Mount Spalding Climber's Log

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Scott

Scott - Jul 5, 2009 10:42 pm Date Climbed: Jul 2, 2009

Spalding  Sucess!

We climbed this as part of our climb up Mount Evans on the same day.

Mount Evans is a pretty peak, but I had long put off climbing it because it has a road to near the summit. In March 2005, I had attempted a winter ascent of the peak via Guanella Pass, Mount Bierstadt and the Sawtooth Ridge, but I wasn’t feeling well and returned not long after climbing Bierstadt.

Mount Evans was chosen for a climb this weekend because the weather forecast was bad in the afternoons and I thought Mount Evans would be short enough for the kids ages seven and five) to get up and back before the threat of thunderstorms materialized.

Kessler, Shaylee, Kimberly and I started the climb at Summit Lake, which was still frozen. We had originally planned to climb Mount Warren first, but we decided to head straight to Mount Spalding so we could get over Mount Evans as soon as we could. If the weather was still good by the time we got back down to Summit Lake we would climb Mount Warren.

As we started the climb we watched several marmots and mountain goats on the slopes of Mount Warren near Summit Lake. After watching them for several minutes, we headed off and climbed to the summit of Mount Spalding where we had a good rest and snack.

Kessler, Shaylee and I slid down a snowfield (we had brought plastic garbage bags just for this purpose) and then headed down to the saddle and up the ridge to Mount Evans. The Mount Evans Ridge was slower than expected and it took more time than we had thought it would, partly because much of the trail was covered with snow and so we climbed the rocky ridge more directly in order to stay off the snow.

The weather was good to the time we were in the summit area, but by the time we reached the summit it was snowing pretty hard and it was cold and windy. We touched the summit and went down a short distance to seek shelter in the old building near a parking lot (as mentioned there is a road close to the summit). We waited out the storm while eating lunch and the skies cleared.

We headed down the steep northeast face of the mountain, but were hit with another storm. It made the going very slippery and the kids did not like this part. We climbed down through the hail and rain storm as quickly as we could and walked the short section of road back to Summit Lake.

Overall, it was a nice and scenic climb, but the weather on the return was not good.

chicagotransplant

chicagotransplant - May 18, 2009 9:50 am Date Climbed: May 17, 2009

Circle Tour from Echo  Sucess!

Climbed solo as part of a long ridge tour from Echo Lake - Goliath to Rogers to Warren to Spalding to Gray Wolf back to Echo Lake. Great warm spring day with plenty of sunshine! The road was still closed giving the place an eerie solitude.

mattpayne11

mattpayne11 - Apr 27, 2009 2:33 am Date Climbed: Jul 13, 1986

Standard Route: Date Climbed: July, 13 1986  Sucess!

Long time ago...

colinpence

colinpence - Apr 7, 2009 12:40 am Date Climbed: Jul 4, 2008

Spalding and Gray Wolf  Sucess!

This patriotic climb included several members of the usual suspect group practicing our ice ax skills.

BigCountry

BigCountry - Oct 3, 2008 6:39 pm

Late summer  Sucess!

NIce hike from SUmmit lake

mountainloverCO

mountainloverCO - Aug 13, 2008 5:54 pm Date Climbed: Aug 13, 2008

From Summit Lake  Sucess!

Hit up Spalding on the way to Evans. A quick and easy hike...

cp0915

cp0915 - Aug 3, 2008 7:03 pm Date Climbed: Jul 3, 2008

from Evans  Sucess!

7/3/08: From Evans, then on to Gray Wolf Mountain.

10/3/10: With Bryan and Brian via Mount Evans (via the SNAVE). I then headed to Mt. Warren, Rogers Peak and Goliath Mtn.

smudge

smudge - Jul 24, 2008 5:25 pm Date Climbed: Jul 22, 2008

Evans loop  Sucess!

Great loop...evans to spalding...with my mom!

argothor

argothor - Jun 29, 2008 8:00 pm Date Climbed: Jun 29, 2008

Spalding from Summit Lake  Sucess!

Quick hike up Spalding from Summit Lake. Meant to go to Gray Wolf and take lots of pictures but my camera malfunctioned before I got to Spalding's summit, so I summited and then headed back to the lake. Will have to head up again for the pictures from both Spalding and Gray Wolf.

MountainHikerCO

MountainHikerCO - Mar 1, 2008 8:42 pm Date Climbed: Aug 8, 2000

Nice Views  Sucess!

This was my 10th time climbing Spalding. The first time was on an unrecorded date in 1983. Many of the climbs were done as an Evans - Spalding loop. One time was in combination with Gray Wolf. A few times were just Spalding. There are many nice views from this mountain.

mjroche

mjroche - Jan 7, 2008 8:39 am

Darkstar  Sucess!

nice couloir route if the cornice is gone

Kenneth.alone - Jan 5, 2008 8:53 pm Date Climbed: Mar 1, 2004

Alone in the snow  Sucess!

Nice snow hike, made soup on the summit and shared it some very unprepared Canadians.

MattK

MattK - Dec 28, 2007 5:47 pm Date Climbed: Jul 23, 2006

Spalding  Sucess!

Wife, dog, and I.

Jerry S

Jerry S - Sep 27, 2007 12:35 am Date Climbed: Sep 22, 2007

End of long day  Sucess!

Started at summit lake parking lot, went up Evans, across the sawtooth, up Bierstadt, back across the sawtooth and finally up Spalding to get get back to the parking lot.
The top of Spalding is nice and you get much of the same view as from Evans. Tons of people on trail from parking lot to summit, but still an enjoyable hike.
GW

HylianHero

HylianHero - Sep 16, 2007 1:53 am Date Climbed: Aug 12, 2001

From Summit Lake  Sucess!

Steep hike up to the summit. A few people walked by and didn't even know that there was another named summit. Nice view of Evans.

rkymtn

rkymtn - Sep 9, 2007 10:49 am Date Climbed: Sep 8, 2007

From Evans  Sucess!

Climbed with Haliku to complete the Bierstadt/Evans cirque. A good end to a reasonably long day.

Haliku

Haliku - Sep 9, 2007 9:39 am Date Climbed: Sep 8, 2007

Three for Three  Sucess!

Climbed with rkymtn as part of our goal to do Bierstadt, Sawtooth ridge and Mt. Evans. Since Spalding was along the way back...
___
7-16-05
Numerous cars and many people at the Guanella Pass TH when I arrived. Thankfully they were all going up Mt. Bierstadt. Once I turned left after crossing the creek I had the route to myself. The numerous paths through the willows and peat bogs all headed in the same general direction. The west slope is a workout with a lot of minor rock outcrops. I had a close encounter (>20 ft) with a mountain goat along the way to the top. Summit register was missing.

rpace

rpace - Sep 3, 2007 3:29 am Date Climbed: Sep 1, 2007

Long day  Sucess!

Started from West Chicago Creek trailhead, aiming for Mt Evans and Gray Wolf Mountain. Was delayed due to "map" issues, so settled for Mt Spalding and Gray Wolf Mountain instead. It was still a 16.2 mile trek, although through beautiful country.

Roam Around - Jul 23, 2007 12:34 pm Date Climbed: Jul 22, 2007

great day  Sucess!

great blue sky the whole day! Combined with Gray Wolf.

Kruck

Kruck - Jul 16, 2007 10:54 am Date Climbed: Jul 14, 2007

Tag  Sucess!

Tagged en-route to Evans. This was a nicer-looking mountain with better views than Evans, itself, I believe.

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