One of many
trip reports under the
SilGro home page for Alan Silverstein and Cathie
Grow.
Email me at
ajs@frii.com.
Last update: June 15, 2024
(Previous trip report: 1986_0815-16_PyramidPeak.htm)
(A
Fourteener
trip report.)
Saturday night, Aug 16: After climbing Pyramid Peak, I drove west out of Aspen toward Capitol Peak, later than I'd hoped heading for Old Snowmass. Back then that junction was little more than a gas station. It was 1.8 miles south to the Snowmass/Capitol fork, then 8.5 miles southwest to the trailhead, not 7.5 miles as indicated by the climbing guide.
The last 3.3 miles was rough dirt, and the last 0.8 miles wass virtually 4WD. I talked my Datsun into making the run up the road in the dark at about 11 pm, not sure if I was going the right way. Finally found a flat spot under moonlit aspen trees and crashed next to the car, dead tired.
Sunday morning, Aug 17, I awoke to discover the trailhead sign just 50' away, surrounded by pretty aspen trees and good weather. I packed up slowly and then started down to Capitol Creek at 1120. The map posted at the trailhead showed a new trail that avoided the 400' drop to the creek, but others I spoke with warned me it was mainly bushwhacking. So I descended to 9000' and crossed the creek.
Soon thereafter I took a wrong turn. There was a bold trail going too far southeast, but it looked right for the first mile. After discovering my error I had to bushwhack west and southwest back to the main trail, losing about 100', but coming across some deer. Not an auspicious start!
The correct trail up to Capitol Lake at 11600' was one of the best I'd seen. It was a long hike, but pretty, with the peak prominent as a great gray ridge at the head of the valley. The trail was mainly dirt and few rocks, and it passed through meadows and forests. There was a little uncleared avalanche debris, but not enough to get frustrated.
I reached the lake at 1640 -- it took me 5:20 to backpack 6.5 miles (7 my way) and gain 2700' (including my mistake). I took a pleasant boots-off break in a pretty meadow for a half hour on the way up.
At Capitol Lake the mountain was a magnificent mass commanding a quarter of the horizon, rising cliff-upon-cliff, grey and sheer, to the left. The lake was just above the last of timberline, very blue and alpine, surrounded by rocks and wildflower meadows. It was a lovely place. I found a spot to deck out on a tarp (no tent) near the lake on a tree-covered hill. Then I went to meet the neighbors.
One fellow gave me a lengthy description of the climbing route, which was very helpful. The only people I met who were planning a climb the next day were a couple of inexperienced Texans. I wasn't sure whether to join them (rather than climb alone) or talk them out of it. I guess I did more of the latter...
Sunday night was beautiful, cool and moonlit. From my sleeping bag I could see the bulk of the K2-Capitol Peak knife-edge ridge high above me. This was not conducive to relaxing sleep! I'd spent years hearing about, anticipating, and even dreading the infamous Capitol knife-edge ridge, the only non-technical approach to the mountain.
Monday morning, Aug 18, I headed up alone at dawn, 0545, from 11500'. The red glow of sunrise half an hour later made the clouds and the peak a memorable scene. It only took me 45 minutes to reach the Daly-K2 saddle at 12480' on a steep but well-used trail.
From there I followed cairns high around the back of the ridge. Staying high meant commuting across a steep, slab-rock, exposed route on ledges and cracks for several hundred yards. I'd heard that getting to "K2" was tough, and it was. It was better -- and probably no slower -- to drop a couple hundred feet below this section, as I did on the return.
Past the cliffs there were rolling slopes of large boulders which were easy climbing back to the main ridge. Here I experienced a surprising equipment failure -- broke the spike on my brass belt buckle -- had to tie my belt on for the rest of the trip, and going home too (who packs a spare belt buckle?) Nonetheless I continued up the ridge, now looking over the west side down steep cliffs to Capitol Lake... A very airy feeling.
I reached the summit cone of "K2", 13664', at 0800. On past advice, I found a cairned traverse around the west side rather than climbing up and back down the steep peak. I still went too high; I couldn't see the rest of the ridge from there. [2023: Strange, I vaguely recall going directly up and over K2 that day, nasty as it was, which is why I tried leading a group lower around the west side in 1991, when I nearly fell to my death.]
Once around K2 I could see Capitol's summit and the start of the infamous, over-rated, much-maligned knife-edge ridge.
From below I could see it was a long straight ridge with cliffs below it. But standing on it, it was not that long or scary. It was hard to get a good photo of it. Well you start walking along on a flat section, then get into more traversing below the ridgetop on ledges or trails, often holding the very top for safety.
The worst section was about 100' long, with sheer slab granite on both sides, simpler than most of it. It was more a mental than physical challenge. There was only about a 5' stretch where I had to tiptoe the ridge or straddle it (I did the latter). Not a good place to pass out! Otherwise it felt fine with care.
The rest of the way there were cracks on at least one side which allowed me to walk along the side, holding the top, and it was not that horrible. Sure if you drop something it's gone, but there was rock below you, and the faces were only 50 degrees steep, not vertical.
After the pointiest part the ridge was wider and more complex. It was fast and comfortable to walk along, either the top, or switching sides, on a trail. I started up the main summit, then followed cairns left around the east side. The last 400' or so was up steep loose rock, but nothing remarkable. I followed a well-cairned ledge and crack route on crumbly but pretty good granite, southeast, then south, then southwest.
I caught the low end of the summit ridge and crossed along it to the very top at 0908 -- 3:25 from camp to climb 2630'; only one hour from "K2" across the ridge. The summit was a small ridgetop with boulders, a flat area, and wonderful precipitous drops. There was pretty, translucent grey rock and a vein of garnet(?) and purplish quartz (amethyst?) right on top.
Early morning clouds had burned off, leaving high cirrus and bright sun, cool and breezy at 49 degrees F. I was alone on top, and it was magnificent! Snowmass Mountain was three miles east, and beyond that were the other Elk Range Fourteeners -- Pyramid, Castle, then North Maroon and Maroon Peak more to the right.
Two people eventually arrived from a different starting point. We joined up for the trip back across the ridge, which netted me a good picture of people right on the worst part. After crossing K2 just for the challenge, we split up and I returned alone to camp. Well not exactly, I met the Texans at the 12480' saddle and spent a half hour chatting with them. Total return time was 3:25, from 1055 to 1420.
After breaking camp I made the long, hot, and painful pack trip back out. The last 400' climb to the trailhead was hell on tired legs and blistered toes, even after a soak in the creek. The cows, flies, and mosquitos weren't friendly either. But it took me only 3:20, from 1530 to 1850. I figure my total elevation gain in two days was 5830'.
Later that night I found a cheap motel in Basalt in the rain, and decided the next morning to come home rather than pick up El Diente Peak. Consequently that would be my last Fourteener of the 54, "hopefully this coming weekend" [yup, a week later than I posted this on Sep 4].
(Next trip report: 1986_0823-0908_TheLastSix14ers.htm)