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 12, 2024
(Previous trip report: 1996_0325_CometHyakutake.htm)
(A
Fourteener
trip report.)
A short report about asteroid dust (near Trinidad), sand dune slogging (at Great Sand Dunes NP), and climbing my first Fourteener (Shavano Peak) past age 40...
Friday, May 10:
I needed a day off and a long weekend away, but was hesitant. Being codependent with my misfiring mower and the other bric-a-brac of my busy life, the thought of unproductivity was unappealing, so I didn't even start packing until Friday morning. The weather sucked, I was joyless, but it was time to go. An hour later at 0915 I hit the road. Maybe not worth the trouble, but it beat heading to work instead.
It was raining in Denver... And Colorado Springs... But further south it cleared up, then remained spectacular throughout my weekend.
A long five-plus hours down I-25, eight miles north of New Mexico, near Trinidad, I located a roadcut I'd been told offered access to the K/T boundary [now renamed the K/Pg I guess]. This thin white layer of brittle clay, iridium-rich, 65 million years old, 1-2 cm thick, was a fossil remnant of asteroid dust from The Big One that struck near the Yucatan and likely wiped out the remaining dinosaurs. It was brittle and crumbly, sandwiched between even more crumbly, irregular shale layers.
To most people it would look like crud, but to me it was a fascinating rarity. For a couple of afternoon hours I happily dug out samples from the same spot where the Smithsonian took a big bite to display. I gathered plenty for myself, and to give all my friends who also like bizarre crud.
After that I enjoyed the back road around the Spanish Peaks, down to La Veta, then west and north to Great Sand Dunes NP. Whew, what a lot of driving today, over 400 miles.
I arrived just in time to find a campsite before dark, chow down dinner, and sleep under the stars. It was pleasant once some teenage partiers tuckered out... Except for a danged power pole that sang dirges all night. (Avoid sites 1-4.)
Saturday, May 11:
Up early, a lovely morning, cool and breezy. I wasn't wild about it but, what the heck, I'd wanted to do this for a long time... I don't know why... I really have to stop getting these urges... I'm getting too old for this stuff... Anyway I departed the picnic parking lot at 0730 intent on hiking clockwise completely around the main mass of the sand dunes. I figured the distance at 18 miles. I hoped it would be firm and flat on the periphery... Hah!
I stayed east of Medano Creek until forced to ford it, then sought the easiest way around closest to the dunes. There wasn't a clear "edge" to them. My path was up and down a lot, and slippery soft half the time... Slow going. Two hours southwest got me to the southernmost end of the dune field. Two more hours northwest, downing antacids to fight heartburn, debating whether to quit, and I was well around the west side, up and down some of the bigger fringe dunes. "I bet nobody ever comes here... Ya know, there's a reason for that..."
Here I decided enough was enough. It was more tedious than fun and I wasn't making fast enough time. The scenery was more dusty than pretty, and displayed occasional wind-blown trash. I had wanted to see the west side, and this would suffice. The map didn't help me know my exact position. [This was before I had GPS, or Google Maps on my phone!] I figured I was at least as far north as my starting point. I went up a big dune, had lunch about noon, and started east back to the picnic ground. It didn't look too far...
It took a really, really long time to get back. Longer than I dreamed it would, more than three hours. Up and down, firm then soft then firm again. Rise and dip, hill and hole, a series of horizons. Not much of interest out there this time of year... No wet or frozen sand sculpture, just a deer or two. The air warmed, the sand was hot, and the wind picked up grit now and then.
Trying to choose the best route from unappealing alternatives was a continuous challenge. I got, "tired of this game and ready to go home now" well before I reached the east edge and could see down to Medano Creek, where literally hundreds of wiser folks played in the flowing water. Wading across barefoot was delicious, but my body hurt. I arrived at my car at 1605 after 8:35 afoot. Good thing I quit when I did: All three liters of water were gone, and I was worn out.
Map measuring says I covered about 12 miles, all on sand. I learned that the dunes are much more fun when you're just out meandering in them without a destination. It pays to get up top, but beyond that it was pretty much all the same anywhere you go. "I'm glad I did it -- and I don't ever want to do it again!"
I drove north over Poncha Pass debating where to go next. I decided to at least camp out another night, even if I just drove home in the morning. I might as well go see the Blank Gulch road southeast of Shavano Peak.
A gorgeous campsite at Placer Creek was taken, but I found something nearly as nice 0.4 miles further uphill under trees, with a tremendous view south from ~9500', 6.9 miles from US 285. I put up the tent, got to bed early, and slept long and solidly, over nine hours.
Sunday, May 12:
I awoke before 7 am feeling a lot better, and the weather was gorgeous. Cool yet not cold, calm, utterly clear. "I might as well drive to the end of the road" -- an attractive open aspen grove...
"I might as well go for a walk in the woods." I gathered my gear and set out at 0755...
One thing led to another. 5:10 and 4430' later I was alone on top of Shavano Peak, 14229'; my second visit, and the first Fourteener I'd ever climbed in May or earlier. It was awesome!
There was no snow at the 9800' trailhead. In fact it didn't even start until around 11300'; no early excuse to turn back. For a while it was avoidable, then ugly to posthole, then solid enough to stay on top. I often followed recent footprints... Some of which turned to ski tracks. (I had my skis but left them in the car.)
The elk I saw in the trees had no trouble getting around, so I didn't wuss out either. After two hours I huffed up snow on a rocky glacial moraine to get my first close look at the famous Angel of Shavano snowfield.
A mountain goat crossed the body of the Angel while I debated whether I'd walked far enough to call it a day. That was always an enticing sign to me. (I'm a Capricorn, which means I don't believe in astrology, but I do believe in mountain goats.)
The tough climb up the snowfield to the Angel's left shoulder took me only another hour. I enjoyed having my ice axe in my hands again. (What some people do for fun...) The weather was still phenomenal; cool, gusty at times, but nearly cloudless.
When the universe hands you such great conditions, and you're already at 12800' and not feeling too terrible, you don't waste the blessing! So after another nice break I did the rocky grind on up to the summit in pretty good time, over 1000' gained per hour. I didn't feel all that lousy either, for my first time at 14000' in two years... Just a bit miserable.
The view from the summit was incredible as always. The panorama south -- Salida, Poncha Pass, the Sangre de Cristo Range, San Luis Valley, Mount Ouray -- was like a fantasy. All the mountains to the west and north were far more snowpacked than Shavano. I saw no one else anywhere around. A few people had signed the register over the last few weeks, but before that, no one since November.
After a wonderful 45 minutes as King of the Hill I started back down. It amazed me how fast I got back to the trailhead. An hour to the head of the Angel; just 4:20 more to glissade to her toes. Whee! Lots of snow to ride back down!
I saw and followed an easier route somewhat south of the bottom of the valley to avoid the worst snow hidden in the trees. Upon plunging into the forest and the slushy snowpack, naturally I couldn't find the trail. I went too far north into attractive aspen groves. "I'm lost again, sheesh." I had to make a tough decision with limited visibility, to go left or right. I chose right, and quickly found the trail again, along with a clump of mountain goat fur snagged by a branch.
Then I was ready to slog it out, but poof, I was at the trailhead for once before I expected it, at 1635; just 2:45 down, 8:40 round trip. Amazing!
My pants and boots were completely soggy and hadn't even begun to dry yet. I was home before 10 pm, and I could even walk the next day. Fourteener #32 on my second pass... No, no, I am not going to climb them all twice! [2023: Completed 39/54 at least twice...]
(Next trip report: 1996_0719_SeeingSpace.htm)