6th Annual SP Summer Gathering in the Mighty San Juans

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Aaron Johnson

 
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6th Annual SP Summer Gathering in the Mighty San Juans

by Aaron Johnson » Sat Mar 13, 2010 8:46 pm

Greetings fellow SummitPost Colorado Gathering Enthusiasts!

It's the 6th Annual EXPANDED Summer SP Gathering in Colorado!

This is the “official” announcement concerning the 6th annual Colorado Summer Gathering. As you may know, in terms of attendance and attendee reviews, this event has become increasingly popular and perhaps one of the most anticipated of SP related events. This year should be no different. At last year’s extremely successful gathering at Marble Mountain in the Sangre De Cristos, we received overwhelming requests to return to the mighty San Juans for the next summer gathering. We aim to please!

DATE: JULY 17, 2010
BASE LOCATION: SILVERTON

DESTINATIONS: Highlands, Whitehead Peak, Kendall Mountain #4, Spencer Basin--WOW--WHAT A VIEW!
Our objective will be similar to the spectacular 2008 outing, featuring a ridge walk amongst a sea of San Juan peaks. This year’s destination is a multi-summit goal, beginning with Whitehead Peak, located in the north end of the Highlands, close to the lovely Highland Mary Lakes. From there, weather permitting, our proposed ridge walk will lead northward to the cluster of 13ers located east of Silverton. We’ll cross two major summits enroute to our 4th summit of the day, the unnamed Kendal Peak #4, located east of Kendall Mountain proper. We’ll then backtrack a short distance to a descent point into Spencer Basin, intercepting an old mining two track road, descending through once prosperous mining territory back to our starting point.

Image Image
(Left) Whitehead Peak (lowest summit in foreground) and UN 13,402 and (Right) Kendall Peak #4
Sorry for the poor quality scan from slides. Better photos of the area (but not this close of our route) are on SP member Nader's Whitehead Peak page.

Image Image
Looking north up our ridge walking route from Whitehead Peak (left) and Whitehead and UN 13,402 (right). Photos by SP member Nader.

Image Image
The amazing view, and another gorgeous San Juan location: The Highlands! Photos by SP member Nader.

The beauty of this outing is the versatility. There is something here for everyone!

• Class 2, possible Class 3 options (see details below)
• It’s a loop route, with no requirement to complete the entire loop
• Multiple bail route options should the weather turn foul
• Nice lakes to linger by should folks decide to skip the climbs
• Possible fishing opportunities
• Excellent photography opportunities
• Short drive from Silverton to trailhead
• Excellent, unimpeded in-your-face view of the Grenadier Range (it’s the next range directly to the south), the eastern and southern San Juan, Kendall Mountain group, Ice Lake Basin Group, and Molas Group (including Grand Turk and the Sultan, our 2008 gathering summits).
• Mining territory for history buffs, including Spencer Basin and a direct view into Arrastra Gulch, home of the legendary Silver Lake mining town

ROUTE SPECIFICS AND INFORMATION

10,800ft Trailhead
11,600ft 1.3mi Timberline
12,000ft 1.9mi Lake Access
13,250ft 3.5mi Whitehead Peak (Class 1) Drop of 100 ft to start ridge walk, up 200 ft
13,402ft 3.9mi 13er #1 (Class 2) Drop 200ft, up 200ft
13,434ft 4.3mi 13er #2: Mt. Rhoda (Class 2) Drop 100ft, undulations +/- 50-100ft
13,409ft 5.1mi Kendall Peak #4 (Class 2 or 3, probably loose, possible light exposure on west side)
13,775ft 5.3mi Descent point to Spencer Basin
12,500ft 5.8mi Spencer Basin, old mining road
11,044ft 7.4mi Highland Mary Mine site along road
10,800ft 7.9mi Trailhead

TOTALS
7.86 miles, 3,200 feet gain, Class 2-3
HIKE AT YOUR OWN PACE-PRINT OFF A COPY OF THE MAP BELOW TO HAVE WITH YOU DURING THE EVENT!

Image

A profile view of the route as seen from the west can be viewed on the Whitehead Peak page. The rest of the mountains visited on the route are unnamed and are part of the Kendall Mountain group. The beauty of this outing for me is I’ve been many, many places in the San Juans, yet I have never been on these specific mountains or in the highlands area, so like many of you, this will be my first visit to this particular area. (I have been to Silver Lake 9 times and have climbed Kendall Mountain #1, Kendall Proper and Little Giant).

The route was formulated utilizing Google Earth (a very handy tool for developing routes), Topo and of course, SummitPost. Once again, the route has been developed to suit folks of all ability levels and allow a chance for SP folks to reunite, chat and meet in a casual environment. All but the most inexperienced should be able to complete the route. Of course participants should be in good shape, having trained previously at altitude for an expedient completion to the day.

MEETING PLACE FOR THE HIKE
East side of Green Street, just north of the Teller House, there is a parking area. We'll meet at this corner the morning of the hike at 5:45AM and depart at 6:00AM.





SP DINNER EVENT
Our FRIDAY NIGHT dinner location for this event will once again be the Handlebars Restaurant, just across the street from the Teller House. For those interested, we hope to meet folks for dinner at the restaurant's entrance on the NORTH SIDE of the building at 6:00PM.

A post-hike dinner location for Saturday will be determined by the group attending.

Ought to be a good time and looking forward to it again!


CAMPING & LODGING
ALERT! The Kendall Mountain race is happening the same day as our climb and rooms will fill up quicker than normal. If you're planning on lodging, book your rooms now, ASAP!
Watch this thread, and specifically, this particular post for updates and recommended lodging, camping and dining establishments.

POSSIBLE CAMPING LOCATIONS: There's good camping up Mineral Creek near the TH to Ice Lake Basin, and good camping in the Cunningham Gulch area, which is where we start our hike. Impromptu spots can be found up the Animas Canyon and Cement Creek as well.

There is a "civilized" camp spot north of town. "Red Mountain Lodge" has cabins and also caters to campers and RVs. "Camp, jeep, ATV, OHV, fish, hunt; tent, motel, cabins; laundry. 664 Greene St. Mailing Address: POB 346, Silverton CO 81433. 970-387-5512."...or so it says here (scroll about half way down). They also list an email link.

BE SURE TO MAKE LODGING RESERVATIONS SOON, AS JULY IS VERY BUSY IN SILVERTON!
If you are able to get lodging from June on, you're lucky.

SILVERTON RESOURCE LINK: Silverton Chamber of Commerce


WAIT! THERE'S MORE! THE SP SUMMER GATHERING HAS BEEN EXPANDED TO A WEEK LONG EVENT!
JULY 18-23 IS THE SP SAN JUAN EXTRAVAGANZA!

Additional mountain objectives have been proposed! Bonita, Storm, Tower, Galena, Columbine Lake/Lookout Peak and Canby are all possibilities!
The weather will be the determining factor as to how and when these mountains are climbed. These climbs are mostly Class 2 affairs with optional Class 3 sprinkled in.

Ellen and I and some of our hiking group will be doing these climbs in the Silverton and Ouray areas the week following the event, and those interested are certainly welcome to join us (if you don't mind slower old folks). We'll be using Silverton and Ridgway as our base of operations during the week.

Bonita

Tower

Canby Mountain


BUT THAT'S NOT ALL!
JULY 24: REDCLIFF

An ADDITIONAL weekend climbing event is now offered! We hope to ascend REDCLIFF, an attractive 13er with a killer view of the Uncompahgre on Saturday the 24th. The route is Class 2, anyone in reasonable shape can manage the climb and it's another great opportunity for SP folks to meet, reunite and celebrate the San Juans!

This hike will be led by SP member ktimm.

MEETING PLACE AND TIME
Subway parking lot in Ridgway (SE corner of intersection of Highways 550 and 62) at 6:00AM.

Image Image
Redcliff (left) with nearby Coxcomb Peak and the view of the upper route on the mountain.

Image Image
Views of Coxcomb Peak and Wetterhorn Peak from Redcliff.

INFORMATION ON SUMMITPOST

GENERAL ROUTE INFORMATION
Our route may vary a bit.




RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
If you've never been to the San Juans before, you might find the following resources handy.

The San Juan Range Area Page on SP, plus the following appendices (it was all too much for one page).

Appendix A
Access, historical and geological background

Appendix B
One Range or Many?

Appendix C
San Juan Towns and tons of links to more information

NEARBY MOUNTAIN CLIMBING OPPORTUNITIES FEATURED ON SP
These mountains offer a wide variety of difficulties and challenges. Mountains listed here can be accessed from Silverton without driving over any passes. The fabulous Grenadier Range can be accessed from Silverton via a long hike or the Durango Silverton train, but these peaks are not listed here.

On days prior or after the event, SP members are encouraged to get together and climb! From Silverton, SP climbers literally have HUNDREDS of mountains to choose from, from easy strolls to challenging technical climbs, and most offering almost guaranteed solitude.

Of course, SP members can certainly climb anything they want and rendezvous for dinner events in Silverton and socialize in that venue as well.

Vermilion

Fuller

Pilot Knob

US Grant

South Lookout

Point 13,309

Rolling

Grizzly

Ohio

Bonita

Tower

Hurricane

Jura Knob

Engineer

Canby Mountain

North Twilight

Twilight

Snowdon

Little Giant

King Solomon

As you can see, SPers have a wide variety of choices from Silverton, and many more mountains in the immediate area have yet to be introduced on SP. Beyond the Silverton area, possibilities are endless!

Mountains near Ouray, Telluride and Durango can also be accessed from the general area, with more time involved in getting to the mountains.


PLEASE CONFIRM YOUR INTENT TO ATTEND THIS EVENT IN THIS THREAD.


ATTENDANCE TALLY:
PLEASE NOTE: Unless we hear from you and your name appears in BOLD RED in the applicable list below, we won't be looking for you!

PROBABLY:
Deltaoperator17
wuykats
miztflip

WHTEHEAD TO KENDALL PEAK #4 CONFIRMED:
*Aaron Johnson & Ellen Ritt
*Alan & Jackie Ellis
*Barbara Bailey
*Tonka
*Robin
*Sarah.simon
*Deb
*Scott & Kessler
Mike (chicagotransplant)
*Cheryl Bradley
*Colin Pence
*Janey Butterworth
*Randy & Sharon Breunlin
*gliderman
*Stumblingbear & wife
*ktimm


*Attending Friday night dinner event.

GRENADIERS ATTENDEES CONFIRMED
Alan and Jackie Ellis
Kane
truchas


DURING-THE-WEEK CLIMBS ATTENDEES CONFIRMED
Aaron & Ellen Johnson
Cheryl Bradley
ktimm

REDCLIFF ATTENDEES CONFIRMED
Aaron and Ellen Johnson
Kane
ktimm
miztflp




Previous SP Summer Gatherings in Colorado: Mount Elbert, Kit Carson, Golden Horn, Grand Turk & The Sultan, Marble Mountain

YOUR SP HOSTS
Aaron & Ellen Johnson
Alan & Jackie Ellis




CURRENT WEATHER
Refer to here for conditions prior to the event! NOAA Forecast


PLANNING & DISCUSSION

SP members planning to attend (or hoping to attend) should feel free to discuss their own plans in this thread as they relate to the event, along with announcements with intent to attend. Please keep the subject related to this event so the thread does not get too far off course. Thanks!


UPDATES 6-21-10
Please note that information currently posted here may be subject to change. Check this thread and THIS POST on a routine basis during the coming months for updates.

MEETING PLACE FOR THE HIKE
East side of Green Street, just north of the Teller House, there is a parking area. We'll meet at this corner the morning of the hike at 5:45AM and depart at 6:00AM. Depart TH at 6:30AM.

SP DINNER EVENT
Our FRIDAY NIGHT dinner location for this event will once again be the Handlebars Restaurant, just across the street from the Teller House. For those interested, we hope to meet folks for dinner at the restaurant's entrance on the NORTH SIDE of the building at 6:00PM.

We are currently planning on the BENT ELBOW for the after hike dinner once again, since they handled our large contingent very well two years ago, located on Blair Street in Silverton.


This SP Gathering event has been expanded to a full week of activities.

Aaron will be shooting footage for a short documentary of the event to be presented here at SummitPost.

Alan and Jackie will be going into the Grenadier Range after the event and there is a standing invitation for SP folks to join them as well. Currently SP members Kane and truchas are joining them.

Additional mountain objectives during the week: Bonita, Storm, Tower, Galena, Columbine Lake/Lookout Peak and Canby are all possibilities!
The weather will be the determining factor as to how and when these mountains are climbed. These climbs are mostly Class 2 affairs with optional Class 3 sprinkled in.

Ellen and I and some of our hiking group will be doing these climbs in the Silverton and Ouray areas the week following the event, and those interested are certainly welcome to join us (if you don't mind slower old folks). We'll be using Silverton and Ridgway as our base of operations during the week. Contact Aaron or Ellen at one of the dinner events for more information.

The REDCLIFF hike the following weekend is currently still a GO. SP member ktimm will host this event.
Last edited by Aaron Johnson on Wed Jul 14, 2010 3:28 am, edited 26 times in total.

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Alan Ellis

 
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by Alan Ellis » Sat Mar 13, 2010 10:36 pm

Great announcement! We're looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones. Hope everyone can make it because these gatherings are a blast. Thanks to Aaron for the organization and announcement.

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Kane

 
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by Kane » Sat Mar 13, 2010 10:53 pm

Aaron, what a great looking loop route to some really nice peaks with killer views! Great idea. I don't know why I couldn't make this trip. Wife won't be working this summer so me getting out will be a lot easier with much less stress involved.

Jim and I had planned our Beartown backpack around this week of July so I will need to convince him an approach from the Silverton side will be worth the additional effort.

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mattpayne11

 
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by mattpayne11 » Sun Mar 14, 2010 7:25 am

Great post - mighty tempting!

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Kiefer

 
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by Kiefer » Sun Mar 14, 2010 11:31 am

I like the loop idea!
I HAVE GOT to make it down there for the gathering this time.
This could actually work since I'll have a permenent change in digs and job.
...be keeping an eye on this.

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MoapaPk

 
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by MoapaPk » Sun Mar 14, 2010 3:07 pm

Boy I'd like to go -- I may have an eye operation this spring summer, and that may put me out of business for a while.

If I do go, I might just try to fly into a "nearby" airport and rent a vehicle.

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Tonka

 
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by Tonka » Sun Mar 14, 2010 5:47 pm

The summer is shaping up nice. Switzerland in June, San Jauns now in July and Longs peak the first week of Aug. Not bad for a flatlander allthough all the travel gets a bit expensive :shock:

I look forward to seeing everyone again. I had a really good time last year.

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bbailey

 
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Got my rez on

by bbailey » Mon Mar 15, 2010 2:02 am

Hi guys! Count me in. Just made reservations and found out there's a race up Kendall mountain that same day so rooms are getting booked a little faster than usual.

Aaron and Allan - thanks so much for pulling this together. You guys rock!

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by chicagotransplant » Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:03 pm

Count me in, not sure how early I will make it down Friday night, but definitely will be there for the weekend. Tons of great peaks down there to tackle on Sunday as well!

Looking forward to it as usual!

Kiefer, you definitely have to join us! I'll keep bugging you until you cave.

Edit - PT 13402 on your map is now named, it is Mt Rhoda - named after Franklin Rhoda, a member of the Hayden Survey team back in 1874 who were the first recorded team to climb Mount Sneffels.

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by Haliku » Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:22 pm

Put me down also. I'll be booking today. If I happen to be out of the country then I can give my room to another SPer. Cheers!

Scratch the above. I'm on call that weekend. So if I can get it switched I'll update.
Last edited by Haliku on Mon Mar 15, 2010 8:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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John Duffield

 
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by John Duffield » Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:28 pm

MoapaPk wrote:If I do go, I might just try to fly into a "nearby" airport and rent a vehicle.


Nearest one is Montrose?

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MoapaPk

 
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by MoapaPk » Mon Mar 15, 2010 4:20 pm

John Duffield wrote:
MoapaPk wrote:If I do go, I might just try to fly into a "nearby" airport and rent a vehicle.


Nearest one is Montrose?


Good question. I flew into Durango from Albuquerque years back, and I think that was a pretty expensive flight.

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km_donovan

 
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Crap

by km_donovan » Mon Mar 15, 2010 4:22 pm

Once again this year I am on call the weekend of the SP gathering. :(

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by csmcgranahan » Mon Mar 15, 2010 6:34 pm

I'd love to be there and finally meet some fellow SPers. Is there anyone who would be interested in carpooling from Colorado Springs?

I would consider traveling on Thursday night and climbing something additional on Friday before the gathering.

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mconnell

 
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by mconnell » Mon Mar 15, 2010 6:38 pm

csmcgranahan wrote:I'd love to be there and finally meet some fellow SPers. Is there anyone who would be interested in carpooling from Colorado Springs?

I would consider traveling on Thursday night and climbing something additional on Friday before the gathering.


Possibly. Unfortunately, I won't know for sure until early June. If I were to leave on Thursday, it would probably have to be after I get off work at 10pm, which means rolling into Silverton around 4am.

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