15 Jun 05

Matthew and Brian took a backpacking trip in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.

First night,.  Upper Wind Creek campsite.  Beautiful place by a mountain stream.  We had a thunderstorm just as we finished putting up the test. 

Second night.  Andrews Creek campsite.  There is still snow in mid-June at 10,000 ft.  But there are no bears, so one doesn’t have to hang food to keep it away from bear.  But we found out, in the middle of the night, that there are fox, who are so hungry and unafraid that they would rip a tent to get at food.  We had to get up twice to chase it away.  (and Brian had to patch the tent after the trip)

Hiking up to Andrew’s Tarn.  Matthew used an ice axe for real for the first time.  Snow was pretty steep for a newbie, and very soft.

Andrew’s Tarn with Andrew’s Glacier behind.  Track on Andrew’s Glacier looked like someone had hiked up and skied down.  I’d like to do that!

Looking down valley from Andrew’s Tarn.  There were pretty little yellow flowers in the tundra that don’t show up in this picture.

Matthew’s glissade technique.  His nylon windbreaker was more slippery than his nylon pants.

Lake Vale, too beautiful.

On the approach to Boulderfield below Longs Peak.  Our climb the next day went through Keyhole, visible over Matthew’s left shoulder.  There was lots of melt water runoff, so much that the trail was flooded and we were forced most of the time to walk next to it.

17 June 05, Boulderfield campsite.   This was the only good site out of about 8.  The others were full of half melted slush.  The snow was about 1 to 2 feet deep, and packing the snow left a bathtub of slush with water on top.  This was the only site that the snow packed down dry.

That night the wind blew very hard.  The gusts would nearly flatten the tent, but it would spring back up.  I am surprised the aluminum poles did not snap.  I wonder if that is why the Kelty Vortex has pole sleeves instead of clips.

Matthew standing in Keyhole.  Very dramatic ………… and windy.

Brian on the other side of Keyhole.  A beautiful vista looking west at a chain of 13,000 foot mountains, but there is still a ways to go.   A traverse of the western side of the mountain, a climb up “The Trough”, another traverse on the south side of the mountain (the Narrows) and a scramble up “The Home Stretch.”  All toghether 1.5 miles and 1000 feet yet to climb. 

Matthew climbing up the “Trough.”   It was very icy because it was still early in the morning and on the western, shady side, of the mountain.  Crampons and ice axe were crucial.  The big foot prints in the picture are from the day before.  Climbers we met coming down the day before, said that it was like walking up a sand dune.  And where exposed was very dangerous.

Yes, that is the route!  I think this is the section called the Narrows.  Traversing from the top of the Trough to the bottom of the Home Stretch.

Matthew on The Home Stretch.  This steep snowfield has a lot of exposure – it ends at the top of a cliff.

Matthew cresting the summit plateau.  The plateau is as big as a football field.

A small pile of rocks form the highest point of the summit plateau.  The USGS summit marker is just to Matt’s left.   Elevation 14,255 feet.  This is almost as high as the highest mountain the continental US, Mt. Whitney, 14,495.  And as high as that very popular mountain, Mt Rainier14,411.  Below Matt’s left foot is the summit log book.  If you are ever up there look for our names.