summit with great views. 

We then headed for Boulder Beach and climbed Desert Tortoise and Gila Monster.

After our climbs we headed for the canyon west of White Owl Canyon to check it out.  We just called it Red Hawk, but maybe it has another name?  We were just going to check it out, but Kessler, Shaylee, and I went all the way through. It was a great little canyon.  

December 23: East Fork Box/Box Canyon/Hidden Canyon (Nevada)

 

December 22: Ivy Creek (Utah)

On our way Las Vegas Kessler, Shaylee, Kim, and I stopped in the mountains between the San Rafael Swell and Salina to hike to some pictographs. We decided not to climb all the way to them though and viewed them from the distance, thus the blurry zoom shot on my phone.

December 21: Kodels Canyon Trails (Colorado)

After work Kim and I hiked on some of the Kodels Canyon trails right by the high school Kim works at. We didn't have time for a long hike.



December 20: Monarch Ridge (Colorado)

On my way home from Trinidad I stopped to climb the highest peak on the Monarch Ridge at 11,912'.  I was worried that I didn't have enough cold weather gear with me since it was a spur of the moment climb, but the weather was mild and I was able to make the summit without any issues.

 

December 19: Simpsons Rest (Colorado)

After work I hiked up Simpsons Rest. There's a 4wd road to the top, but I walked up. Unfortunately the area has a lot of graffiti and vandalism.

December 18: Levasa Trail/Reilly Canyon Trail (Colorado)

 

December 17: Capulin Volcano (New Mexico)

I had to travel to Trinidad Colorado for work so in the afternoon I hopped the border to New Mexico and climbed Capulin Volcano. I also hiked to the bottom of the crater. Since the national monument Trails close at 4:15 PM that's all I had time for.

December 16: The Cinema (Utah)

Kessler, Shaylee, Kim, and I climbed at The Cinema/Takeout Beach between Moab and Cisco.  We climbed one unknown route, Unknown Crack, and Minions.  Shaylee only did one climb since she wasn't feeling well.

December 15: Mount Medaris Trails (Colorado)

I had to go to Glenwood Springs for business, so on the way I headed for Mount Merdaris.  I had originally planned to climb it, but since the trails were very muddy I didn't want to mess up the trail or my clothes. Instead I stuck to the paved trails around the mountain.  

December 14: Canyon Rim Trail (Colorado)

After work KIm, Shaylee, and I hiked the Canyon Rim Trail.    It was about sunset when we finished.  I don't like the sun setting so early and wished we could do a longer hike!  

December 13: Trail Through Time (Colorado)

Kimberly and I hiked the Trail Through Time after work. There are a lot of nice Dinosaur bones in the rocks.  It was cloudy, but quite mild for December and there wasn't any mud or snow on the trail. 

December 12: Canal Trail (Colorado)

At night Kim and I hiked the Canal Trail.  

December 11: Cerro San Cristobol (Chile)

December 10: Rahue River Trails (Chile)

In the morning Kessler and I hiked some of the urban trails around Osorno along the Rahue River.

December 9: Rahue River Trails (Chile)

In the evening I hiked some of the urban trails around Osorno along the Rahue River.

December 6-8: Cerro Tronador (Argentina)

December 6

This was day 1 or our Tronador climb, a climb that had been on my list since 1984 and one that I really looked foreward to.  It is a magnificent mountain that is one of the highest in Patagonia. 

Ignacio, Kessler, and I hiked up to the Otto Meiling Hut on Tronador.   There was still snow much of the way and the skies were clear making it a really spectacular walk.  The forest, waterfalls, and mountain views were all great.  There was lots of potholing the last 1/4 of the way or so, but it was a great walk.  

 

December 7 

December 8

Today we walked back down the mountain and like the trip up, it was a spectacular walk.  We saw many condors and other birds as well.

December 5: Cerro Lopez/Mogul (Argentina)

December 4: Rio Manzo/Bariloche (Argentina)

Today we rafted the Rio Manzo, which was great.  We also did some short walks around Rio Manzo and around Bariloche.  

December 1-3: Nahuel Huapi/Pico Bara/El Tonto (Argentina)

December 1

Today Kessler and I climbed Pico Bara in the high winds.  The last part was challenging because of the snow and wind and we couldn't stand on top.  We had to stop less than 10 feet/3 meters from the true summit.  

We also headed for El Tonto Tower, and hoped to climb it, but there was a steep snow and ice field to cross that we were not equipped for.  We had to turn back, but it was still a really spectacular day and the views of all the rock towers were great.  

December 2

Today we hiked from Frey Hut to Jakob Hut, day 3 of the Nahuel Huapi Traverse. We left early to take advantage of hard snow and cramponing.  It was a great route, but had some steep descents.  We really regretted not bringing ice axes for the descent to Jakob.

It was indeed a spectacular day, but at night there were lots of bed bugs in out matresses in the hut!  They were not welcome!  

December 3

Today we did the scenic hike down the Arroyo Casa Pierda.  We did it rather quicky and although it was really scenic, it would have been more enjoyable if we weren't worried about hurrying down to wash everything because of the bed bugs!  

NOVEMBER

November 30: Nahuel Huapi Traverse/Punta Nevada (Argentina)

Today was Day 1 of the Nahuel Huapi Traverse.  Kessler and I rode the lift up to the ridge and hiked south along the ridge over Punta Nevada and then traversed the ridge over to the saddle before descending down to Refugio Frey.  It was an incredibly spectacular route and on a good weather day.  The snow was really soft though because of the hot weather. 

November 29: Lago Quillehue (Chile)

Kessler and I did a few hikes to the lakes overlooks on our way from Pucón Chile to Bariloche Argentina.

November 28: Parque Huerquhue (Chile)

November 27: Rio Claro (Chile)

Kessler and I canyoneered the Rio Claro and hiked backed from the falls. It was a 300' drop.   We didn't bring canyoneering gear so went with guides, but we were more experienced than the guides were and could have done things better.  The waterfall was nice though. 

November 26: Quetrupillán (Chile)

November 22: Canal Trail (Colorado)

At night Kim and I hiked the Canal Trail.

November 21: Neck Spring Loop (Utah)

Kim and I did a before work 6 mile hike on the Neck Spring Loop.   It was chosen because it was one of the few trails that I still hadn't done in Canyonlands.  It was a nice enough hike, but there are more spectacular hikes in the park.  

November 20: Mesa Arch/Whale Rock (Utah)

Kim and I did a few short evening after work hikes to Mesa Arch and Whale Rock.   Whale Rock was a nice sunset scramble.  

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

Kim and I did a morning hike to Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock in the light rain.



November 18: Monument Canyon/Coke Ovens (Colorado)

The weather forecast wasn't that great so Kim and I took it easy and did a 7 mile hike to the Coke Ovens and through Monument Canyon near our house. It was beautiful and we saw lots of bighorn sheep too.

November 17: Riggs Hill (Colorado)

After work Kim and I hiked the loop over Riggs Hill near our house.

November 16: Flume Canyon (Colorado)

After work Kim and I hiked Flume Canyon next to Fruita.  We hiked until running out of light.

November 15: Opal Hill (Colorado)

 KIm and I hiked the longer loop on Opal Hill next to Fruita.

November 14: Monument Butte (Colorado)

I went to Craig for business, so after that I climbed Monument Butte with Justin. It was my second climb of the butte, the first was in May 2009.  The views were nice, but we wore hunter orange since it is hunting season. 

November 13: Devils Canyon Trails (Colorado)

After work Kim and I met at the Devils Canyon Trailhead (only a few minutes from the school my wife works at) and did a loop hike with the D1 and D4 trails.

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

After church we climbed Eagles Nest Rock and Peak 5750. Man it gets dark early!  It was dark by the time we got back.  It's still warm for November though.  



November 11: Pilot Mountain/Green Mountain/Mount Waas (Utah)

It was a rough night since I forgot the tent and slept under the stars at Miners Basin in the La Sals and there were a lot of animals around. It was cold at night and in the morning, but it was a nice day. I climbed three peaks over 12,000 feet: Pilot Mountain; Green Mountain (unranked), and Mt. Waas. Snow and fallen timber slowed me down do it was a long day and I got back after dark.

November 10: Fisher Towers (Utah)

After work I headed for the La Sals and had just enough time for a sunset hike at Fisher Towers. After sunset I made it to Ancient Art before turning around.

November 9: Peak 6104/Mount Medaris (Colorado)

On my way to an evening work meeting in Glenwood Springs I left early and climbed Peak 6104 and Mount Maderis along the way (two different hikes). Scenery was pretty average by Colorado standards, but they were new peaks for me.

November 8: Dinosaur Hill (Colorado)

After work Kim and I hiked the loop over Dinosaur Hill.

Novevember 7: Corcoran Peak/Goblin Valley (Colorado)

I climbed and poked around Corcoran Peak (Book Cliffs) after work. The peak climb was a bushwhack and just OK, but the rock formations around the base peak were awesome and really need to explore and I'll have to go back.

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

I climbed Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock after work. I didn't make it before sunset thanks to the time change, so my photos weren't great.



November 5: Monoxide Canyon (Utah)

Kim and I did Monoxide Canyon with friends.  It was a pretty good canyon, but not quite as good as yesterday's.  It was interesting enough though.  



November 4: Constrycnine Canyon (Utah)

Kim and I did Constrychnine Canyon with some friends. We still hadn't done that one (somehow we never got around to it), but it had been on the list for a long time.  As expected, it was a great canyon.

November 3: Fruita Paleo Trail/Kodels Cabin (Colorado)

After work Kim and I hiked the Fruita Paleo Loop and then to Kodels Cabin on an evening with perfect weather. 

November 2: Saddlehorn/Rim Trail/Window Rock (Colorado)

After work we climbed Saddlehorn and then hiked the Rim Trail and Window Rock. All are beautiful, but short hikes.   We were done right at dark, buy we're not looking foreward to the time change this weekend.



November 1: Peak 5167 (Colorado)

I climbed Peak 5167 after work. It was cloudy which makes for a rather gloomy and colorless day this time of year.

OCTOBER

October 31: Highline Lake (Colorado)

After work, Kim and I hiked around Highline Lake on a really nice evening.  We saw lots of birds and got home just in time for the trick or treaters.

October 30: Roses Rock (Colorado)

After work, Kessler (my son) and I hiked up to the Four Blocks and Roses Rock in Unaweep Canyon and did some rock climbs.

October 29: Lunch Loops/White Cap (Colorado)

Around sunset Kim and I hiked some of the Lunch Loops from White Cap.

October 28: Gooseberry Trail/Grandview Trail/The Knoll (Utah)

It rained and was very windy most of the night (I camped in a tent) so I didn't get that much sleep, but itbwasnt too bad by sunrise so I hiked the Gooseberry Trail, Grandview Trail, and climbed The Knoll.  It was cloudy, but the weather was good.  I don't know if I had ever hiked the Gooseberry Trail before, so it may have been a new one for me.

October 27: Shaft BM (Utah)

After work, I headed for Island in the Sky and climbed the Shaft Benchmark in the evening. It has one of the best views in the park, but isn't visited much.  Fun place.



October 26: Redlands Mesa (Colorado)

After work, we hiked on Redlands Mesa near our house to visit Mr. Bones and making a loop hike. It was raining and windy much of the time.

October 25: Peak 5750 (Colorado)

After work I climbed Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock.

October 24: Triangle Mesa (Colorado)

After doing some work, I climbed Triangle Mesa. It took longer than expected, but was a nice and scenic route.

October 23: Opal Hill (Colorado)

After work Kim and I hiked the loop on Opal Hill on a really nice evening. 

 

October 22: Cooks Mesa/Beaver Bay Canyon (Utah)

October 21: Watson Canyon (Utah)

With Jerry Kim and I canyoneered Watson Canyon route near Capitol Reef.  It was an OK canyon, but there are better ones in the area and it's not on my repeat list.

October 20: Moore Fun Ridge (Colorado)

After work Kim and I hiked over Moore Fun Ridge (that's the real name of the place) and Peak 5398, making a loop hike.  It was a nice hike and we saw lots of lizards and a rabbit. It was really warm for late October!  

October 19: Little Park Trails (Colorado)

Kim and I hiked some of the trails at Little Park, completing a figure 8 loop around sunset.  Most of our hike was on the First Flats Trail.

October 18: Willow Creek (Colorado)

The contractor took a long lunch break so I had enough time to hike towards Willow Creek Falls (near Silverthorne), though I didn't have enough time to go a the way to the falls.  It was a nice hike in any case.

October 17: Colorado River Trail (Colorado)

Kim and I hiked the Colorado River Trail in the evening. It was an easy walk with nice falls colors.

October 15: Aydos Ormani (Turkey)

October 13: Süphan Dağı (Turkey)

I climbed Süphan Dağı, the second highest volcano in Turkey. It was a hard won summit and there was a lot of knee to waist deep snow to wade though. We also started at 7000 feet (2130 meters), so had 6000+ feet 1830+ meters) of elevation gain. That's a lot for me in one day considering the conditions. It took 9 hours just to reach the top without stopping much. Luckily the trip down was much faster. I went with two locals.

October 11: Pasha Palace (Turkey)

I visited Ishak Pasha Palace and ruins near Doğubayazıt, which are about a thousand years old and not as old as the other ruins I have been to so far in this part of the world. It was an interesting place.  I also walked around the area where the ruins were located.  There are lots of impressive mountains surrounding the ruins as well.

October 10: Tuzlica Salt Caves, Ani, Kars Castle (Turkey)

October 9: Muradiye Waterfalls/Fortress of Van/Akdamar (Turkey)

October 6-8: Mount Ararat (Turkey)

Independent climbing is not allowed on Ararat so you are required to joina group. I went with Two Ararat since they were the only outfitter still climbing the mountain this late in the year.

October 6

12 of us met at the hotel and left to go climb the mountain.  It was a diverse group with climbers from Turkey (Victor), Bulgaria (Zaho and ?), Netherlands (Frank), Spain (Sivin, and ?), England (Bill), Scotland (Alistair), and of course me from the USA. We started near the village of Çevirme at about 2150 meters and headed for Camp 1 at 3300 meters.  The weather was clear, but it had snowed quite a bit two days prior so we started to hit snow at about 2700 meters.  We arrived at Camp 1 which had a fair amount of snow.

The weather forecast was discussed. Since a storm and high winds were due to arrive on October 9, our planned summit day, we decided to summit the peak early and forego our acclimatization day.  Because of this we hiked up to 3800 meters after getting setted into camp.  The weather was beautiful.  

October 7

In the morning we all hiked up to Camp II at 4110 meters.  Things went well, but most of us could feel the altitude since we didn't have the extra acclimatization day.  We went to bed pretty early since we were to wake at 1 AM for the summit bid.

October 8

We started up the mountain just after 2 am. I had to make some adjustments to some things so started later than everyone else.  The weather was good, but cold, which is expected in October (most climb the mountain in July and August).

I eventually caught up with the rest of the group and passed several of them.  Victor was the first one to head back down and the Spaniards headed back down about 1/2 way up.   About 300 meters from the top, Frank headed down because he was cold.

The rest of us reached the glacier and put on our crampons.  After five and a half hours, the seven of us reached the summit in beautiful and clear but cold weather.   We all spent some time on top before heading back down.

The trip down was long.  We all hiked down to Camp 1 where most of us opted to take a vehicle down while the Bulgarians walked the rest of the way.

It was a great climb!  My only complaint is that Camp II could use a good clean-up from the many groups that use the place.

October 5: Durupinar (Turkey)

I hiked to and around what a lot of people believe is (literally) Noah's Ark. It's a boat shaped geologic formation on a mountain next to Mount Ararat. With a little imagination the lava formations look like wood. There was a nice view of Ararat as well.  It was a nice walk and interesting, but there was a bit of mud.

Since the location is right next to Iran I could see well into that country, but I didn't have a visa so stayed on the Turkey side.

October 3: Bosphorus Walk Trail (Turkey)

Istanbul is a surprisingly beautiful city other than the air pollution, but a day or two is enough for me in any big city.

SEPTEMBER

September 30: Columbus Canyon (Colorado)

Kim, Bobbie, Jocelyn and I canyoneered Columbus Canyon.  It was a great route and very scenic, but the route out was hot.

September 28: Table Mountain (Colorado)

After work I climbed Table Mountain and had a great sunset.

September 27: Grouse Mountain (Colorado)

After work I climbed Grouse Mountain on a really nice fall evening.



September 26: Cottonwood BM (Colorado)

Around sunset I climbed Cottonwood BM.  The autumn leaves are out and the sunset was nice.



September 25: Genesee Mountain (Colorado)

I had to go to Lakewood to get some vehicle service after work so on the way back I did the (fairly short) hike to the top of Genesse Mountain.

September 24: Colorado Mines Peak (Colorado)

I had a lot to do today so couldn't do anything overly ambitious so I climbed Colorado Mines Peak.  It was a nice day and not as windy as yesterday.

September 23: Mount Ida (Colorado)

I climbed Mount Ida alone. It was cold and windy, but clear. I regretted not bringing gloves.

September 22: Table Mountain (Colorado)

After work I climbed Table Mountain, starting around sunset.  I made the summit well after sunset and came down in the dark.  The half moon was pretty bright for walking in the dark.



September 20: Cottonwood BM (Colorado)

After work I climbed Cottonwood BM.

September 19: West Peak (Colorado)

After work I climbed West Peak.  My knee is feeling a little better, but I didn't want to risk anything so I chose something gentle.

September 18: Doe Creek Trail (Colorado)

After work I hiked the Doe Creek Trail just after sunset. Since still have a sore knee I took it easy. I saw a nice rainbow on the drive to the trailhead.

September 16: Colorado River Trail (Colorado)

My knee was really hurting so Kim and I hiked the Colorado River Trail.  We saw a lot of squirrels and chipmunks.

 

September 15: Granby Trails (Colorado)

Kim and I hiked the Granby Trails at night.  It was a super clear night so the Milky Way was highly visible. 

September 14: Granby Trails (Colorado)

At night I hiked the Granby Trails.  It was mostly cloudy so there weren't many views of the stars. 

September 13: Carter Mountain (Colorado)

I climbed Carter Mountain after work and in the rain.

September 12: Grouse Mountain (Colorado)

After work I climbed Grouse Mountain from the south in perfect weather. 



September 11: Haus Rock (Colorado)

After poking around Chimney Rock I headed for Haus Rock to find my favorite climbing shoes that I left on there two days earlier.  I hiked up to the rock and back and didn't find them.  Just when I was about to leave I noticed them next to the a sign in the parking lot.

September 10: Radial Mountain (Colorado)

I had things to do in the morning, but I was able to climb Radial Mountain in the afternoon.  The views are somewhat limited from this one, but there are really cool dikes and rock formations. I had to climb through a hailstorm; but it passed after 20 minutes.

September 9: Haus Rock (Colorado)

I climbed at Haus Rock with Raul.  I climbed Not So Hostile Krainzover, They Call Me Shorty, Little Squirt, and Feet Do Not Fail Me Now.  Raul climbed the same and Lichen this and Not Lichen This.  

September 8: Wolford Mountain/Little Wolford Mountain/Peak 8264 (Colorado)

After work I climbed Wolford Mountain around sunset. I was tired since I had to get up really early and had a long day at work, but I committed myself to climb two more mountains today, so I climbed Peak 8264 and Little Wolford Mountain in the dark. 

September 7: East Shore Trail (Colorado)

After work I hiked the East Shore Trail. I didn't start until after sunset so it was mostly dark on the hike.

September 6: Mount Bross (Colorado)

After work I climbed Mount Bross in Grand County at sunset.



September 5: Table Mountain (Colorado)

After work I climbed Table Mountain around sunset on a nice evening with clear skies.

September 4: Hassell Peak (Colorado)

In the afternoon, I climbed Hassell Peak from Jones Pass.  It was windy, but a nice day otherwise with no threat of thunderstorms.



September 3: Granby Trails (Colorado)

At night, I hiked the Granby Trails.  

September 2: Phases Rock (Colorado)

We tried to get to the Hurd Creek Crags, but the road was blocked by a private land sign.  We then backtracked to Phases Rock.

Kessler, Kim, and I climbed at Phases Rock. Kessler climbed Face First, Happy To Be Here, Crew, and Battle of the Bulge.  Kim attempted climbing Face First and then climbed Crew.  I attempted Face First and climbed Happy To Be Here, Crew, and Battle of the Bulge.  It was a bit warm in the afternoon, but the climbing was nice.  



September 1: Granby Trails (Colorado)

At night, Kim, Shaylee, and I hiked the Granby Trails.

AUGUST

August 31: Colorado Mines Peak (Colorado)

On a nice evening, I climbed Colorado Mines Peak.

August 30: Corral Peaks (Colorado)

I climbed the Corral Peaks after work.  The road was closed a ways from the trailhead due to the East Troublesome Fire so I had to walk that part.  I climbed both peaks before heading back down. 

August 29: Peak 9645 (Colorado)

I climbed Peak 9645 after work.  The views were OK as was the hike. 

August 28: Grouse Mountain (Colorado)

Corral Peaks was my intended destination, but the road was closed due to washouts and the East Troublesome Fire so I backtracked and climbed Grouse Mountain again. This time I took a different route from the south. It was longer than climbing the peak from the east, but more gentle.  

August 27: Pinyon Mesa (Colorado)

Kim and I did a loop hike up Pinyon Mesa combining the Turkey Flats, Haypress, Ridge, and Reservoir Trails on a nice day.

August 26: Lost Lake (Colorado)

Kim and I hiked the Lost Lake Trail and the loop around Mesa Lake, passing by South Mesa Lake along the way.  It was a really nice and scenic hike and the lakes were so clear that we could see several fish in them.  It rained a little, but not that much.

August 24: Granby Trails (Colorado)

I was hoping that the rain would stop in the evening, but it never did so I hiked the Granby Trails in the rain and at night.

August 23: Doe Trail (Colorado)

In the evening I hiked the Doe Trail near Lake Granby.  It had been pretty stormy so I thought I'd play it sage and not climb a peak.  It was a pleasant hike.

August 22: Cottonwood BM (Colorado)

Around sunset, I climbed Cottonwood BM, but I was still in the trees when the sun set so I didn't get to watch it.  It was a nice evening though. 

August 21: AS P560 BM/Peak 12,582 (Colorado)

After work I climbed AS P560 BM (Peak 12,752) and Peak 12,582 as well as two minor summits along the way. I should have only climbed one peak though as I was pretty burned out and tired.   The weather was great and the views were fantastic. 

August 18-20: Sunlight Peak (Colorado)

August 18

Kim and I rode the train to Needleton and hiked up to Chicago Basin.  The weather forecast was ominous so we were a bit worried, but only a little rain fell.  It was a scenic hike in with some nice waterfalls and views.  We didn't see as many mountain goats and marmots as on previous trips.  

August 19

I climbed Sunlight Peak while Kim hung out in camp to explore around and read her book.  Sunlight was the only 14er I had left in Colorado so since I only had one peak to climb today, it was a mellow day and I hung out with Kim when I came back to camp.

It was a scenic hike/climb and the summit block was a real treat.  I didn't have time to pick up my good shoes at home though so did the climb in Hokas with half the tread completely gone.  I did meet one person near the top and we took pictures of each other summiting the peak.  Other than the peak itself, the lake and waterfalls were really nice too, making this one of better of the Colorado 14ers.

The weather was good on the climb, but it rained a bit in the evening. 



August 20

In the morning Kim and I hiked up the basin to look for marmots and mountain goats.  We saw a few marmots and went back and packed up camp before hiking back to Needleton.  We had a long ride home and I had to get up very early so we couldn't hang out much after the hike.

August 17: Granby Trails

I didn't have much time after work so I just hiked the Granby Trails, only doing 1.5 miles.

August 16: Williams Peak/Williams BM/Peak 11,217/Peak 10,881 (Colorado)

I got off work earlier than usual, so I climbed four peaks after work rather than the usual one. I climbed Peak Williams Peak, Williams BM, Peak 11,217, and Peak 10,881.

August 15: Green Mountain Trail (Colorado)

August 14: Grouse Mountain (Colorado)

After work I climbed Grouse Mountain. My original target was the Corral Peaks, but there were some sheriff's vehicles blocking that road. It was a nice evening.

August 13: Escalante Potholes/Narrows (Colorado)

Kessler, Kimberly, and I went better prepared with dry bags and made it all the way through the Escalante Creek Narrows. It was a great hike, especially on a hot day. We also saw 41 bighorn sheep.   It was a great route and one of my favorites in the area.

August 12: Escalante Potholes (Colorado)

We hiked the Escalante Creek Narrows near Grand Junction (where we live). We didn't make it all the way through though because I didn't bring any dry bags for the cell phones and you have to do several swims to make it all the way through. Next time. We did go farther than in the photos, but couldn't take the cameras. It was a great hike.

August 11: Colorado Trail/Molas Pass (Colorado)

I got off work early and since Kim was still at work I did a hike at Molas Pass on my way home.  I hiked part of the Colorado Trail towards Molas Lake on a nice afternoon.

August 10: Jackson Mountain (Colorado)

After work I climbed Jackson Mountain near Pagosa Springs. There is a trail close to the summit, but it's not on any maps I have and I didn't know where it is. Instead I took a difficult and miserable route up the south face. There were some nice views though and I saw a horned toad.

August 9: Reservoir 2 BM (Colorado)

I hiked to Reservoir 2 BM after work. I am working in Pagosa Springs the rest of the week. It was mostly easy trails so nothing too exciting, but I was tired from the long day at work yesterday followed by a six hour drive so that was ok.

August 8: Meadow Creek (Colorado)

I didn't have much time for a hike since I had to work all day in Granby and then drive to Pagosa Springs.

August 7: Peak 9180 (Colorado)

After work I climbed Peak 9180 at sunset.

August 6: Skyscraper Peak (Colorado)

I climbed Skyscraper Peak from Rollins Pass. It's a pretty easy climb, but very scenic.  The weather forecast wasn't promising, but the weather held.  There were clouds coming up the east side of the mountains, but it was mostly clear to the west.  

I saw several people skiing Skyscraper Glacier.



August 5: Stanley Mountain (Colorado)

August 4: Mount Cindy (Colorado)

After work I climbed Mount Cindy in the Never Summer Mountains.  The road was rough for my company vehicle, so this added several miles to my trip since I didn't want to risk the drive in a vehicle I didn't own.  I didn't summit until evening.

I climbed the southeast ridge and came down the south face.  It rained a little on the way up, but it was mostly good weather and no thunder.  

August 3: Peak 10,904 (Colorado)

After work, I climbed Peak 10,904 near Byers Peak.  It was a nice hike with pretty good views.  The drive was longer than the climb. 

August 2: Cottonwood BM/Mount Bross (Colorado)

Kim and I climbed Cottonwood BM and Mount Bross after work.  Both summits had good weather even though the weather forecast wasn't promising.   



August 1: Colorado River Trail/Continental Divide Trail (Colorado)

After work, Kim and I did a loop hike on the Colorado River and Continental Divide Trails near Shadow Mountain Lake.  There were a lot of mosquitoes, but other than that it was a nice hike. We saw several ospreys as well.

JULY

July 31: East Shore Trail (Colorado)

Around sunset Kim and I hiked the East Shore Trail. We got a late start to wait out the rain, but the weather was beautiful when we went.

July 30: Prairie Mountain (Colorado)

After church Kim and I climbed Prairie Mountain from Ute Pass. It was a but more challenging than expected, but had nice views.

July 29: Elk Mountain (Colorado)

After work (I had to work in the morning) Kim and I climbed Elk Mountain and enjoyed the fine views.  Since there was thunder in the distance, we didn't spend much time on the summit.

July 28: Cottonwood BM (Colorado)

After work Kim and I hiked to the summit of Cottonwood BM. We were going to stay and watch the sunset, but left early because of rain and lightning.

July 27: Sheep Mountain (Colorado)

I climbed another Sheep Mountain (there are a lot in Colorado) after work and on my way to another project. This is the 3rd Sheep Mountain I have climbed in the past few months. There were some nice views, but lots of mosquitoes and fallen timber as well. A bit of rain fell too.



July 26: Genesee Mountain (Colorado)

I had to go to Lakewood for some vehicle maintenance so on the way back I climbed Genesee Mountain.  It was an easy hike as summits go and on a pleasant trail.  The forest was nice and I saw some squirrels as well.  

July 25: Monarch Lake Loop (Colorado)

After work Kim and I hiked the loop around Monarch Lake.  We saw several squirrels, chipmunks, and geese.  It was a nice hike, though there were some mosquitoes about.  



July 24: Colorado River Trail (Colorado)

After work Kim and I hiked the Colorado River Trail in Rocky Mountain National Park. It was a nice and easy hike.  We saw several deer.  

July 23: Jim Creek (Colorado)

Kim and I did the six mile hike to the waterfalls at Jim Creek.  We had to wade the creek a few times to get a closer look at the falls.  It was a nice hike.

July 22: Mount Flora (Colorado)

We had somewhere to be so couldn't start up the mountain until afternoon. Luckily the weather held and it was a nice day.  Kim had a headache so she stopped short of the summit while I continued on to the summit.  

The trail ends on a lower summit and the true summit is just to the north.  While I was there I was the only one that went over to the true summit.  

July 21: Jim Creek (Colorado)

After work, Kim and I hiked up Jim Creek on a nice evening.  

July 20: 10,265 (Colorado)

After work I climbed Peak 10,265. I chose this one because it should be safe from lightning storms since it is thickly forested. While some peaks are nice and easy or fun and challenging, this was neither. It rained and hailed much of the time and when it wasn't raining or hailing the mosquitoes were out in full force. I had to wade through a lot of swampy areas too. The views were limited as well. I also slipped on a hail covered log and had a dead branch stab me in the neck. My climb of Peak 10,245 only gets one star from me.

July 19: Sheep Mountain (Colorado)

After work I climbed Sheep Mountain (the one with elevation 11,361).  It was a nice and gentle peak.  I saw a moose on the drive back.

July 18: Mount Epworth (Colorado)

After work I climbed Mount Epworth on a nice evening.  It was a nice climb with good views of lakes with ice on them. 

July 17: Peak 10,854 (Colorado)

After work I climbed Peak 10,854. The views were limited on this one, but I got a few peek a boo views on the way up.

July 16: Keller Mountain (Colorado)

I climbed Keller Mountain in the Gore Range with Caroline. It took longer than expected. The last part of the ridge climb was pretty tedious.

We descended the south face and South Fork Rock Creek to the old Boss Mine.  The upper half of the route was really nice and we found a trail in places. We lost the trail on the second half of the route to the Boss Mine and the going was pretty time consuming.  We made it back around sunset.  

The views were good, and I had been up the mountain before, but it's not on my repeat list. 

July 15: Sheep Mountain (Colorado)

I had to work today, but got off at noon so I climbed Sheep Mountain (the one that is 11,826' elevation).  There are a lot of Sheep Mountains in Colorado and I did a different one a few weeks ago.  It was a nice peak, but it took longer than I expected. 

I saw a moose on the drive out.  

July 14: Bobtail BM (Colorado)

After work I climbed Bobtail Peak. The road to Jones Pass is still closed, so I climbed from the basin below. Unfortunately I didn't bring an ice axe and getting up the cornice was dicey in Hokas, but I found an alternate way down.

 

July 13: Cottonwood BM (Colorado)

After work I climbed Cottonwood BM. I missed seeing the sunset from the top, but saw it on the way up.

July 12: Peak 11,500 (Colorado)

After work, I climbed Peak 11,500 between Sheep Mountain and Parkview Mountain. It was a nice climb with a trail to very near the top.  The weather was great and so were the views.  The only downside were the mosquitoes.

July 11: Heartbeat Peak (Colorado)

After work and with a pretty late start, I climbed Heartbeat Peak, reaching the summit just before sunset.  It was a nice climb with good views and the sunset on the way down was spectacular. I watched the sunset with a marmot that seemed to enjoy the sunset as well.  

July 10: Red Mountain (Colorado)

I didn't have time to hike it climb something earlier so I climbed Red Mountain (near Kremmling) at night, reaching the summit at 10:11 PM. Other than the town below and the stars there wasn't much to see as the moon isn't out.

July 9: Angel Creek/Portland Creek (Colorado)

It was supposed to be 100 degrees in Grand Junction so Justin, Kessler, Kim, and I decided to head for Ouray for some canyoneering. We first did Angel Creek, a nice and pretty canyon with a pretty mellow flow.  We then headed for Portland Creek, which had a high flow.  It was a nice canyon, but Justin ended up hurting his ankle in the canyon.  

July 8: Junction Butte (Colorado)

On my way home I from Granby climbed Junction Butte from the south. On previous trips, I always climbed it from the north.  It wasn't too hot and the south side was a bit more mellow.  

July 7: Blue Ridge (Colorado)

After work the highest peak on Blue Ridge. Unfortunately I was still in the trees when the sun set, so missed that. I still got some views since the summit area was pretty barren. There was quite a bit of fallen timber which made for a challenge in the dark since I took a longer route up for some more exersize.  

July 6: Lonesome Peak (Colorado)

After work, I climbed Lonesome Peak. It was a navigational challenge through thick forest. The peak only had limited views so I didn't get many photos. Most of it was off trail, but I did find parts of an old trail on the way down. It was more like a hike in Minnesota than a typical one in Colorado-limited views, thick timber, and lots of mosquitoes!

July 5: Parkview Mountain (Colorado)

After work I climbed Parkview Mountain. I drove the road part way to the cirque and walked the rest of the way.  I made the mistake of climbing the north side of the cirque, which was a miserable route up to the ridge.  Once I reached the ridge, the route was easy and I climbed to the summit.  I descended the ridge to the south of the cirque, which was a much better route even though it had quite a bit of snow.  I just missed a big storm and had good weather the entire time of the climb, though it was very windy. 

July 4: Lower Hurd Creek Crag (Colorado)

Kessler and I climbed at the Lower Hurd Creek Crag. I'm not sure of the names of the climbs, but I tried four of them and Kessler climbed all four of them.  I was able to successfully climb two of the four climbs.   Shaylee and Kim hiked to the crag and watched, but did not climb.

July 3: Ranch Creek Crag (Colorado)

Kessler, Shaylee, and I climbed at the Ranch Creek Crag near Granby.  Shaylee climbed two of the climbs and Kessler and I climbed all four.

  

July 2: Poison Ridge (Colorado)

Kessler and I climbed the highest peak on Poison Ridge. Kimberly and Shaylee turned back short of the summit. It was a nice Peak with fantastic views.

July 1: Red Mountain (Colorado)

Kim and I climbed Red Mountain after sunset under a nearly full moon.   There were lots of mosquitos out, but other than that it was a pleasant hike. 

 

JUNE

June 30: Peak 10,626 (Colorado)

I climbed Peak 10,626 after work. Ironically, the views were good from the lake where I started, but very limited on the summit. I saw a big and weird looking porcupine too.

June 29: Haystack Mountain (Colorado)

After work, I climbed Haystack Mountain.  It rained and snowed, plus there was a lot of mosquitoes out, but the views were good.

June 28: Spruce Em Up Jack Trail (Colorado)

After work, I hiked the Spruce Em Up Jack Trail.  I wanted to check out some routes towards Gravel Mountain, but wasn't able to find a driving route from the east due to road washouts.   It was mostly a hike through the burnt out forest with some OK views near the beginning of the hike. There were some nice flowers out.

June 27: Sheep Mountain (Rabbit Ears Range) (Colorado)

Although I left for work very early this morning, I got off early as well so decided to climb Sheep Mountain (there are many in Colorado, this is the one with 11,361' elevation) after work.  It was an easier climb than expected and an easy and pleasant hike with good weather and good views.  

June 25-26: Sessions Mountains West/Sessions Mountains East/Grandview Peak/Peak 8722/Jeep BM (Utah)

June 25

The main goal for this trip was to climb Grandview Peak since it had been on my list for decades, but I had planned to climb other peaks as well.  I drove south from Skyline Drive, but the road was soon blocked by snowdrifts (about 8000 feet) so I didn't make it that far.  I walked south along the road (with several snowdrifts along the way to near the north side of Peak 8722, where I dropped my pack and set up camp.  After camp was set off I headed south to the end of the road. The trail up the Sessions Mountains ridge was buried in snow and hard to find so I made my way up the snow to the summit of Sessions Mountains West without a trail. The skies were clear and the views were great. I then climbed down the the saddle to the east and followed the trail to near Sessions Mountains East and climbed that too before heading for Grandview Peak. The last part of the ridge to the summit was a bit challenging with the steep snow, but the views from the top were worth it.  The climb took longer than expected since all the snow slowed me down and it was pretty late by the time I got back to camp.

June 26

In the morning, I climbed Peak 8722 next to camp.  I then packed up camp and headed north towards where I parked the car.  Along the way I climbed Jeep BM as well.  It sure had a lot of false summits for such a seemingly small peak!  

June 24: Battle Creek Falls (Utah)

After a family reunion, Kim and I hiked up to Battle Creek Falls with my dad.  The hike was popular, but as always the hike to the falls was a nice one. 

 

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

Before work, Kim and I hiked up Peak 5750 and I also climbed Eagles Nest Rock.  It was warm, but not hot yet so was a pleasant hike.  It was really windy which made for some fun hair photos.

  

June 22: Peak 9905/Cottonwood BM (Colorado)

After work I climbed Peak 9905 near Cottonwood Pass.  It was a little more challenging than expected, but not bad.  I also saw a moose on the way down.   After climbing Peak 9905 I still had time, so hiked up to the top of Cottonwood BM.  The weather forecast was for rain, but I made it to the top of both peaks before it started raining.  

June 21: Peak 8911 (Colorado)

After work, I climbed Peak 8911 near Granby Ranch.  Normally the peak is off limits to hikers, but since I'm working on some projects at Granby Ranch, I got permission to climb it. It was an easy hike as there is a gated old road most of the way up.  

June 20: Colorado Mines Peak (Colorado)

After work, I headed towards Rollins Pass in hopes of climbing Heartbeat Peak, but the road was gated too long from the trailhead and I knew I would make it.  I then headed for Colorado Mines Peak.  The late start, soft snow, and lack of desire to get back after midnight prompted a turn around about half way up.

June 19: Canal Trail (Colorado)

Kim and I hiked the Canal Trail at night.  

June 18: Fry Canyon (Utah)

Tim and I canyoneered Fry Canyon.  We first waded through the Frylette slot under the highway and headed down canyon to the real narrows.  It was a fun and short slot with one rappel and a swim.  We then headed down canyon to the ruins and then to White Canyon where we climbed back out.  We followed the rim of the canyon back to the trailhead, stopping at the ruins along the way. Since I had already been to the ruins several times, I didn't make the climb down to them, but Tim did. 

 

June 17: Burch Canyon (Utah)

Tim and I canyoneered Burch Canyon and hiked out White Canyon. It was a fantastic route with nice rappels, waterfalls, ruins, alcoves, and a nice natural bridge.

 

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

Kim and I climbed Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock.  It rained a little, but we missed most of the rain as we were back to the trailhead before it started raining hard.  

June 15: Cottonwood BM (Colorado)

I climbed Cottonwood BM from near Cottonwood Pass on my way back from my work project in Granby. The weather forecast said rain and snow, but I caught a break on this one and the weather was good.  

June 14: Peak 9180 (Colorado)

I chose to climb Peak 9180 (near Granby) since I thought it would be a reasonable choice with heavy rain in the forecast.  I made the summit, but it did indeed rain.  Hard. 

June 13: Green Ridge (Colorado)

After work, I climbed Green Ridge.  There wasn't much in the way of views on this one since there is a lot of thick timber and since the higher peaks are all socked in with clouds. There is a trail most of the way up this one, but the beginning is hard to find.  It was pretty wet on the way back too. I don't think I'll be repeating this one.

  

June 12: Table Mountain (Colorado)

I wanted to climb a peak after work (near Granby), but it was a bust.  First I headed over to Peak 8773, but I couldn't find a route to the peak without tresspassing, so gave up on this one.  I then headed for peak 9466, but the road was washed out and closed.  I then headed for Table Mountain, but didn't have enough time to make the summit since I burned up too much time trying to get to those other peaks. 

 

June 11: Lost Lake (Coloroado)

Kim and I hiked up to Lost Lake in the afternoon.  I didn't know that the East Troublesome Fire had reached this far north, but everything was burned out.   It was sad to see, but we had a nice hike anyway.

June 10: East Inlet Trail (Colorado)

Kim and I hiked up the East Inlet Trail.   She had a sore knee so we had to do something easy. On the drive we saw an elk.  We hiked up to Adams Creek Falls, which had an  impressive flow with the runoff.  

We continued up the trail, seeing a snake on the trail along the way.  We made it to around East Inlet Falls, but there was an irate moose with a calf on the trail so we headed back down.  We had to get way off the trail before the moose ran by.

June 9: Snow Mountain Waterfall (Colorado)

in the late evening, Kim and I hiked to the Snow Mountain Waterfall, which is a small, but pretty waterfall.  We completed the loop hike.  We saw a moose on the hike and a fox on the drive in.

  

June 8: Trail Mountain (Colorado)

I got off work a little earlier than normal and I climbed the very mis-named Trail Mountain.  Most of the access routes are blocked by private land, but there is a narrow strip of state land on the east side of the mountain. 

I climbed up the very steep slopes and enjoyed the views from the summit.

June 7: Granby Trails (Colorado)

At night, I hiked the Granby Trails as i didn't have tome for anything else.

June 6: Slide Mountain/Black Mountain (Colorado)

After work, I climbed Slide Mountain and Black Mountain in Grand County.  Both had fallen timber to get over, but Slide Mountain wasn't so bad.  The route up Black Mountain was pretty heinous and I won't be repeating it anytime soon!

June 5: Third Flats Trails (Colorado)

Kim and I made a loop hike of the Third Flats, Rocker Knocker, and Canyonview Trails in the morning and before it got hot.

June 4: Cane Wash (Utah)

Since Kessler and I tipped the canoe just before Cane Wash, the timing was good to do a hike up Cane Wash so we could dry off.  While Cane Wash isn't as scenic as Virgin Spring Canyon, it is a very nice hike with very easy walking.  There are also several big petrified logs to see as well.    The canoeing trip itself was a bit spicy in a canoe since the San Rafael River was more than 800 cfs.

June 3: Virgin Spring Canyon (Utah)

Kessler and I arrived here in early afternoon after canoeing the San Rafael River down from Fuller Bottom.  We hiked up to the falls and pool and then used a scrabling route up through the cliff band in order to head up canyon.  We hiked up canyon about 3.5 miles or so until we reached a flash flood.  It only rained a few small drops where we were, but it must have rained really hard up canyon. We headed back down canyon.  The previously dry creek was hard to cross and we made several crossings.  When we got to the big spillover, I was able to catch the flashflood on video going off the cliff and into the pool below.  It was a really impressive sight.  

June 2: Canal Trail (Colorado)

In the late evening, Kim and I hiked the Canal Trail. 

June 1: Colorado River Trail (Colorado)

In the late evening, Kim and I hiked the Colorado River Trail on a nice evening.  

MAY

May 31: Mount Bross (Colorado)

I climbed Mount Bross in Grand County in the late evening and after work.  Surprisingly, I met someone near the top who had hiked up the other side.  It was a nice eveing and the moon was bright.  I hiked down the mountain in the dark and under the moonlight. 

 

May 30: Hartman BM (Colorado)

On the way to work, I climbed Hartman BM along Trough Road.  It wasn't a hard climb, but it was longer than it looked from the bottom.  There were some nice views from the top.  

May 29: Coal Creek Basin  (Colorado)

Kessler and I headed up Lands End Road to do some rock climbing on Paleosol Wall, but we found the road to be closed five miles from the wall.  Instead we hiked the trail to Coal Creek Basin. 

 

May 28: Kannah Creek  (Colorado)

Alone I hiked up the Kannah Creek Trail.  It was a really nice hike, but I was longing for something more adventurous. 

May 27: Red Canyon (Utah)

After our float trip to the San Rafael River went bust, I hiked up Red Canyon east of the San Rafael Campground.  It was a nice hike, but a frustrating day!

May 26: Haystack 3 BM (Colorado)

Alone and after work, I climbed Haystack 3 BM via the steep direct route up the west face. 

May 25: Drowsy Water/Canal Trail (Colorado)

While working, I hiked up Drowsy Water Creek to inspect some stream restoration items.  When I got home, I hiked the Canal Trail with Kim. 

May 24: Dice Hill (Colorado)

After visiting a Silverthorne project and headed to Granby, I stopped to climb Dice Hill.  It was more time consuming than expected due to all of the deadfall to cross over.  The views were mostly obscured by trees, but good views did open up at times.

 

May 23: Wolford Mountain/Little Wolford Mountain/Peak 8262 (Colorado)

I climbed Wolford Mountain, Little Wolford Mountain, and Peak 8262 after work. I did about seven miles, but the peaks are gentle (if you have a 4wd you can actually drive close to two of them, but I walked). Once again, unfortunately, the haze from the Canadian wildfires really obscured the views. I didn't get many photos for that reason.

May 22: Grouse Mountain (Colorado)

I climbed Grouse Mountain after work. Unfortunately, the haze from the Canadian wildfires really obscured the views.

May 21: Rough Canyon (Colorado)

In the morning Shaylee, Kim, and I hiked Rough Canyon not far from our house.  It was a nice hike on a nice day. 

May 20: Mount Ervin (Colorado)

I attempted Mount Ervin with a friend. We started at 4:30 AM, but it wasn't early enough. The night was not cold enough for good climbing conditions to hold much longer after sunrise. Conditions started to deteriorate by 7 and were nearly impossible by 9, when we turned back at 12,700 feet.

May 19: Drowsy Water Creek (Colorado)

After work, I hiked up Drowsy Water Creek.

May 18: Peak 9180 (Colorado)

After work, I climbed Peak 9180 in Grand County.  On top it hailed and snowed a bit, but it picked up as I went down and hailed hard at times.  Near the bottom it was raining hard and a bit slippery. 

 

May 17: Colorado Mines Peak (Colorado)

After work, I attempted to climb Colorado Mines Peak, but the snow conditions were very poor and I ended up breaking my ski pole.  I only made it about half way up before turning back.  

May 16: Jessmer BM (Colorado)

After work, I climbed Jessmer BM on a nice evening.  The views were really nice as well. 

 

May 15: Mount Bross/Point 8772 (Colorado)

After work I climbed Mount Bross from the road closure.  It was a really nice hike even though it was on a 4wd road (which was closed).  It was about 5.4 miles round trip and 1100 feet elevation gain. It was a beautiful evening with little wind.  It was dark on the way back, but I decided to head up Point 8772 for a little more exercise.  

May 14: Black Ridge Trail (Colorado)

Shaylee, Kim, Justin, and I hiked a bit on the Black Ridge Trail.  It started raining and it is not a good trail to do in the rain (clay soils) so we headed back. 

May 13: Adobe Swale (Utah)

Kim, Justin, Charlene, Brian, Erin, Alex, and I canyoneered Adobe Swale.  It was a really nice canyon and quite beautiful.  Justin, Kim, and I planned to stay another day, but it started raining so we headed for Grand Junction. 

May 12: Drowsy Water Creek (Colorado)

After work I took a short hike up Drowsy Water Creek.

May 11: Point 8806 (Colorado)

I was originally planning on climbing Peak 8911, but I couldn't find a public access route so I settled for Point 8806 instead.  That point had a nice trail up, but was almost too short of a hike so I hiked part of the Granby to Fraser Trail as well. 

May 10: Ammonite Ridge and Peak 8862 (Colorado)

Late in the evening and on my way from Silverton to Granby, I stopped at Ammonite Ridge to hike and to view all the ammonite fossils before heading to Peak 8862 and climbing that.  It was a bit steep, but a nice climb.  Unfortunately I got a few ticks!

  

May 9: Granby Mesa (Colorado)

After work, I climbed Granby Mesa and watched the sunset. I got a tick on me on this hike too!  At least the views were good.

 

May 8: Current Creek (Colorado)

After work, I snowshoed up Current Creek (near Berthoud Pass), making a loop hike.  I hadn't been there before, so it was a nice change from the other hikes in the area I had already done. It was a nice evening and the snow conditions were OK. 

May 7: Holzwarth Historic Site (Colorado) Kim and I did the short hike to the Holzwarth Historic Site.  There was some snow around, but we didn't need snowshoes.  We also stopped to photograph the moose.  We say four of them. 

 

May 6: Granby Trails (Colorado)

Kim and I hiked the Granby Trails, making a loop hike.  

May 5: Table Mountain (Colorado)

Alone and after work, I climbed Table mountain from the south.  It was steep going up to the mesa top then a cross country hike across the mesa to the summit.  There was some mud and snow around which slowed things down. 

 

May 4: Russell Peak (Colorado)

At sunset I made an attempt on Russell Peak, but without snowshoes I didn't make the summit even after dark.  Someone swiped my snowshoes since I left them outside.  

May 3: Little Wolford Mounatin/Peak 8660/Peak 8264 (Colorado)

Ater work I climbed Little Wolford Mountain, Peak 8264, and Peak 8660.  This also made for my 3000th peak ascent!  I was only going to do two peaks, but thought that I might as well finish the day with my 3000th peak ascent.  It was a good evening even though I got back after dark.

May 2: Peak 8151 (Colorado)

After work climb to Peak 8151. I climbed it from the highway and did the ridge with several bumps along the way.  There wasn't any snow to walk through. 

May 1: Colorado Mines Peak (Colorado)

After a long and rather frustrating day at work, I decided to climb Colorado Mines Peak.  I started around sunset and I reached the summit right now (9 PM). On the way up I got to watch the sunset, which was nice. It was cold and windy on top, but quite nice and the moon was bright.  It made for a tiring night since I had to get up early for work the next morning.

  

APRIL

April 30: Wildcat One Crag (Colorado)

Beth, Andy, Kessler and I did some climbs on the Wildcat One Crag in Unaweep Canyon. We climbed Eye of the Liger, Snake Jazz, Room With a View, and Calm Between Storms.  What a neat area and what neat climbs.  Snake Jazz was my favoirite, Eye of the Liger was Kessler's favorite.  It was in the mid 70s and quite warm for climbing even though there was snow around! 

 

April 29: Crag Crest (Colorado)

I woke up early in order to climb Crag Crest before the snow got too soft.  April was the only month that I hadn't climbed it yet, so it was a goal of mine.  It was a harder climb than in summer and the ridge was corniced heavily, but it was safe enough and a great climb. 

 

April 28: Peak 6460 (Colorado)

Shaylee and I climbed Peak 6460 near Kinney Creek.  The views were nice and it was a nice hike, though steep and without a trail.  We saw several deer as well. It was nice to climb this summit since it was one of the closest summits to my house that I still hadn't done yet.  

April 27: Drowsy Water Creek/Peak 8264/Gunnison Bluffs/Old Spanish Trail (Colorado)

In the morning I hiked of Drowsy Water Creek to check out some things for my work project.  After work, I climbed Peak 8264.  There's a 4wd road to the top, but it makes a nice walk too and I walked it.  After I got home in the evening and at sunset, Shaylee and I hiked the Old Spanish Trail in the Gunnison Bluffs.  It was very green with grass and flowers.  Usually it's barren desert and I have never seen it green before. 

 

April 26: Peak 8420 (Colorado)

I climbed Peak 8420 after work.  It was a nice little summit.  There is another Peak 8420 just to the east, but it's blocked by private land and I was not able to find a route up that didn't trespass.  

April 25: Granby Trails (Colorado)

At night I hiked some of the Granby Trails/Smith Creek under a misty moon.  It was a nice night. 

April 24: Red Mountain (Colorado)

After work, I climbed Red Mountain near Kremmling.  There was another person climbing the mountain as well who I met near the top.  It was cloudy, but still a nice hike. 

April 23: Peak 5140 (Utah)

Justin, Kim, and I hiked out to Peak 5140 above Westwater Canyon.  It is a very spectacular viewpoint and one of my favorite hikes in the area.  

April 22: Larry Canyon (Utah)

Shaylee, Justin, Sean, and I canyoneered through the fantastic Larry Canyon in Robbers Roost.  It is one of my favorites and I hadn't done it in more than 23 years.  There was a big group in there, but we were able to pass them and everything went smoothly except for one place where Shaylee got stuck for  a few minutes.  The dark sections of the canyon are really nice and some of the best sections of slot canyon anywhere.  

April 21: Alcatraz Rim (Utah)

Shaylee, Justin, Sean  and I hiked the south rim of Alcatraz Canyon over to it's end which was a fantastic viewpoint and very sepctacular.

April 20: Drowsy Water Creek (Colorado)

I took a hike up Drowsy Water Creek to check on some things for the USGS.  

April 19: Drowsy Water Creek/Granby Trails/Smith Creek (Colorado)

Early in the day I took a walk up Drowsy Water Creek.  Late in the day I took a hike on the Granby Trails as Smith Creek in snow boots. It was a mix of snow and dry ground. It was quite windy and cold and it started to snow.  

April 18: Russell Peak (Colorado)

Just before sunset, I started up Russell Peak.  I arrived at the summit well after dark.  It was a nice snowshoe, but was quite windy on top and it snowed some.

 

April 17: Peak 12,585 (Colorado)

On my way to a project at work, I stopped to climb Peak 12,585.  The sun was out most of the time and the conditions were good.

April 16: No Thoroughare Canyon (Colorado)

My dad, Shaylee, and I hiked No Thoroughare Canyon up past the first pool and to the first waterfall.  It was a nice hike and the waterfalls were flowing nicely.

April 15: Goosenecks (Utah)

After getting off the San Juan River my dad and I hiked at the Goosenecks of the San Juan to view the canyon below.  

April 14: Chinle Wash (Utah)

In the morning and on a canoeing trip down the San Juan River, seven of us hiked up Chinle Wash to see several petroglyphs, pictographs, and ruins.  It was a great hike.  

April 13: River House/Butler Wash (Utah)

During a canoeing trip down the San Juan River, our groups stopped to hike around Butler Wash to view the petroglyphs.  After that we stopped to hike to the spectacular River House Ruins.

 

April 11: Vasquez Creek (Colorado)

After work, I did a hike up Vasquez Creek near Winter Park.  There were some views, but not as much as on some other hikes.  

April 10: Ute Trail (Colorado)

On my way to a project in Granby I stopped near Dotsero to hike the Ute Trail on a really nice day.  

April 9: Morocco Canyon (Utah)

Justin, Kessler, Kim, and I completed Morocco Canyon. It was a nice canyon, but it was much wetter and much colder than expected.  There were several swims.

April 8: Slidenide Canyon (Utah)

Justin, Kessler, Kim, and I completed Slidenide Canyon.  It was a fantastic canyon and one that had been on my list a long time, but I still hadn't got around to doing it yet.  It was nice to do since it had been on my list for so long.  The downclimbs were great as well.  

April 7: Tunnel Point/RB-18 BM (Colorado)

April 6: Canal Trail (Colorado)

Late at night, Shaylee, Kim, and I hiked the Canal Trail. 

April 5: Jim Creek (Colorado)

After work I snowshoed up Jim Creek during a snowstorm. I made about five miles round trip.  It cleared somewhat on the way back, but the peaks were socked in.  

April 4: Granby Trails (Colorado)

At night I snowshoed some of the Granby Trails.  It was really cold for April!  

April 3: Riggs Hill (Colorado)

Shaylee, Kessler, and I hiked Riggs Hill in the afternoon, completing the loop hike.  

April 1-2: Tanner Wash/Hot Na Naa Wash (Arizona)

April 1

Tim and I drove from Tuba City to Tanner Well to begin our technical loop of Tanner Wash and Hot Na Naa Wash.  We made good time in the upper half of Tanner Wash and the going was pretty easy until you hit the Coconino Sandstone. In the Coconino sandstone, the going became more difficult, but more scenic and interesting as well. There were several really spectacular sets of fossil tracks in the sandstone. There were several big pools to pass and several downclimbs. I had packed a raft with me, but we didn't need it since there was only one belly deep pool. We got to the rappel and rappelled down to Hermit Spring, which is a pretty spectacular place.  Below this there was a rather hazardous downclimb in the Hermit Shale and I really wished that we had rappelled the drop instead of downclimbed. The rest of the canyon was slow going and we explored the scenic Supai Narrows quite a bit down canyon before climbing up to the Esplanade sandstone.  The climb up was both fun and exposed and we climbed several cliff bands.  We saw a bighorn sheep along the way.  We followed the talus slopes above big cliffs downcanyon in Marble Canyon with some good views of the Colorado River below. We made it to the next canyon south of Tanner Wash. Tim wanted to push on, but my back hurt because of my kidney stones, so we set up camp there.  There was some good water and it was a very scenic and isolated place.  Tim was able to climb most of the way down to the Colorado River within the canyon. 

I slept OK by backpacking standards.  

April 2

In the morning we woke up and continued following the tilted talus down Marble Canyon to Hot Na Naa Wash. After taking a rest and tanking up with water, we headed up canyon.  Hot Na Naa was not as pretty as Tanner Wash and was choked with a lot of tedious boulders to climb.  The canyon passage through the Coconino narrows was scenic, but we wished it had lasted longer.   Above the narrows it was pretty easy walking all the way back to Tanner Well.  We passed several old and abandoned Navajo hogans made of stone along the way.  We also saw several wild horses. It was a great trip.

 

MARCH

March 31: Honaker Trail (Utah) Tim and I met in Moab and drove down to the Honaker Trail near the Goosenecks of the San Juan River.  We hiked down the spectacular trail to the San Juan River.  After taking a break and watching some canoeists we hiked back up and headed for Tuba City. 

March 30: Canal Trail (Colorado)

In the evening Kim and I hiked the Canal Trail. 

March 29: Mount Bross (Colorado)

I made a half-hearted attempt to climb Mount Bross (the one in Grand County, not the 14er) after work.

March 28: Jim Creek (Colorado)

In the evening I snowshoed up Jim Creek.  I turned back when it got dark, making 4 miles.  The half moon was pretty bright.

March 27: No Thoroughare Canyon (Colorado)

Before heading to work I hiked No Thoroughare Canyon.  I made it past the first pool and to the first big waterfall.  Because of all the water and ice both were very spectacular, the most I have ever seen them. 

March 26: Redlands Mesa (Colorado)

We hiked some of the trails on Redlands Mesa (near our house) in the afternoon.  It was a nice hike, but a mellow one as I'm still not my full self from a bad bout of food poisoning.

March 25: Opal Hill (Colorado)

March 24: Dominguez Rim/Peak 5460/Peak 5551 (Colorado)

I climbed three local peaks (Dominguez Rim, Peak 5551, and Peak 5460) before a storm hit.  Some of them have rough 4wd roads to the summit, but I walked them for the exercise. 

March 23: Devils Kitchen/Lower No Thoroughare (Colorado)

In the late evening I hiked to Devils Kitchen and No Thoroughare Canyon.  

March 22: Haystack 3 BM/Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)

I wanted to climb Haystack 3 BM at sunset, but conditions were too bad, so I headed over to Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock and made night ascents of those.  I stopped to watch the sunset on Grand Mesa on the way to the trailhead.

  

March 21: Granby Trails (Colorado)

In the evening I hiked the Granby Trails in the snow.  It was snowing lightly most of the time. 

March 20: Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)

Kim and I hiked up Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock just before a storm hit. It rained lightly at the end of the hike, but it was a nice hike with dry conditions.

March 19: Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock/Eagles Nest Cliff Band (Colorado)

First, Kessler, Shaylee, and I wanted to explore the cliff band near Eagles Nest Rock and see if we could find any good technical routes up it. We found a route that looked good, though it took a while to scout out. Shaylee tried the climb first.  She knocked down several rocks since part of the climb was very loose. Shaylee retreated and the rest of us decided the climb wasn't worth it. Shaylee then stayed in the truck while Kessler and I climbed Eagles Nest Rock and Peak 5750.

March 18: Glenwood Canyon Trail (Colorado)

Kim and I hiked part of the Glenwood Canyon Trail.  We didn't go that far since it was so noisy!  

March 17: Colorado River Trail (Glenwood Springs) (Colorado)

Kim and I hiked the Colorado River Trail at Glenwood Springs on on a chilly night.

March 16: Second Creek (Colorado) In the evening, I snowshoed up to the Broome Hut and Second Creek Basin. It was a cold evening (just below zero), but the lighting and conditions were great and it was pretty with the new snow.

March 15: Granby Trails (Colorado)

At night I snowshoed the Granby Trails.  Conditions were rather miserable since it was raining and the snow was "hollow" in places.

March 14: Russell Peak (Colorado) In the evening I snowshoed up Russell Peak above Berthoud Pass.  It was most dark and since it was cloudy I didn't see any stars.

March 13: Coke Ovens/Upper Monument Canyon (Colorado)

Shaylee and I hiked Upper Monument Canyon and the Coke Ovens Trail in Colorado National Monument.  There was some snow to walk though, but the melting snow made for some spectacular waterfalls that aren't usually there. It made a pretty hike even better.

  

March 12: Devils Canyon (Colorado)

Kim and I hiked the Devils Canyon Loop in the Black Ridge Wilderness.  The weather was a mix of sunshine, hail, and rain and there was a little snow around, but it was a nice hike.  

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

Alone I climbed Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock on a cloudy day.  It rained the night before, but it wasn't too muddy. 

March 10: Gym

March 9: Serpents Trail (Colorado)

On a nice  night Kim and I hiked the Serpents Trail.  

March 8: Colorado River Trail (Colorado)

After work, I snowshoed up the Colorado River Trail and then the Red Mountain Trail.  It was a nice hike, but was well after dark by the time I got back.  The Colorado River is just a creek at this point and is interesting to see how much smaller it is than down river.

March 7: Colorado Mines Peak (Colorado)

On my way to a project, I climbed Colorado Mines Peak in the late evening.  I had hoped climb it in time to watch the sunset, but I had to pick up a vehicle at work so started too late. I did get to see the sunset on the way up and got to watch the stars come out before watching the moon rise from the summit.  It was a little cold on top, but it was a beautiful night.

  

March 6: Peak 5239 (Colorado)

Kessler and I climbed Peak 5239 after work.  It is one of the most interesting peaks around and is a scenic one. There was some mud and snow, but no major problems, and as always the sidewalk in the sky was a delight.

March 5: Big Dominguez Canyon (Colorado)

Kim, Kessler, and I hiked Big Dominguez Canyon to the Junction.  The trail was dry and it was a great hike.  

March 4: Amasa Back/Pothole Arch/Peak 5100 (Utah)

Justin, Kessler, and I decided to explore Amasa Back today.  From Kane Springs Creek we hiked up the Jackson Trail to Rockstacker and then followed that to the Pothole Arch Trail.  From there we hiked to Pothole Arch and climbed a knob for some fine views.  We took a lunch break at the arch as well. Pothole Arch itself is pretty small, but the hike out there is really beautiful and spectacular. From the arch we backtracked along the Pothole Arch Trail to teh Rockstacker Trail and then followed the Pothole Arch Trail to northeast of Peak 5100.  From there we climbed Peak 5100, the highest point on Amasa Back which had a really spectacular view.  There were two little summits and we climbed both. It was a grand viewpoint for sure.  It would have been even better with blue skies, but it was cloudy.

After enjoying the summit of Peak 5100 we retreated back to the Pothole Arch Trail and followed that and the Amasa Back Trail back to the Jackson Trail which we followed back to the trailhead.  It was a great day.  

March 3: Mill Canyon Dinosaur Trackway/Mill Canyon Dinosaur Trail/Peak 4750/Anasazi Ladder/Moonflower Canyon/Rim Shot Canyon (Utah)

Justin, Kessler, and I did some afternoon hikes and a canyoneering route around Moab.  First we hiked the short trail to the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Trackway.  It was neat, but a flood had covered some of the tracks with mud.  After that we hiked the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Trail, which has several dinosaur bones.  We then climbed Peak 4750 for the nice views. 

After the Mill Canyon area we headed to Moonflower Canyon and climbed the Anasazi Ladder.  We then hiked up Moonflower Canyon and then up to the bench to head over to Rim Shot Canyon. We descended Rim Shot Canyon, but decided to bypass the last drop due to the ice and late hour.

March 2: Drowsy Water Creek (Colorado)

After work I snowshoed up Drowsy Water Creek.  Normally, it's hard to get there, but I'm working on a project at the ranch so had access. 

March 1: Monarch Lake (Colorado)

After work and in the evening I snowshoed up to Monarch Lake and turned around at the wilderness boundary.  It was getting dark by then so time to turn back.  It was snowing much of the time, but I still got some peek-a-boo views.

FEBRUARY

February 28: Granby Trails (Colorado)

After work, I snowshoed some of the Granby Trails.  It was pretty much a whiteout the whole time, but I did see one other couple and a dog.  I snowshoed up to the highest point in the area, but of course couldn't see much. 

 

February 27: Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)

I climbed Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock.  There was more mud than usual (this hike usually doesn't have mud), but much of it was frozen.  I'll think I'll hold off on this one for a while.

 

February 26: Bighorn Canyon (Utah)

Tammy, Dave, AJ, Kim, and I first hiked to Ring Arch and then completed the technical Bighorn Canyon in Arches National Park.  It was a pretty route and it rained and snowed a bit.

February 25: Sevenmile Canyon (Utah)

Erin, Kim, and I hiked Sevenmile Canyon near Moab.  We found a total of nine petroglph and pictograph panels ranging in age from 900 to 8000 years old. It was a great hike.

February 24: Canal Trail (Colorado)

I hiked the Canal Trail at night. 

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

Today I climbed Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock in light snow.

  

February 22: Devils Kitchen (Colorado)

It was cold and windy, but I hiked to Devils Kitchen just before the storm hit.  It was a spectacular hike and close to home too.  

February 21: Bullet Hole Cliff Band (Colorado)

Kessler and I headed for the Bullet Hole Cliffband for some climbing.  We only climbed some of the dry routes and north facing routes were wet. Kessler climbed Balancing Act, Fingers, Dihedral, and Strike a Pose.  I climbed Walk on the Wild Side and Dihedral, plus attempted Balancing Act, but scratched my back in the chimney so went back down.


February 20: Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)

Kim and I climbed Peak 5750 and I also climbed Eagles Nest Rock.  The mud was mostly frozen since we did the climb in the morning.  There was quite a bit of snow around.

February 17-19: Lower Grand Gulch (Utah)

February 17

Our original plan was to hike San Juan and Navajo Canyons, but the road out to the canyons had 1.5 to 2 feet of snow on the ground, so Kessler and I weren't able to drive to the trailhead. We turned around and decided to hike Lower Grand Gulch from Collins Spring instead.  We didn't get started until the afternoon.  Even Collins Spring Canyon and Lower Grand Gulch had quite a bit of snow.  We hiked down to the confluence of Grand Gulch and Collins Spring Canyon, passing an old cowboy camp along the way.  We found a dry overhang to camp in and set up camp before heading up canyon to the Banister House Ruins. We hiked to Bansiter House Ruins, visiting some of the pictograph and petroglyph panels along the way.  It was an enjoyable hike, but our feet were soaked from the snow and water.  

We headed back to camp, arriving right around dark.

  

February 18

In the morning it was 21F and we hiked down Grand Gulch. We hiked through the Narrows and then visited several pictograph panels, petroglyph panels, and ruins along the way down canyon.   The Red White and Blue Panel and the one before were best.  We made it down to Water Canyon before deciding to turn back due to wading.  Our feet were already wet and we didn't want to get our clothes wet.  We headed back up canyon and explored some of the ledges, exploring for more ruins.  We found several hidden pictograph panels and one well preserved hidden ruin.   Near camp, we also hiked in the rincon near the Narrows and visted the pictograph and petroglyph panels.  

 

February 19

In the morning we packed up and hiked back up to Collins Spring.  It was a great trip.  A lot of snow had melted since we hiked into the canyon.

February 16: The Windows/Balanced Rock (Utah)

In the late afternoon Kessler and I hiked the Primitive Loop past Turret Arch and the Windows.  We also hiked the loop at Balanced Rock.  The lighting was really scenic with all the new snow.

February 15: Gym Climbing

February 14: Canal Trail (Colorado)

At night, Kim and I hiked the Canal Trail in the snow.

February 13: Peak 5551 (Colorado)

In the morning, I parked near the highway and climbed Peak 5551.  I expected it to be muddy, but it was almost completely dry with almost no snow.  It was a rather gloomy and windy day, but a nice hike.  

February 10-12: Manns Peak/Burro Ridge (Utah)

February 10

After a scenic drive to the trailhead, Kim and I snowshoed in the dark to the Geyser Pass Yurt where we met Jordan, David, Mary, Bailey, and Doug who all went up on skis.  We stayed up pretty late talking before going to bed.  Doug and Jordan arrived earlier than the rest of us so had the yurt nice and warm before everyone else got there.  

February 11

In the morning, Kim decided to stay behind in the yurt and everyone else but me decided to go skiing on the lower slopes of Mount Mellenthin and Burro Ridge.  Alone I set off and snowshoed around Burro Ridge to Burro Pass, breaking trail along much of the way.  From Burro Pass I headed up the ridge to the summit of Manns Peak.  It was windy and I enjoyed the spectacular views before heading back down to Burro Pass. At Burro Pass, I decided to climb the North Face of Burro Ridge.  Conditions were stable, but it was a rather sketchy ascent and I should have brought an ice axe and crampons.  I broke through the small summit cornice and found myself within a few feet of the summit.  I admired the views before heading down the south face of Burro Ridge and back to the yurt.  In the yurt we leaned how to play Exploding Kittens.  I'll let anyone who wants to look that one up.

February 12

In the late morning, we all skied or snowshoed back down to the trailhead before departing ways and heading for home.

February 9: Mack BM (Colorado)

In the morning I climbed Mack BM when the mud was frozen.  It was a cooler than average day which helped keep the mud frozen and it was a nice hike.

February 8: Echo Canyon (Colorado)

Kessler and I completed the technical canyoneering route through Echo Canyon.  What mud there was was frozen, but the rappel was challenging because it was coated in ice.  

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

Alone, I climbed Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock.  There was a little more ice than expected, but it was a nice climb.

February 6: Shinob Kibe (Utah)

On our way back home, Kessler and I climbed Shinob Kibe (summit) near Washington Utah.  It was a nice hike with great views of the Pine Valley Mountains and surrounding area.  

February 5: Cherry Canyon/Little Black Mountain (Arizona)

Kessler and I finsihed the technical canyoneering route of Cherry Canyon, a side canyon of the Virgin River Gorge.  It was a good canyon with lots of interesting rappels.  It was quite scenic as well. After completing the canyon we headed to Little Black Mountain to hike to the petroglyphs.  It was rainy and windy, but we hiked to the pertoglyphs anyway. 

February 4: Veyo Volcano/Prophesy Wall (Utah)

I wasn't feeling that well (something we ate the night before), but we decided to go hiking and climbing anyway.  First we climbed the Veyo Volcano for some really nice views. After climbing the volcano, we headed for the Prophesy Wall for some rock climbing.  We climbed Seer Stone, which was a nice climb and a lot more fun than expected.  You could make it harder by taking a direct route as well. After climbing Seer Stone, we headed for Soft Scrub.  Since I wasn't feeling well, I only made it part way up. Kessler climbed to the top.  He also climbed the route to the right of Soft Scrub (name unknown) and I made it part way up as well.  After that we climbed the Mossy Route to the left of Soft Scrub.  It had a lot of moss on it and wasn't that great of a climb.

 

February 3: Little Spotted Wolf Canyon (Utah)

On our way to Saint George, Kessler and I hiked Little Spotted Wolf Canyon.  It is a scenic hike with lots to see even though it isn't that long. 

February 2: Cupid Peak (Colorado)

On my way back from Denver, I stopped at Loveland Pass to climb Cupid Peak. It was of course cold and windy, but still a nice climb.  

February 1: Bluffs Regional Park Loop/Longhenge Overlook/Tepe Overlook (Colorado)

JANUARY

January 31: Peak 12,585 (Colorado)

I had to be in Denver for business the next day so I decided to leave early and climb Peak 12,585 along the way.  It's quite a chilly day today (some parts of Colorado recorded in the -40s without the wind-chill), but it sure was beautiful. I was initially thinking of watching the sunset from the summit and heading down by moonlight and headlamp, but it was a bit chilly to stick around so started down before sunset.

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

I hiked up Eagles Nest Rock and Peak 5750 in the morning. It started snowing lightly on the return trip, but I beat the bulk of the snowstorm which hit just after I finished the hike. 

January 29: Tezcatlipoca (Utah)

Tim, Julie, Kim, Kessler, and I hiked out to the Tezcatlipoca Tower with the intention of climbing it, but conditions were too icy (plus climbing on wet sandstone is a no-no) for the climb so we just did the hike. Some say the tower looks like a blindfolded penguin, but I'll let you decide if that is true. It was disappointing not to be able to do the climb, but it was a nice hike out there anyway. 

 

January 28: Rim Shot Canyon/Ice Cream Parlor (Utah)

Julie, Tim, Sean, Kim, Kessler, and I first canyoneered Rim Shot Canyon near Moab.  It was straight forward except for the last rappel which was coated in ice.  Since the standard anchors were buried under ice we used a fiddle stick and rappelled off a tree up canyon. We had to slide over the ice and then dodge and icicle, so the canyon was much more exciting than it usually is.  After completing Rim Shot Canyon we headed to the Ice Cream Parlor (climbing area) and we all did various climbs.  I did Black Slab, Left Slab, Brewed Awakenings, and the first part of 5.6 Corner.

January 27: Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)

In the morning I climbed Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock while it was snowing.  What little mud there was was frozen.  Eagles Nest Rock was a bit dicey since it was icy.

January 26: Haystack 3 BM/Dinosaur Hill (Colorado)

In the morning, I made the scramble and hike of Haystack 3 BM.  I climbed in the snow and since it was cold, all the mud was frozen.  The views were nice.  After work, Kim and I climbed Dinosaur Hill.  

January 23-25: Sneffels Traverse (Colorado)

January 23

The plans were grand. Since the weather forecast was good, Kessler and I planned on doing the Sneffels Traverse from North Pole to Ridgway. We would also make an attempt on Hayden Peak. This would be a very challenging route with lots of trailbreaking, but we had high hopes.  Unfortunately we were unable to recruit more trailbreakers. We met someone from the San Juan Huts to do a car shuttle and left our car at Cottonwood Creek before being dropped off at West Dallas Creek.  We then snowshoed up the packed trail to the junction before Box Factory Park (meadow).  To this point the trail was packed.  The weather forecast was supposed to be good, but it was cloudy for much of the time and snowed a little.  The clouds did eventually lift and we got some really nice views. From here, the route became much more difficult.  Apparently a lot of snow had fallen the night before so we had to break trail to the North Pole Hut.  I kept sinking far, even in snowshoes and this part of the route was very strenuous.  We reached the North Pole Hut just before dark. Today we covered 8 miles.

January 24

Despite the good weather forecast, it snowed all night and was snowing hard in the morning.  Climbing Hayden Peak was a lost cause so we decided to pre break the trail back towards Box Factory Park since tomorrow would be a very difficult day of trailbreaking.  We expected the weather to improve, but it never did.  It snowed all day and the trail we broke the day before was buried. It was a bit frustrating, but we hoped that the weather would improve and that we would have a partially broken trail for tomorrow as we were headed for the Blue Lakes area.

January 25

We decided to get up several hours before sunrise for the lond day ahead.  When we went to bed last night the skies cleared and the temperature dropped to -15F (-26C).  Early in the morning though, I looked at my remote sensing thermometer and it was 5F so my heart sank as I suspected it was snowing.  I went to the door of the tiny hut and opened it only to see that it was still snowing heavily and that the trail we broke was once again buried. This was not good. We packed everything and set off into the snowstorm with headlamps.  We reached the junction with the West Dallas Creek Trail towards Blue Lakes at around sunrise and tried part of the trail.  No one had been on the trail for a long time and the trailbreaking was really arduous.   We decided that continuing the route might not be safe since it was snowing hard and the next day required crossing a pass. We decided to retreat down West Dallas Creek to the highway, though this would be a long 11 mile day.   It snowed the entire time down the West Dallas Creek Trail to the highway, but we made pretty good time.  It was still good that we woke up and started really early though. When we reached the highway we had to hitchhike back to where our car was parked.  It didn't take too long to get a ride, but after we got dropped off, the person we got a ride with slid on the road and almost went off a cliff.  We helped dig her out and another driver stopped to help tow her out. It was disappointing not to complete the Sneffels Traverse, but we did accomplish a lot considering that there was a three day snowstorm (even when the weather forecast was good!) and that there were only two of us to break trail.

January 22: Trail Through Time (Colorado)

Kim and I hiked the Trail Through Time.  The trail isn't as pretty as some of the trails in the area, but there are lots of dinosaur bones to see. 

 

January 21: Ward Trails/Grand Mesa (Colorado)

Kim and I snowshoed parts of the Skinned Horse, Ward, and Staircase Trails on Grand Mesa.  It was a beautiful, but cold day.  With all the snow on the mesa recently, the trees were really frosted.

 

January 20: Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)

Today I climbed Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock in the morning.

January 19: Jordan River Parkway (Utah)

Matthew, Mark, Kessler, and I hiked along the Jordan River Parkway.  We saw many geese and ducks as well as a squirrel. 

January 18: Box Spring Canyon (Utah)

Kessler and I hiked Box Spring Canyon in the San Rafael Swell.  We got to near the end, but it was really wet so we retreated and climbed up on the north rim of the canyon for some good views.  It was a beautiful sunny day.  

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

Early morning and before work, I climbed Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock in the snow.

  

January 16: Historic Railroad Trail/White Owl Canyon/Northshore Summit Trail (Nevada)

First Kim, Julie, Tim, and I hiked the Historic Railway Trail from Hoover Dam to the Lake Mead Marina. It was an easy 4 mile hike that passes through several tunnels. Then I hiked the White Owl Slot Canyon near Lake Mead and another nearby canyon without a name. It was a nice slot canyon. Then on our way home Kim and I hiked the North Shore Summit Trail for some nice views. The original plan was to do Keyhole Canyon near Las Vegas, but the weather didn't look good for that.

January 15: Black Mountain (Nevada)

Kim and I met Tim (T. White on Summitpost) at the trailhead climbed Black Mountain near Henderson.  There is a trail to the top and some minor scrambling, along with a great view.  It was a bit chilly and windy for the Las Vegas area!

  

January 14: Sheepbone Canyon/Falls Peak/Quarry Canyon (Nevada)

Nate, Sebastian, Tim, Julie, Kim, and I first climbed up the technical Sheepbone Canyon.  The hike and climbs were a lot of fun and the canyon was really scenic.  The last climb was the shortest, but hardest.  At the saddle between the two canyons, Nate, Sebastian, Tim, and I climbed Falls Peak while Julie and Kim waited at the saddle. There was some fun scrambling to get to the top and the views of Lake Mead and the surrounding area was spectacular from the summit. Next we all headed down the technical Quarry Canyon.  It was a nice and fun canyon with some nice downclimbs and rappels.  It was a great day for a triple adventure.  We finished just in time as it started raining shortly after we were finished.

  

January 13: Riggs Hill (Colorado)

Early morningI hiked the loop on Riggs Hill to take advantage of the frozen mud.  Luckily the mud really was frozen the whole time so it was a good hike with fine views.

January 12: Opal Hill (Colorado)

Kim, Kessler, Shaylee, and I climbed Opal Hill, completing a loop hike.  I was hoping that the mud would be more frozen than it was. 

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

In the morning, Shaylee and I climbed Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock.  The trail was in great condition. 

January 10: Devils Canyon Trails (Colorado)

After work, Kim and I hiked the Devils Canyon Trails (D1, D4, and D4 Loop). Since the trail is mostly sandy, there wasn't much mud.  

January 9: Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock/Serpents Trail (Colorado)

Early in the morning and before work I climbed Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock.  At night, Kessler, Kim, and I hiked the Serpents Trail top to bottom.  It was a bit breezy which made it chillier than expected. 

January 8: McDonald Creek/Jouflas Trail (Colorado)

Kim and I hiked the loop combining McDonald Creek and the Jouflas Trail.  It was a nice hike and with only a little snow and mud on the Jouflas Trail.  

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

In the evening and at sunset, Kim and I climbed Peak 5750 and I climbed Eagles Nest Rock.  It was a nice and mild winter evening.

January 6: Dinosaur Hill (Colorado)

I met Kim after work and we climbed Dinosaur Hill. We went up and down the west side since it tends to be less muddy, but there was still a little mud.  

January 3: Jovellar Caves (Philippines)

Today I hiked to and explored five of the Jovellar Caves (along with the required guide) and hiked to several waterfalls as well.  The first cave was the Underground River and the others were "dry caves" (not completely dry, but no swimming required).  They were all very spectacular, as were the waterfalls. 

 

January 2: Mount Masaraga (Phillipines)

Failure #1 of the year so far was my attempt to climb Mount Masaraga.  It started out rough.  You are supposed to get a permit and a guide to do the climb, but I wasn't successful in getting either before the climb, despite a lot of searching.  I decided to get a taxi to the trailhead and try and sort things out from there.  I was able to finally get a willing guide, while someone went into town to get a permit.  We set off in the rain.  As we climbed higher, the rains got heavier until they reached torrential in intensity. I didn't get many pictures today since it was a torrential downpour most of the attempt. What trail there was was basically a mudslide. I also got covered with leaches.

January 1: Cagsawa/Quitinday Hills/Sumlang Lake/Hoyop-Hyopan Cave/Busay Falls (Philippines)

First, I visited the Cagsawa Church at the foot of Mayon Volcano.  The church has a very tragic history. The original church was built in 1587, but was destroyed by Dutch pirates in 1636. It was the rebuilt in 1724 before being destroyed by the eruption of Mayon Volcano in 1814. Many of the villagers fled to the church to pray and seek refuge while others fled to caves. Everyone who fled to the church was burned to death by lava and ash, with only a few villagers who took refuge in the cave surviving. After that I headed off to do several other hikes.  At first I climbed the highest of the Quitinday Hills for a great view of Mayon Volcano.  There was a rather slippery, but paved trail to the top.  I then did some short hikes around Sumland Lake before heading to the Hyop-Hoyopan Cave, which was very spectacular.   It was a busy New Years Day, but a good one!

ACCUMULATED TOTALS AND GOALS

Accumulated Totals for 2023: 

Days that I went hiking or climbing: 349

Summits Climbed: 200

Summits Attempted: 220

New Summits Climbed: 98

New Summits Attempted:  101

States Hiked or Climbed in: 5

Countries Hiked or Climbed in: 5

Rock Towers/Technical Buttes Climbed: 2

Rock Towers/Technical Buttes Attempted:  3

Technical Rock or Ice Routes Climbed:  44

Technical Rock or Ice Routes Attempted: 53

Technical Canyons Completed: 28

Technical Canyons Attempted: 29

Overseas Summits: 12

Biking Days: 0

Weight Lost (lbs.): 17

Goals for 2023:

Days to go hiking or climbing on: 320

Summits: 150

New Summits: 60

States to hike or climb in: 6

Countries to climb summits in: 4

Rock Towers: 10

Technical Rock or Ice Routes: 30

Technical Canyons: 30

Biking Days: 30

Lose Weight (lbs.): 20 (currently at 268)

ELEVATIONS

Highest Elevation Reached

16,854 feet (5137 meters) at Mount Ararat (Turkey); October 8.

Highest Elevation Reached in USA

14,061 feet (4286 meters) at Sunlight Peak (Colorado); August 19.

Highest Outdoors Sleeping Altitude

13,485 feet (4110 meters) at Mount Ararat (Turkey) on October 7-8.

Highest Outdoors Sleeping Altitude in USA

11,020 feet (3359 meters) at Chicago Basin (Colorado) on August 18-20.

Highest Elevation Climbed To By Month

 

Highest Outdoors Sleeping Altitude by Month

PERSONAL RECORDS SET

December 23

It wasn't much of a record, but Box Canyon at 4600 feet (1402 meters) was the highest I have hiked in December in Nevada.  The previous December record for Nevada was 2871 feet (875 meters) at Lava Butte on December 29 2017.

December 17

Highest December ascent in New Mexico; 8182 feet (2494 meters) at Capulin Volcano.

December 7

Highest ascent in Argentina; 10,829 feet (3300 meters) at Tronador/Pico Argentino.  The previous record for Argentina was 6785 feet (2068 meters) on Punta Nevada on November 30 2023.

November 11

Highest November ascent in Utah; 12,335 feet (3760 meters) at Mount Waas. The previous November record for Utah was 11,031 feet (3362 meters) on Deseret Peak on November 25 2000.

October 8

Highest October ascent; 16,854 feet (5137 meters) on Mount Ararat (Turkey).  The previous October record was 14,314 feet (4363 meters) on October 6 2018 at Uncompahgre Peak (Colorado).

This was also (obviously) my highest ascent in Turkey.

October 7-8

Highest October sleeping altitude; 13,485 feet (4110 meters) at Mount Ararat (Turkey). The previous October record was 11,430 feet (3484 meters) at Tasha Spring (Utah) on October 16-17 2022.

February 11

Highest February ascent in Utah; 12,272 feet (3741 meters) at Manns Peak. The previous February record for Utah was 11,330 feet (3453 meters) on Twin Peaks on February 20 1999.

February 10-12

Highest February sleeping altitude in Utah; 10,620 feet (3237 meters) near Geyser Pass. Previous February sleeping altitude record for Utah was 9940 feet (3030 meters) at Lake Cathrine on February 28 1998.

January 15

It wasn't much of a record, but Black Mountain at 5092 feet (1552 meters) was the highest I have hiked in January in Nevada.  The previous January record for Nevada was 2580 feet (786 meters) at Falls Peak on January 14 2023.

 

Images

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