Very kind words there, Mike. If you're ever in the area, let me know. Would be nice to meet ya... You must be a good man, it takes a lot of courage to put your name on a Westcliffe Willie post in this world of professional climbers. :).
I remember doing that loop when I was in Junior High and a again when was in High School with my family. I remember some of the same feelings you had when crossing the Phantom Terrace. Also the pics were great looks exactly as I recall.
I love this hike. I run into family groups quite often along the trail near the Terrace. I wish my family would have been active back in my day. Probably would have helped me with my paranoia of cliffs.
Its not always easy overcoming our fears of the mountain environment, when I wasn't climbing much I was alot more fearful of exposure, but now that I am doing more rock climbing, I find that much of that fear has lessened. Good read, keep it up!
I was able to hike to summit of Comanche in 2004. I really love your photos and entertaining text of your report. I'd love to experience the Phantom Terrace!
I really enjoyed that report. I also have a bit of a fear of fally-down spots. I'm just super-careful around cliff faces, etc.
I try to steer clear of the forests here in the South during hunting season. There are just way too many bullets in the forest during hunting season here and not that much open space. I don't think a hunting season goes by here without a few people getting killt by careless hunters.
Thank you very much for your kind comments and vote. I appreciate them both very much.
Hopefully, we will both survive the many hunting seasons to come. I believe, I learned an invaluable lesson this year. As I was bushwhacking up thru the woods and heard the atvs slowly coming in front of me. Next, the crack of the twig below my feet, that whisper from somewhere ahead of me, "hold on", the click................ Start yelling as loud as you can!!!!! "I'm not an animal. I am a man!!!
Thanks for a trip report that is as entertaining as it is helpful. I hope to do Comanche-Venable in the next couple of years so it's heartening to know that a fellow acrophobe found it worthwhile, achievable and safe on the skivvies. Would it be easier to approach the Terrace via the Comanche Peak trail or the Venable Peak trail? Put another way, which direction has you climbing rather than descending across the Terrace?
Glad you enjoyed and sorry that you seem to have the same affliction as me or perhaps how I like to put it, have a higher sanity level than most. If you’re looking to try and break the “illogical” fear, this is definitely a good one to challenge you on.
I've never really thought about which approach is better, but for some reason, I seem to like the wall on my left and the drop off on my right. Must be a left side/right side brain issue :). Anyway, coming up the Venable side takes you on the upward section of the Terrace. I usually come from the Commanche side and go down. It's not that much of an incline. Regardless of which direction you come from, it’s either flat or downhill the remaining way back to the parking lot.
The benefit of the Venable side is more water along the hike. If you're carrying all the water you plan to use and not fill up anywhere, it doesn't matter what side you go, but the Venable side has about 2 or 3 places to get water along the trail. Although the largest lake is about ½ to ¾ mile above the cabin, it does not have running water in or out of it. Stopping near the cabin would be your last chance for running water if you were going up that route.
The Commanche side only has one stop for water and that is at the spillway of the lower lake. The trail does not follow the creek on the way down. The lake is also off trail a couple hundred yards.
If you do get the chance to go, I’d suggest July to September. Although the severity of winters fluctuate, snow tends to linger on that ledge just about more than anyplace else. I’ve been up it several times and got near the ledge and had to turn around, because it had quite a bit of snow. A long way to go to have to turn around.
Good luck.
Thanks for the additional detail. A friend and I plan to hike Elbert this summer but I'm looking for alternatives in case the weather is bad there. This sounds like a great hike. My friend detests cliffs, so I'd have to profess surprise about the Terrace-- "Well lookey here, it's kinda steep!" -- and hope that he doesn't translate his thoughts, which would be murderous, into action.
Westcliffe Willie - Jul 2, 2009 8:58 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Good readVery kind words there, Mike. If you're ever in the area, let me know. Would be nice to meet ya... You must be a good man, it takes a lot of courage to put your name on a Westcliffe Willie post in this world of professional climbers. :).
bryangast - Jul 6, 2009 9:39 am - Hasn't voted
MemoriesI remember doing that loop when I was in Junior High and a again when was in High School with my family. I remember some of the same feelings you had when crossing the Phantom Terrace. Also the pics were great looks exactly as I recall.
Westcliffe Willie - Jul 8, 2009 2:44 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: MemoriesI love this hike. I run into family groups quite often along the trail near the Terrace. I wish my family would have been active back in my day. Probably would have helped me with my paranoia of cliffs.
alpinedon - Jul 6, 2009 11:44 pm - Voted 10/10
excellentIts not always easy overcoming our fears of the mountain environment, when I wasn't climbing much I was alot more fearful of exposure, but now that I am doing more rock climbing, I find that much of that fear has lessened. Good read, keep it up!
Westcliffe Willie - Jul 8, 2009 2:48 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: excellentThank you for your compliments.
You're right on that fear factor issue. It seems, the more I work on it, the better it gets. Just one very, very slow process.
Just got to keep plugging along.
slowbutsteady - Jul 8, 2009 6:17 pm - Voted 10/10
great trip reportI was able to hike to summit of Comanche in 2004. I really love your photos and entertaining text of your report. I'd love to experience the Phantom Terrace!
Westcliffe Willie - Jul 8, 2009 9:08 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: great trip reportI've seen many of your photos. Coming from you, I take your compliments in high regards.
Thanks....
BobSmith - Jul 11, 2009 4:49 am - Voted 10/10
Nice TR!I really enjoyed that report. I also have a bit of a fear of fally-down spots. I'm just super-careful around cliff faces, etc.
I try to steer clear of the forests here in the South during hunting season. There are just way too many bullets in the forest during hunting season here and not that much open space. I don't think a hunting season goes by here without a few people getting killt by careless hunters.
Westcliffe Willie - Jul 11, 2009 9:06 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Nice TR!Thank you very much for your kind comments and vote. I appreciate them both very much.
Hopefully, we will both survive the many hunting seasons to come. I believe, I learned an invaluable lesson this year. As I was bushwhacking up thru the woods and heard the atvs slowly coming in front of me. Next, the crack of the twig below my feet, that whisper from somewhere ahead of me, "hold on", the click................ Start yelling as loud as you can!!!!! "I'm not an animal. I am a man!!!
No bushwhacking during those months....
Ruvicha - May 26, 2012 8:15 pm - Voted 10/10
EncouragingThanks for a trip report that is as entertaining as it is helpful. I hope to do Comanche-Venable in the next couple of years so it's heartening to know that a fellow acrophobe found it worthwhile, achievable and safe on the skivvies. Would it be easier to approach the Terrace via the Comanche Peak trail or the Venable Peak trail? Put another way, which direction has you climbing rather than descending across the Terrace?
Westcliffe Willie - May 28, 2012 8:45 am - Hasn't voted
Re: EncouragingGlad you enjoyed and sorry that you seem to have the same affliction as me or perhaps how I like to put it, have a higher sanity level than most. If you’re looking to try and break the “illogical” fear, this is definitely a good one to challenge you on.
I've never really thought about which approach is better, but for some reason, I seem to like the wall on my left and the drop off on my right. Must be a left side/right side brain issue :). Anyway, coming up the Venable side takes you on the upward section of the Terrace. I usually come from the Commanche side and go down. It's not that much of an incline. Regardless of which direction you come from, it’s either flat or downhill the remaining way back to the parking lot.
The benefit of the Venable side is more water along the hike. If you're carrying all the water you plan to use and not fill up anywhere, it doesn't matter what side you go, but the Venable side has about 2 or 3 places to get water along the trail. Although the largest lake is about ½ to ¾ mile above the cabin, it does not have running water in or out of it. Stopping near the cabin would be your last chance for running water if you were going up that route.
The Commanche side only has one stop for water and that is at the spillway of the lower lake. The trail does not follow the creek on the way down. The lake is also off trail a couple hundred yards.
If you do get the chance to go, I’d suggest July to September. Although the severity of winters fluctuate, snow tends to linger on that ledge just about more than anyplace else. I’ve been up it several times and got near the ledge and had to turn around, because it had quite a bit of snow. A long way to go to have to turn around.
Good luck.
Ruvicha - Jun 24, 2012 9:30 pm - Voted 10/10
Re: EncouragingThanks for the additional detail. A friend and I plan to hike Elbert this summer but I'm looking for alternatives in case the weather is bad there. This sounds like a great hike. My friend detests cliffs, so I'd have to profess surprise about the Terrace-- "Well lookey here, it's kinda steep!" -- and hope that he doesn't translate his thoughts, which would be murderous, into action.