Take a Walk
A Quest into the Wild
Quandary Peak Summit: 14,265 ft
Distance: 6.84 miles (out and back) Elevation Gain: 3,364 ft (total) 3,371ft (net)
Max Elevation: 14,265 ft Min. Elevation: 10,901 ft
It felt as though we had only just closed our eyes when we were gently roused by the sounds of The Head and the Heart streaming out of the phone at 3:45 am on Saturday morning. To be honest, we were so excited about our third 14er summit attempt that sleep was light, and soft music was the only motivation needed to throw on our clothes and boots and hit the road for Quandary Peak. This majestic peak looms to the south of the quaint but vibrant town of Breckenridge, CO. It is the 13th highest peak in Colorado. Year-round it tempts hikers, skiers, climbers, and wildlife enthusiasts to its summit.
We reached Breckenridge at about 5:50 am and were greeted by a somnolent little town with closed signs in all the windows. We waited at a gas station a few minutes until six to fuel up on snacks and then continued on. We reached the trailhead at about 6:15 am and were able to park in the second parking lot at the base of the trailhead. There is another lot further down closer to Hwy 9 with additional parking and restrooms (port-o-pots). There were a few cars and eager hikers already there, and we joined with similar enthusiasm.
The trail immediately begins to climb among the trees which wasn’t too surprising when we realized the distance to the summit was only 3.4 miles. The sun wasn’t out at the start of the climb, and a nice chill settled on the forest floor. A bridge we crossed still had ice on it, though the trail was free of snow until about half a mile past treeline. The first mile and half was simple trekking through a lodgepole pine forest. Eventually it opened up to views of Tenmile range and finally thinned out at treeline. Seen below are photos from the start of the hike.
We were then greeted with a series of steep switchbacks and loose scree, but our goal was now in sight. We could see Quandary in the distance. It looked quite far away and much higher than us. We focused on moving and breathing. At this point in the hike, we caught up to a youth group that had started about 20 min ahead of us. Interestingly, the group was in shorts and t-shirts. It was a bit frustrating once the trail flattened out to a traverse, because the group now sped up and passed us. They would then stop again a few hundred feet ahead of us, and we’d have to play the passing game again. We tried to keep a positive attitude, and quietly laughed as the leader sang out “the redeemed shall not fall” as the group tried not to stumble on the miles of talus. It was cool to see a group high schoolers out enjoying nature and being active. Seen below are photos as we crossed the traverse and looked up to the summit as well as some photos looking back down after we were a few hundred feet higher. Notice how steep it appears…
As we got closer and closer to the summit, the temperature dropped sharply and the wind picked up. The final push to the summit was still covered in snow. We carried hiking poles with us for stability but nothing could protect us from the 60 mph winds that were whipping across the top of this mountain. When we reached the summit we dove for a wind shelter, but it helped very little. We were so cold that we huddled together for warmth. Getting the summit sign out proved very difficult as the wind kept trying to steal it away. The clouds gave way to sweeping views of multiple ranges in all directions. We tried our best to get a few nice photos and the mandatory summit shot. Seen below are pictures from 14,265 ft above the world.
A group of guys at the summit took their shirts off for a goofy photo. They were screaming. The wind was too much, and another gust reminded us that 14,000 feet in the air is not supposed to be an inviting inhabitable place. We quickly gathered our stuff and began the descent. This may have been the most difficult part of the entire journey. The wind was blowing so hard it was difficult to maintain stability in the snow to traverse across the top and head back down the snow drift. The temperature was so low that our hands became completely numb. Numb as in they felt like large bricks that didn’t want to move. It was not fun, and another reminder to always pack extra gloves and warmer clothes even if it’s a late June summer day. As we dropped back down a few hundred feet, things began to look more positive again. Feeling came back in our fingertips and hands, and we realized we beat the crowd in summiting. There were many people heading up huffing and puffing and cursing the incline. It felt good to head down. It should be noted that going down is not easy. There is a lot of loose scree on this route, and careful footing is essential. As we returned to the traverse we spotted a mountain goat. He came a little too close for comfort for a while, and then proceeded to just run off the side of the mountain, leaping through the snow. It was incredible to watch. We envied his agility in the snow. We got a few cool photos, and then hid in this nook to have some delicious PB&Js, gatorade, and bananas. Many hikers were envious of our little cave. Seen below are the blue lakes, our friend, and our shelter.
After lunch, we headed back down. It was a perfect clear blue day now, and the temperatures at lower elevations were comfortable. More hikers were coming up in shorts and t-shirts ready to summit. We hoped for their sake the summit was tamer now. We took our time descending as we snapped photos, searched for wildlife, and enjoyed each other’s company. We had climbed our third 14er and completed a work-out that is quite a challenge and rewarding. We highly recommend Quandary. It may be one of the “easier” 14ers, but that doesn’t make it easy. It was a tough work-out, and if you are coming from out of town, get acclimated first and be in shape to get the most enjoyable experience.
We headed back into town to get lunch and shop around Main street. We then checked into our hotel at The Village which is located at the base of Peak 9. After soaking in the hot-tubs and relaxing we had dinner. Getting up at 3:45 am made sleep come easy. Coming soon: Day 2 of Breck weekend! Oh and please remember to vote for Thomas’s photo, 2 weeks left.
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This photo was taken in Cabo San Lucas on the Pacific side of the peninsula. Right in front of our hotel was the stage for the 2014 Cabo Clasico Skimboarding Competition. Thomas managed to capture some of the action with his Nikon D3100.
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This photo was taken in the old ghost mining town of Animas Forks, about 10 miles from Silverton, CO. We found the remnants of the old Jailhouse while exploring. Torturing windows allowed prisoners to view the pristine San Juans from their cell.
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This third photo was taken just two weekends ago atop the 13er James Peak. We reached the summit and were immediately surprised by this giant cloud moving straight for us.
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Sandbeach Lake Wild Basin: RMNP
Distance: 9.03 miles (out and back) Elevation Gain: 2,097 (total) 1,984 (net)
Max Elevation: 10,348 ft Min. Elevation: 8,364 ft
This past Saturday we headed to one of our favorite spots in all of Colorado: Wild Basin in Rocky Mountain National Park. While most of the crowds head to Bear Lake or the Glacier Gorge in this park, we headed to the more southern secluded Wild Basin which is located right off of Hwy 7 just past Allenspark, CO. It tends to provide relief from packed, loud trails for the most part minus Ouzel falls which is wildly popular on a pleasant summer day. We traded an early start for extra sleep placing us on the trail at roughly 12:00 pm. The park ranger greeted us kindly and directed us into a parking space right below the Sandbeach Trailhead. Our goal for the day was to follow the 4.5 mile trail to its conclusion at the exquisite Sandbeach Lake. The unique lake rests just below the base of Mt. Orton and reaches a depth of nearly 50 ft, one of the deepest lakes in all of RMNP. Another 3,000 feet up, Mt. Meeker towers above the north shore of the lake. On a clear day, Longs Peak can be seen sneaking up behind it.
The trail gained elevation immediately, taking us through a dense forest of lodgepole and ponderosa pine and large groves of aspens. As we walked the trail the aspen leaves chimed like noiseless bells above our heads. After 1.4 miles of climbing, the trail reached a split for the Meeker Park Trail. Just after this point, the forest canopy eased up a bit and allowed us to view the North St. Vrain Creek as we edged along a rocky steep grade. Though not appreciated by all, we thoroughly enjoyed this portion of the hike. The basin was brilliantly colored. Green covered everything, and the creek ebbed and flowed among it. It was reminiscent of a Louisiana Bayou, at least from afar. Seen below are photos of this portion of the hike.
After another 0.5 miles, the trail flattened for a spell and intermittently took us through sections of sand. At 2.5 miles in, we finally reached a small creek that we heard gurgling for the last 15 min of our hike. A small foot bridge let us easily across, and shortly after we were surprised with a small lake of which we cannot find a name. It might have been the remnants of melted snow or recent heavy rains. The trail once again began to gently climb, and led us to the Hunter’s Creek Crossing. When we approached the lake, we realized the foot bridge had been washed away from the floods last fall. The water was a bit fast and deep to ford, so we searched for another way across. A large tree had fallen upriver making an alternative route, albeit requiring lots of good balance. With one foot in front of the other and arms out by our sides, we carefully crossed and bushwacked back to the trail. Seen below are the small lake and Hunter’s Creek without a bridge.
Once we crossed Hunter’s Creek, we had about one more mile to go with an elevation gain of about 500 ft to reach the beaches of Sandlake. The trail turned steep and we began to see patches of snow. And as we climbed higher, the patches of snow turned into mountains of snow. The trail was not as visible anymore. We hadn’t expected snow on this trail, and were not thrilled to be post-holing again. The last mile felt really long, Finally, we reached the north shore of the lake. Piles of snow dead ended into coarse yellow sand. The sand led to dark blue alpine lake water. It looked surreal. We tried to capture this stark contrast in the photo below.
Sandbeach rightly earns its name with a wide sandy shoreline. We enjoyed walking along the beach and picknicking on a nearby boulder. Mt. Meeker loomed to the north tempting us to climb her. We caught a glimpse of Longs Peak as well. The lake was so relaxing. We wandered along a social trail to gain different views of the lake. Chipmunks scurried around us, eyeing our snacks. Seen below are photos from our time at the lake.
Quite honestly, it was hard to bring ourselves to pack up and head back. We saw a couple of backpackers and a campsite set up by the lake. We were really wishing we had packed our overnight gear. As a reminder that the mountains are still a harsh environment, even in June, cold gusts of wind crept up on us. The sun hid behind the clouds. We figured a backcountry camp out might actually be more comfortable in July. Our return trip, went quite a bit faster. A brief, gentle rain shower fell on us as we neared the trail head. As the sun crept out, a beautiful rainbow appeared over the St. Vrain Creek and Wild Basin.
We finished the hike just after 6 pm. The sun was still out, so we drove in the park a little further to the Ouzel Falls trailhead to get a few photographs of the powerful Calypso Cascades. We hiked in about 0.5 miles to reach the upper and lower cascades. The trail was empty. We had the falls to ourselves.
The temperatures dropped as the sun set and hunger set in. We drove into Lyons, Colorado, and finished our day adventure at the original Oscar Blues Brewery.
James Peak Summit
Distance: 8.41 miles (out and back) Elevation Gain: 2,965 (total) 2,920 (net)
Max Elevation: 13,305 ft Min. Elevation: 10,385 ft
On Saturday, June 7th we repeated a hike/climb to the top of 13er, James Peak. This was our first early season summit attempt, and despite all the remaining snow fields and subsequent route-finding, the hike was quite successful. On Friday evening, weather forecasts were predicating rain/snow showers all day long, and we resigned to the idea of another weekend indoors watching movies for fun and hopping on the treadmill for conditioning. Fast-forward to early Saturday morning, and the weather predication changed completely. The front range went from 80% precipitation to 0% overnight. We threw on our hiking clothes and backpacks and jumped in the car. By 10:00 am we were at the parking lot about 3/4 miles from the base of St. Mary’s Glacier. The temperature was perfect for the start of the hike, and we didn’t see snow until we got much closer to the lake. We moved quickly to reach the base of the snowfield and began the long slog up the side of the glacier. This time we both had hiking poles for stability, which proved vital for this hike as we had to post-hole and wander across ice in many later sections of the trip.
Getting to the top of the glacier is much more difficult than it initially appears. It looks like the top is just a little further, but once you get to that point, it becomes apparent that there is still more and more to climb. We don’t have many photos of the glacier this time, since we’ve visited many times before. Seen below is the trail that develops just beyond it. 75% of this trail was snow free.
The next mile or so of the hike is very flat for the most part. The path is very straight forward until it runs into a 4-wheeler trail. The trail reconnects about 75 yards away from the junction, but there was a lot of snow from this point on. We were unable to see a clear path, but James Peak loomed in the distance as our guide. We walked steadily upward across snowfields for a good 15 min before, we saw a cairn, and the trail peek through a bit. The snow, for the most part, was packed in quite well, with the exception of a few sneaky soft spots. We were fine with sturdy hiking boots and poles. Along the way up, we got a great look at Steuart Lake which can be seen below. It was still partially frozen.
After this point, we began to feel the air thin out as we got closer and closer to 13,000 ft. We noticed that it began to get later in the day, and we had a wedding to attend in the early evening. We halfway considered turning back, but we had a little case of “summit fever” and pressed on. The trail weaved in and out of snowfields and ice. Dry sections pleasantly surprised us on occasion but as we reached the final 300 feet, we were forced into the snow for the final pitch. There was no trail to follow, so we just climbed up the side of the peak. It will be quite interesting to see our route in the summer when it has all melted away.
Shortly after summiting, a large cloud headed straight toward us engulfing us in a blanket of thick white air. We were fortunate to get a few views and photos before it blocked out the surrounding scenery and blasted us with cold mountain air. Seen below are photos of the final section, and our five minutes at the summit.
And then….
We hauled it down the mountain now for two reasons: to be able to see and to make the wedding. In fact, we were able to glissade a few times on the way down which was incredibly fun and shaved off a few min from the descent. Seen below are photos on the way back. And yes, we did lose five minutes to pose LIFE magazine style.
It’s interesting the lengths we will go to spend five minutes on top of the world. 2.5 hours of hard climbing, plus the risk of getting ready for a wedding in a gas station bathroom all for 5 min. of breathtaking splendor. But if you hike and/or climb, you completely understand. Life is too short to miss spending a gorgeous Saturday outside in Colorado. This was a great way to start our hiking season. We chose a nice challenge with an amazing reward. We can’t wait for the next one!
