SummitPost.org

ozarkmac wrote:I'm looking forward to an August backpack into the Sangres - specifically the Sand Creek drainage. Aiming for Tijeras Peak, Music and Marble Mountains, Milwaukee Pass, and anything else that I can squeeze in. Meantime, I'm heading to the Wichita Mountains in a few weeks to tide me over.

I really enjoyed my trip into the Sangres last year. Would love to get back there to hit Pico Aislado. Enjoy!

Celebrating my 50th birthday with a 3 day hiking trip in July in Rocky Mountain National Park. Plan to hit some of my old haunts!

Spending a week dayhiking in the Cascades the last week of August with my son and a few of his friends. Planning on 5 days in North Cascades National Park and (hopefully) 2 days in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness - ending with a DMB concert at the Gorge on Sunday before flying home on Labor Day. Airline tickets already purchased!

• Finish the centennials here in Colorado.
• Attempt the North Face of Holy Cross (maybe a SA?)
• Attempt the East Face of Little Bear (unclimbed?)
• Ormes Buttress (Blanca Peak)
• Ellingwood Arete (Crestone Needle)
• Heading to Iceland in October for a week!!

Mark!!!!
Hit me up buddy! I'm with ya up in RMNP

Change of Plans scratch Katahdin and replace with a fall hike top to bottom of the Zion Narrows. I know its not a peak but should still be pretty cool. The peaks will have to wait until 2014 when I hope to make a week long trip to the San Juans for an attempt at Arrow, Vestal and the Trinities plus Mt Sneffels.

emiller1 wrote:Change of Plans scratch Katahdin and replace with a fall hike top to bottom of the Zion Narrows. I know its not a peak but should still be pretty cool. The peaks will have to wait until 2014 when I hope to make a week long trip to the San Juans for an attempt at Arrow, Vestal and the Trinities plus Mt Sneffels.

You probably cannot go wrong with the Narrows; I need to give that place a proper visit someday. But as for Katahdin, I hope the stories of crowds and reservation difficulties at Baxter SP (I stumbled upon a thread in Eastern region forum) do not totally dissuade you from going someday. Maybe I was lucky, but I went in late May one year and just showed up at the gate, and I was able to camp at Abol that night. The next day's hike up the Abol Slide to the summit of Katahdin and the Knife Edge was extraordinary. The summit views are from another world and I loved the forested wilderness there.

WyomingSummits wrote:
I live 60 miles east of the bighorns and 40 miles west of the Wyoming black hills....if you have any questions just let me know. Always happy to help.

I did have a lingering curiosity about the Big Horns, is the moose density always really high there? They were everywhere. What a beautiful mountain range.

Kautz Glacier and Kautz Headwall on Rainier 20-27 July.

Tomorrow I leave for a week at Lake Tahoe with my wife, 23 year old daughter, and 16 year old son. also joining us will be my 80 year old Mom! We plan light hiking but maybe my son and I will bag some easier summits too.

NewbiePeter wrote:Looking for someone(s) to tag along with to Summit Katahdin for first time. Dying to cross Knife Edge, but don't want to go it alone. Looking to go mid/late August 2012. I've done Mt Washington once and Mt LaFayette loop couple of times.

I don't blame you for wanting a companion but the Knife Edge is not technical. There's nothing there greater than Class 3. Piece of cake if it's dry. You do want to be careful if it's wet though, or don't go at all, since a fall could be fatal. I did it in a total whiteout in wet conditions and never felt unsafe (because the climbing is easy). We also couldn't see more than 10 feet down though. We might have been more intimidated had we been able to see the exposure. Good luck!

Happy 5-0 to Mark!

Enjoy your summer everyone! I'll be in Glacier N/P in August and Yosemite in Sept. Can't wait!

Alright what does everyone have planned for 2014? I am taking a family trip to Colorado in July. Camping near Ridgway and hope to do family hikes to Ice Lakes and Blue Lakes basin. Then later in the week relocate to Summit County and climb Grand Traverse Peak. I hope that this is enough to satisfy my mountain craving for the year.

Family camping trip to the local mountains. A quick overnight in the Golden Trout Wilderness with my two oldest. Possibly a rock climbing weekend in the Needles with a buddy. And then, the Holy Grail, the family is supposed to be traveling to Cleveland to visit my brother-in-law while I stay in LA. That could be good. Solo trip to the Sierra. Just a matter of when and for how long.

emiller1 wrote:Alright what does everyone have planned for 2014? I am taking a family trip to Colorado in July. Camping near Ridgway and hope to do family hikes to Ice Lakes and Blue Lakes basin. Then later in the week relocate to Summit County and climb Grand Traverse Peak. I hope that this is enough to satisfy my mountain craving for the year.

On my 2011 trip to the San Juans we did a 2 night backpack into Ice Lake Basin, moved camps, and followed up with a 2 night backpack into Blue Lakes Basin. Trust me, you won't be disappointed. Are you planning dayhikes or are you backpacking in for a few nights?

MarkDidier,
We will be going to both basins as day hikes. Blue lakes first then Ice Lake the second day. Ice lake will be right at what the edge of the rest of the family can hike in a day. If the weather cooperates I think we can make it.

emiller1 wrote:MarkDidier,
We will be going to both basins as day hikes. Blue lakes first then Ice Lake the second day. Ice lake will be right at what the edge of the rest of the family can hike in a day. If the weather cooperates I think we can make it.

Sounds like your mileage total might be limited, but if you get the chance, I would highly recommend hiking above Lower Blue Lake to at least the middle lake, or even better all the way to Blue Lakes Pass. It is beautiful at Lower Blue Lake, but the views just get better and better as you head up towards the pass. The trail leading up above the lake is off to the left a little before you get to Lower Blue Lake. Regardless, you'll love it...

http://www.summitpost.org/the-view-west-from-blue-lakes-pass/750725

Well we didn't quite make it to Ice Lake. My oldest was dealing with some altitude issues and wasn't feeling quite up to it. However a few days later I did get to attempt Grand Traverse peak east of Vail, CO. The weather held all day and we needed it. It ended up taking 14 hrs car to car. I thought it was a beast of a route with a lot of scrambling to avoid even harder terrain. The rock quality was varied some places it was solid, others it crumbled easily. But by far the most frustrating part was the last mile or so of the Deluge lake trail. It seemed to go on forever.