One of many
trip reports under the
SilGro home page for Alan Silverstein and Cathie
Grow.
Email me at
ajs@frii.com.
Last update: May 29, 2024
(Previous trip report: 1989_0901-04_CrestoneNeedle.htm)
(A
Fourteener
trip report.)
I took off for a fall weekend road trip with my friend Sherry Perkins. We had a very enjoyable time hiking near Loveland Pass and later climbing most of Missouri Mountain, despite not reaching the summit. Famous author Walter Borneman, and his friends Hal and Jay, were our companions on Missouri. It was a CMC-sponsored fundraising hike, part of a plan to put climbers on every Colorado Fourteener that day.
Saturday, Sep 16: Sherry and I left Fort Collins at around 1300. That was later than we expected to be on the road. Unfortunately the cost of having fun and taking your time is that it takes time (surprise). Anyway, we stopped into Beau Jo's pizza in Idaho Springs, the first visit for either of us... It was great.
Up at Loveland Pass, 11990', rather late in the day, we did about 900' of uphill walking on a trail east to a 12915' point south of Mount Sniktau, 1655-1745. (I finally went all the way to Sniktau many years later, June 29, 2018.) It was a wonderful bit of exercise and the view from the high point was pretty. There were tenuous ice crystal clouds around the low sun. Fresh snow lay on the surrounding peaks, including the Mosquito Range Fourteeners and nearby Grays and Torreys.
We descended in a rapid 17 minutes and we were back at the pass by 1820, less than an hour before sunset. I wish we'd had more time to explore further. It even appears Grays and Torreys would be reachable from there with a little up and down traversing.
We paused in Leadville for dessert, and continued in the dark past Granite and up the dirt road eight miles west to Vicksburg. We camped for the night near Sherry's car at the Oxford/Belford/Missouri trailhead (9670'). It was a cold night under a bright moon just past full.
Sunday morning, Sep 17, Walter and friends arrived at 0700, soon after sunrise. We started up the trail at 0715 and they set a steady, brisk pace. The route crossed Clear Creek on a bridge, then climbed fast up a good trail with switchbacks, south into Missouri Gulch. After a mile it leveled somewhat, but there were more uphill sections into the upper basin. It passed the boring, rounded slopes of Belford on the way.
By 1040 we were at 12640' (a gain of nearly 3000') and ready start up the last steep, rocky 1400' to the summit of Missouri Mountain. Unfortunately Sherry bonked out from the last three hours of exertion. Walter, Hal, and Jay continued on while we waited for them. Since it was a CMC trip our options were limited. We could wait there, or further down the trail, but not return alone, nor proceed up at a slower pace.
Sherry and I had a relaxing time, nearly 3.5 hours, watching the marmots, conies, and some passing hikers. We sat on rocks and laid on grass between new-fallen but crusty snow. Wind-whipped snow devils played on the high, stark ridge of Missouri. Sometimes we received a cold breeze. It was cool, clear, and felt intensely big and open around us, though that part of the Sawatch was not particularly spectacular.
Our companions returned and we descended the trail, 1410-1615. It had gotten a bit muddy from melting snow. Full sunlight struck the valley as we followed it down, and glowed golden from changing aspen. There were spots along the trail that were burnt orange canopies of intense color. Through sparse trees came images of the distant opposite slope of Clear Creek Canyon, bearing umber-edged gullies. It was a very pleasant afternoon.
On the way home we visited the Tandoor of India, a specialty restaurant in downtown Denver near the train station, eerie at night. We had the dining room to ourselves; just as well considering our generally grungy state. It was the finest (and most expensive) meal I've ever had wearing jeans and sneakers.
(Next trip report: 1989_1007-08_BoulderBrook.htm)