Route Climbed: Southwest ridge Date Climbed: September 8, 2002
The third fourteener I've climbed was the nicest yet! It was a challenging route, but not forever long like Mt. Massive was. The weather was a little crummy and cloudy but thankfully it cleared up by the time we got to the top! Saw a bunch of rodents and a few birds, but nothing too exciting in the wildlife category. The walk through the basin was long and windey. Pretty wet in places, too. Once you started really climbing, though, you didn't stop!! We followed cairns all the way up the rocky ridge at the top. On the way down, however, I am certain that we were following different cairns. The moral of that story is just go up however you want! Met several nice people on that mountain, as we have on all the others we climbed. Mountaineers are such nice people!
Route Climbed: la platta gultch Date Climbed: Augest 24, 2002
started out very easy, other than the ten quadrillion steps about 1 mile in. other than that the hike was very simple through the gulch. once we reached la platta it was straight up from there. i started to feel a little altitude sickness around 13,500, i continued on and made the summit.
Route Climbed: La Plata Gulch - Northwest Ridge Date Climbed: September 6, 2002
What a beautiful trail! This is one of my favorites. The hike through the forest next to La Plata Creek was the cat's meow. After tree line, the switchbacks get a little tiresome, but the peak is worth the work. My book said the trail is 8 miles roundtrip, but by my estimations it was about 12 miles RT because of the switchbacks. It really wore me out that day. Started around 9:15 am and reached summit at 12:45 pm.
Route Climbed: Lake Creek Trailhead - Northwest Ridge Route Date Climbed: September 13, 2002
Solo on a very Cloudy, foggy day. I couldn't see more than 10 feet in front of my shoes above 14,000 ft. Had to search around for the actual peak, and finally found the register. Snowed on me constantly above 12,000 ft or so. Very eerie to climb with little or no visibility - like being in a different world. I plan on climbing it again so I can enjoy the view from the peak!
The hike through the La Plata Gulch was beautiful, with some excellent views of Sayres Peak to the South (before the fog rolled in).
Route Climbed: Southwest ridge from Winfield Trailhead Date Climbed: 9/8/02
A very nice trail from the top of the 4WD road. Did not take very long to gain 1,000', even for a flatlander like me. You have to scramble up two ridges on this route. The first ridge which is just after you leave the basin. You can actually scramble up the face of the ridge, from a point where you will find two cairns, or follow the trail that switchbacks. We went up the face and came back down the trail. After gaining the first ridge at around 13,200, you are a short hike from the second ridge which is taller than the first. There are many cairns to guide you, however the trail becomes very faint in many places. After reaching the second ridge at around 14,000' you are about 30 minutes and two false summits from the top. A great view from the summit, no marker, but there was a summit register provided by The Colorado Mountain club. Thanks! A great mountain to climb and the summit cleared of clouds an hour before we got there.
Route Climbed: Winfield Trailhead Date Climbed: August 16, 1996
This is one of the best climbs I've had. The trail was great. Even the willows in the high basin were easy to get through. I climbed the large scree to the south false summit thinking I was reaching the true summit. I was really let down when I found out I still had a mile to go.
Route Climbed: Standarad route Date Climbed: June 2001
First attempted in May of 2001. Much snow - used snowshoes and crampons. Decided not to go all the way to summit as energy was dying and it was getting late in day. Turned around only 20 minutes from top. No trail could be seen - we had to break trail all the way in snowshoes - 13 hours of work and quite exhausting. Never sunk in so many holes with my snowhoes. Went back in June and did a fast solo up to summit - much easier.
Route Climbed: 11.2 Ellingwood Ridge Date Climbed: 6-24-00
Ellingwood Ridge was incredible. Good climb on solid rock. Started a little late and had to run up to the summit to avoid storms. A bad place to be caught in storm, little escape from the ridge, very tiring.
Route Climbed: La Plata Gulch Date Climbed: 08/24/2001
Brent Wessel and I (TJ) climbed La Plata Peak in 2 hrs 37 minutes, which was a pretty steady pace. When we started the climb at 8:18 AM, the air was a crisp 28-degrees, and there was frost on the grass. It was already starting to feel like Fall at this elevation. Along the way we saw marmots, pikas and ptarmigans. All in all, it was a beautiful day of climbing. We relaxed on the summit for over an hour enjoying the view and sunshine. I was very impressed with the good condition of the trail.
My wife and I did the Northwest ridge route, it was a nice hike but cold and windy. There has been allot of work done on the trail which made it even better.
Route Climbed: Southwest Ridge Date Climbed: September 20, 2000
La Plata was the last of six 14ers that my friend Duane and I summitted during 6 wonderful days in September 2000. We got an early start because we needed to get on the road for home in Washington (not D.C.) immediately after the climb. It was a fantastic day to end our week-long adventure, but it was obvious from the change of weather earlier in the week that fall had arrived.
rmjwinters - Oct 6, 2002 2:14 pm
Route Climbed: Lake Creek TH Date Climbed: July 31 2001Monsoonal morning. Plenty of clouds. 5 hours roundtrip.
cmccall - Oct 2, 2002 3:14 pm
Route Climbed: Winfield Date Climbed: September 8, 2002A good challenging hike the weather was good and the views great as always.
Speedy - Sep 30, 2002 4:08 pm
Route Climbed: Southwest ridge Date Climbed: September 8, 2002The third fourteener I've climbed was the nicest yet! It was a challenging route, but not forever long like Mt. Massive was. The weather was a little crummy and cloudy but thankfully it cleared up by the time we got to the top! Saw a bunch of rodents and a few birds, but nothing too exciting in the wildlife category. The walk through the basin was long and windey. Pretty wet in places, too. Once you started really climbing, though, you didn't stop!! We followed cairns all the way up the rocky ridge at the top. On the way down, however, I am certain that we were following different cairns. The moral of that story is just go up however you want! Met several nice people on that mountain, as we have on all the others we climbed. Mountaineers are such nice people!
ogonzoo - Sep 18, 2002 10:15 pm
Route Climbed: la platta gultch Date Climbed: Augest 24, 2002started out very easy, other than the ten quadrillion steps about 1 mile in. other than that the hike was very simple through the gulch. once we reached la platta it was straight up from there. i started to feel a little altitude sickness around 13,500, i continued on and made the summit.
charles97 - Sep 17, 2002 3:47 pm
Route Climbed: La Plata Gulch - Northwest Ridge Date Climbed: September 6, 2002What a beautiful trail! This is one of my favorites. The hike through the forest next to La Plata Creek was the cat's meow. After tree line, the switchbacks get a little tiresome, but the peak is worth the work. My book said the trail is 8 miles roundtrip, but by my estimations it was about 12 miles RT because of the switchbacks. It really wore me out that day. Started around 9:15 am and reached summit at 12:45 pm.
Eighth of 10 fourteeners in 6 days. #16 overall.
Ed F - Sep 14, 2002 11:20 am
Route Climbed: Lake Creek Trailhead - Northwest Ridge Route Date Climbed: September 13, 2002Solo on a very Cloudy, foggy day. I couldn't see more than 10 feet in front of my shoes above 14,000 ft. Had to search around for the actual peak, and finally found the register. Snowed on me constantly above 12,000 ft or so. Very eerie to climb with little or no visibility - like being in a different world. I plan on climbing it again so I can enjoy the view from the peak!
The hike through the La Plata Gulch was beautiful, with some excellent views of Sayres Peak to the South (before the fog rolled in).
Bryan W - Sep 10, 2002 2:11 pm
Route Climbed: Southwest ridge from Winfield Trailhead Date Climbed: 9/8/02A very nice trail from the top of the 4WD road. Did not take very long to gain 1,000', even for a flatlander like me. You have to scramble up two ridges on this route. The first ridge which is just after you leave the basin. You can actually scramble up the face of the ridge, from a point where you will find two cairns, or follow the trail that switchbacks. We went up the face and came back down the trail. After gaining the first ridge at around 13,200, you are a short hike from the second ridge which is taller than the first. There are many cairns to guide you, however the trail becomes very faint in many places. After reaching the second ridge at around 14,000' you are about 30 minutes and two false summits from the top. A great view from the summit, no marker, but there was a summit register provided by The Colorado Mountain club. Thanks! A great mountain to climb and the summit cleared of clouds an hour before we got there.
jwclimbs - Jul 29, 2002 7:26 am
Route Climbed: Ellingwood Ridge Date Climbed: July 28, 2002Awesome Ridge! Very Nice Summit!
wayneaflick - Jun 17, 2002 10:44 pm
Route Climbed: Winfield Trailhead Date Climbed: August 16, 1996This is one of the best climbs I've had. The trail was great. Even the willows in the high basin were easy to get through. I climbed the large scree to the south false summit thinking I was reaching the true summit. I was really let down when I found out I still had a mile to go.
ctruscot - Jun 17, 2002 10:46 am
Route Climbed: Standarad route Date Climbed: June 2001First attempted in May of 2001. Much snow - used snowshoes and crampons. Decided not to go all the way to summit as energy was dying and it was getting late in day. Turned around only 20 minutes from top. No trail could be seen - we had to break trail all the way in snowshoes - 13 hours of work and quite exhausting. Never sunk in so many holes with my snowhoes. Went back in June and did a fast solo up to summit - much easier.
coloradoclimber - May 28, 2002 5:08 pm
Route Climbed: 11.2 Ellingwood Ridge Date Climbed: 6-24-00Ellingwood Ridge was incredible. Good climb on solid rock. Started a little late and had to run up to the summit to avoid storms. A bad place to be caught in storm, little escape from the ridge, very tiring.
PRAISE GEOLOGY!!!!!!!!
Matt Mahoney - May 17, 2002 4:42 pm
Route Climbed: Lake Creek - NW ridge Date Climbed: Aug 16 20013rd summit of Nolan's 14. Reached summit about sunset, descended into Winfield just before midnight for about 3 hours sleep before climbing Huron.
steve simmons - Jan 3, 2002 4:30 pm
Route Climbed: standard route from the north Date Climbed: august 17th, '01Beautiful summit!
Praise GOD!!!!!!!
nader - Dec 26, 2001 4:23 pm
Route Climbed: La Plata Gulch Trailhead Date Climbed: August 1996Saw 14ers Initiative building a trail...makes it easier on the climber & the mountain!
Zeke - Nov 28, 2001 11:52 am
Route Climbed: Standard Date Climbed: July 1997Helped CFI on a trail building weekend. Was able to summit w/many of the AAC members. Great time Great summit
tjburr - Sep 1, 2001 7:09 am
Route Climbed: La Plata Gulch Date Climbed: 08/24/2001Brent Wessel and I (TJ) climbed La Plata Peak in 2 hrs 37 minutes, which was a pretty steady pace. When we started the climb at 8:18 AM, the air was a crisp 28-degrees, and there was frost on the grass. It was already starting to feel like Fall at this elevation. Along the way we saw marmots, pikas and ptarmigans. All in all, it was a beautiful day of climbing. We relaxed on the summit for over an hour enjoying the view and sunshine. I was very impressed with the good condition of the trail.
Happy Trails . . . TJ Burr
Author of "Rocky Mountain Adventure Collection."
Peter Eliassen - Aug 16, 2001 11:25 am
Route Climbed: From Hwy 82 (Indy Pass) Date Climbed: 9/20/00Beautiful hike...that ridge looks tempting.
miztflip - Aug 13, 2001 3:11 pm
Route Climbed: La Plata Gulch Date Climbed: August 10,2001Easy hike with no route finding. What a cool view of the Ellingwood Ridge. I had the best view of the Elks Range.
climbcolorado - Jul 18, 2001 11:22 am
Route Climbed: Northwest RidgeMy wife and I did the Northwest ridge route, it was a nice hike but cold and windy. There has been allot of work done on the trail which made it even better.
Bob Bolton - Apr 27, 2001 8:24 pm
Route Climbed: Southwest Ridge Date Climbed: September 20, 2000La Plata was the last of six 14ers that my friend Duane and I summitted during 6 wonderful days in September 2000. We got an early start because we needed to get on the road for home in Washington (not D.C.) immediately after the climb. It was a fantastic day to end our week-long adventure, but it was obvious from the change of weather earlier in the week that fall had arrived.