Navajo Peak as seen from the top of Airplane Gully
Digital photo by Aaron Johnson

Fall, 2003. Our group had planned to climb Navajo Peak in the Indian Peaks Wilderness (IPW). Weather moved in. We cancelled and climbed something else.

Fall, 2004. We stood in the valley looking up at where Navajo was supposed to be. Clouds had the IPW socked in completely. Not having been on the mountain before, I suggested we try Shoshoni instead, hoping the clouds would burn off. They did not burn off. The group then decided to try climbing Shoshoini anyway. This resulted in a very exciting summit experience which we'll always remember. But finding our way down throug the soupy clouds was a bit unnerving. We had broken my rule on climbing into unknown situations and not being able to see. From my studies of the map, I knew traversing the broad ridge north would eventually get us to the Pawnee Pass trail, but it nonetheless was an unsettling day I would not care to repeat.

Fall, 2005. We stood in the valley above Isabelle Lake, at the last lakelet before the high basin below Navajo Peak. Clouds had the IPW socked in completely. It was a summer rerun one year later! This was a real downer, because the group knew how I felt about the situation. I was hiking slower in the hope the clouds would burn off and let us see something, but Navajo was once again shrouded in mystery.

We were at dead ready at the lakelet. Randy wanted to at least hike higher and have a look around. I felt it was worth a gamble to wait the weather out. At the time, Ellen was really let down and felt we should leave, so I believed our day was simply done. The look on Randy's face as we departed was something I'll never forget. Then I had Ellen's despondence to look forward to on the way back to the car. She does not accept defeat easily. It's really hard dealing with such disappointment. But what was I to do? It would have been foolish for me to blaze onward into territory I had not been in before, and after the Shoshoni thing last year, I wasn't about to do it again. It would have been irresponsible of me to do so.

As we were walking down the trail, I watched the sky getting clearer and I started to poke along. We didn't get too far below the lake when Dennis asked what was on my mind. He was thinking the same thing. We should wait it out.

Below the lakelet, it was a tad warmer. We ended up getting behind a rock out of the wind. We huddled out of the wind, ate some food, and Dennis did some bouldering while I did stretches. Ellen shivered a lot (39 degrees F at one point) and I was worried for her and kept saying we would go if she gave the word. But Ellen is determined and stubborn, and was apparently willing to suffer for the possibility at a chance to climb the mountain. What we go through for a pile of rocks!

Then the sun came out and things improved dramatically. I cannot say I knew this would happen, but in the fall I've waited out weather before, so it was worth the gamble. Ellen and I climbed Courthouse Mountain by Ridgway after a morning rain storm in 2003. We started out at noon and summited at 2. This seemed no different. With the weather report forecasting no rain, I had a hunch there was no weather coming in. The wind (of change!) was blowing the last of the weather OUT.

I had gone to do some "business" and when I came back, there's Ellen and Dennis anxiously waiting, packs ready to go, saying we should go for it, which answered the question I was going to ask. I was hoping we had waited long enough that we would intercept Randy and Sharon, who had gone up to Isabelle Glacier, and we could climb the mountain together. I did not want to miss them. When we saw them, we were excited and very happy. It looked as if it was coming together after all.

We started for the mountain under rapidly clearing skies, but Randy and Sharon weren't following. Dennis caught up to me and informed me they were in "down mode" and would not climb the mountain that day. I was deeply saddened by this decision, knowing that even though they might be tired that they were here, and they had wanted very badly to climb Navajo. A great opportunity had presented itself. Oh well, hopefully they could climb Navajo another time...

Rugged escarpments on the ridge between Shoshoni and Apache Peaks in the IPW
Digital photo by Aaron Johnson

It was going to be a great day with no need to rush. The sky was clearing and it was warming up!

Airplane Gully was not bad, but it definitely required thoughtful foot placements to disturb the rocks as little as possible. But it was no worse than Stone Man Pass, which we did two weeks ealier on McHenrys Peak in The Park. The catch is Airplane Gully is five times as long as Stone Man Pass, so it's a time consuming scramble in which you must be light on your feet. We took it slowly and disturbed very little. There was actually plenty of sturdy scree and solid rock along the sides of the gully.

The plane wreckage was creepy and sombering. This aspect of the climb really bothered me because people died there suddenly and violently. Hopefully for their sake it was instantaneous. I doubt I'd be intersted in climbing Navajo again because of this scene. Perhaps by another route.

Above the gully it's a short ridge walk to the actual summit cone. The scrambling up the south face is Class 2 with scattered loose rock, very similar to the route we did on Grizzly Peak the prior week. Just below the final summit cliffs, we left the "standard route" to check out a chimney mentioned in one of the summitlogs on SP. The closer we got to it, the better it looked, and it looked like fun.

Oddly enough, it looked easier than it was, but well within everyone's abilities. It's tight and cozy and holds are small but solid. About half way up there is a tricky move, and then at the top is probably the crux move of the day, which Ellen made a movie of me climbing up and out of. It was a blast. The Chimney is 40 feet of strong Class 3, maybe with a touch of Class 4 for some folks.

Dennis Heckman starts up the Class 3 Southeast Chimney on Navajo Peak-It's Actually a bit harder than it looks!
Digital photo by Aaron Johnson

We were on top by 2:00. The summit is a jumble of rocks that seemed to be stacked precariously, although we found a flat spot with warm southern exposure to sit and relax. After pictures we sat and ate and talked about the day. I was still feeling very bad about Randy and Sharon's decision not to climb the mountain and for the way things had happened. Ellen and Dennis both assured me I had made the right decisions. I had to agree in that I had figured we were initially done as well. It was only Ellen deciding to wait out the weather that caused me to stay, because I was prepared to get her out of there. How things change so rapidly in the mountains!

Arikaree Peak as seen from the Southeast Chimney route just below the summit of Navajo Peak
Digital photo by Aaron Johnson

We took some time to decide on a way down the summit cone. I finally down climbed a spot to check out the possibilities, and I found what appeared to be the route to the southwest corner of the summit. It drops straight down through a narrow and shallow crack, which can be down climbed like a ladder facing in or out-but it's straight down. Then I zig-zagged down the rocks to a spot with very few tiny holds, but what was there was solid and made for pleasant climbing.

Dennis Heckman descends solid Class 3 terrain on Navajo Peak
Digital photo by Aaron Johnson

I had Dennis and Ellen follow and we each took our time lowering ourselves down this shallow crack on very solid rock. It was probably about a 20 foot down climb. Vertical Class 3+. Taking our time we did fine and were soon descending the easy south face back to Airplane Gully.

North and South ArapahoPeaks from Navajo Peak in the IPW
Digital photo by Aaron Johnson

Our descent down the gully went well. We met two climbers still yet going up on our way down. They certainly had flawless weather for a late day summit. Other than that, we saw no one until our major food break down in the valley at 5:00PM. Back in the basin below where we waited out the weather, Dennis took a nap and Ellen and I forced food down our throats to keep the energy flowing. Our walk back went quick, although our bodies were letting us have it in terms of pain and seizing muscles. Shoshoni Peak's shadow began to fall on the valley, and our march out would be graced by a glorious fall evening in Colorado. We were at the car at 6:36PM.

Niwot Ridge & Navajo Peak from the vicinity of Isabelle Lake on a gorgeous fall evening in the IPW
Digital photo by Aaron Johnson

Isabelle Lake is touched by the shadow of Shoshoni Peak, IPW, Fall, 2005
Digital photo by Aaron Johnson

EPILOG

As the "leader" on this climb, I should have insisted on everyone waiting the weather out and sticking together, but I didn't because of Ellen's condition and I didn't want the day to be a total loss for everyone. But I'll know better next time, and I know it will happen again somewhere.

Climbing Navajo for me was both sweet and sour. Awesome mountain, great character. Excellent climbing. Somber and creepy route. Long, long day. Unforgettable...for many reasons. But despite all of this, I will not break my rules in the future. I simply will not climb into a situation I cannot see and know nothing about. I am so glad we waited out the weather on this one!

A future return to Navajo? A slim possiblity (and not in the near future), which requires excellent weather, is Kane's Class 2 route up Apache's east face. Climb Apache, descend the south ridge (Class 3 or 4) and climb up the west chimney on Navajo (Class 4), then descend Airplane Gully. But there are so many other places I have yet to see in Colorado, and I've been coming to this particular area for years now, three times for this one mountain alone. Let's face it, I'm in the latter half of my life. I need to see as much new territory as possible. I've got lists that keep me occupied easily for the next two years! And that's just Colorado! There's the Colorado Plateau ( including much of Utah), Glacier National Park, the Cascades, the Enchantments, Oregon...sheesh. Time will tell, and time is something I have less of than I did 25 years ago.

But the great thing is this old man finally climbed Navajo Peak. Like my good friends Potosi Peak in the San Juans, Peak C in the Gores and Capitol Peak, this mountain has demanded much of my precious time. Hopefully next year I can finally climb Potosi, Engineer and Half Peak, all in the San Juans. These mountains have been on my to-do list for years. Hopefully the weather will give up the fight as it did on Navajo and give the ol' man a fair crack at these peaks.

Until then, I am grateful to have been granted the opportunity, through my experience and knowledge to climb Navajo Peak. It is reputed among my fellow SPers to be a great climb, perhaps the among greatest in the Indian Peaks (for a non technical climb, anyway). I would agree, providing this old man's opinion means anything. Navajo Peak is worth your time. Few summits are as fun, fine or rewarding. I'm glad it worked out the way it did.

And I'm glad we waited out the weather. Experience really paid off on this one. Whew! Old age and wisdom do have their advantages...

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