4.5 miles
1,700 vertical
Allison, Sierra and I got out for a fine winter afternoon stroll up Sanitas. After a nice run on Green yesterday, I was eager to up the tempo a bit, on the up at least and blow out some cobwebs. Started off fairly quick, but definitely saving a bit for the last half. Speed hiked the first steep section, ran quick tempo on the "flats" and was able to maintain a running motion most of the time, except for the steepest steps where I just power hiked through. I kept the intensity fairly high, but certainly not all out, maybe 90% at the most for a few minutes, maybe I just did not have that extra gear to go any harder anyways even if I tried. Reached the summit in 18:16. The final few minutes I was getting after it to go under 18, as it would have sounded nicer, but oh well, I was pretty happy with my time all things considered.
I walked back down to meet Allison and Sierra, as she had taken her time at the car while I went ahead. She was cruising and it was all I could do to stick with her on the finale and she topped out in 23:??. I think if she really worked at it (and was not keeping tabs on the dog), she could knock a few minutes off of this even.
We then went over to the true summit and lounged in the sun for quite some time as it was quite warm and peacful. Headed down the East ridge easily. My IT was OK, but I knew running would not be the best idea.
Sierra
Sierra
Friday, March 13, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Thursday, 3/12/09 Green Mountain
~8 miles
~2,600 vertical
55:20 up
1:50 RT
After a flatish 4 miles on Tuesday and a trip up/down Green with Allison yesterday with no pain whatsoever in my suspect IT band, I decided to take my first real run in a few weeks up Green via Bear Canyon. Since this route is one of the more gradual trails up a peak that I know of in Boulder, I figured it would be a good way to ease back into things.
I invited Tim at the last minute and as usual, he was game. It was nice to be out, but I was a bit tentative, not quite sure how my knee would hold up while hoping for the best and fearing the worst. Our "warmup" pace had me huffing it a bit. My knee was fine, but I was feeling the last month+ of erratic workouts.... easy hikes, half assed runs, days off, bike rides etc.....
Even though I thought I have maintained some fitness, I still felt sluggish as my legs, lungs and brain were all trying to get back into sync. Once in Bear Canyon, I started to get into a groove, feeling a bit better, but still not particularly good. I was careful to keep my effort at moderate and not do too much too soon, although once or twice I found myself at the high end of moderate, a few heartbeats from flirting with what I consider to be going hard and quickly backed off.
As the terrain steepened, I walked the bigger steps and just geared down for the remainder. Arrived on top in 55:20 from the car and took about a minute to take in the views and bundle up a bit. Tim was not far behind and I started gingerly picking my way down, knowing that he would quickly overtake me.
On the steeper/more technical sections of the descent, I could feel my knee talking to me a bit, nothing too bad, but I did not want to push my luck, so I alternated walking and jogging my way back out. Made it back to the TH in 1:50 total, getting down just a shade faster than I went up, so I was happy with that. All in all a great day, although I was hoping to run down a bit faster without favoring my left knee. Oh well, I am making progress.
~2,600 vertical
55:20 up
1:50 RT
After a flatish 4 miles on Tuesday and a trip up/down Green with Allison yesterday with no pain whatsoever in my suspect IT band, I decided to take my first real run in a few weeks up Green via Bear Canyon. Since this route is one of the more gradual trails up a peak that I know of in Boulder, I figured it would be a good way to ease back into things.
I invited Tim at the last minute and as usual, he was game. It was nice to be out, but I was a bit tentative, not quite sure how my knee would hold up while hoping for the best and fearing the worst. Our "warmup" pace had me huffing it a bit. My knee was fine, but I was feeling the last month+ of erratic workouts.... easy hikes, half assed runs, days off, bike rides etc.....
Even though I thought I have maintained some fitness, I still felt sluggish as my legs, lungs and brain were all trying to get back into sync. Once in Bear Canyon, I started to get into a groove, feeling a bit better, but still not particularly good. I was careful to keep my effort at moderate and not do too much too soon, although once or twice I found myself at the high end of moderate, a few heartbeats from flirting with what I consider to be going hard and quickly backed off.
As the terrain steepened, I walked the bigger steps and just geared down for the remainder. Arrived on top in 55:20 from the car and took about a minute to take in the views and bundle up a bit. Tim was not far behind and I started gingerly picking my way down, knowing that he would quickly overtake me.
On the steeper/more technical sections of the descent, I could feel my knee talking to me a bit, nothing too bad, but I did not want to push my luck, so I alternated walking and jogging my way back out. Made it back to the TH in 1:50 total, getting down just a shade faster than I went up, so I was happy with that. All in all a great day, although I was hoping to run down a bit faster without favoring my left knee. Oh well, I am making progress.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Sunday, 03/01/09 Pikes Peak
Pikes Peak
Sunday, 3/01/09
Northwest Slopes from Crags Campground
11.4 Miles RT
4,100 vertical
Jeff, Allison and Sierra Valliere, Steve Hoffmeyer, Ken Nolan, Carol Gerber, Joe Winters (and Emily Hale, Shep and Kiefer for a short part of the hike)
Flashback to August 16th, 2008. Pikes Peak Ascent, sub freezing temperatures, high winds, snow, hail, graupel, freezing rain, sleet, thunder, lightning…. In August???
Since then, I have often times remarked how that day got me prepared for the winter climbing season. Ironically, most of the winter climbs this year have been NOTHING compared to that day (although I am better dressed and often times choose my climbing days based on the weather).
Our climb of Pikes Peak on Sunday proved to be a stark contrast to that fateful (and disappointing) day last August. We had near perfect conditions with warm temperatures, minimal wind and dry ground to walk on, in fact I have had much less pleasant climbs in any of the summer months.
Allison and I have been hoping all winter to sneak in a winter ascent of Pikes and when Steve put out an invite to the Winter Warriors, we could not refuse. We started from the Crags campground at 7:32am and were able to easily walk the well packed trail to tree line without snowshoes.
The time went by fast as we all conversed about many topics (mostly mountain related of course).We took a long break at tree line, where Emily had to unfortunately turn around due to other obligations.
The six of us and Sierra continued on toward Devils Playground on mostly bare ground or packed snow. The route beyond Devils Playground only had several short patches of snow, none of which were the least bit of a hindrance. Often times, tourists driving up on the road would stop and take our picture, as if they had seen a Yeti, or Elvis. I got quite a kick out of this and occasionally waved a salute.
We made the summit at 11:27am and heading into the summit building to use the bathroom and eat. It would have been nice to eat inside, but we did not want to leave Sierra tied up, so we used one of the tables near the entrance that was nice and sheltered and relatively comfortable compared to most winter summits (although the views were less than stellar).
I had brought money, hoping to buy some French fries, but cheaped out at the last minute and stuck with just my hot soup.After a 30 or so minute break, we started down at noon. The descent was uneventful, other than my irritated IT band flaring up on the steeper sections. I think the entire hike took us just over 7 hours total at a relaxed pace with lots of stops.
The crux of the day ended up being the drive out on the iced up road from the TH to the Mennonite camp, as a car had slid off the road a bit and was blocking passage. We all go out of our cars to assist, which unfortunately resulted in Joe slipping hard enough to require a trip to the emergency room and Stevo also taking two good diggers. Conveniently, I had removed the studded snow tires from my car just 24 hours prior and instead was using my soon to be replaced worn summer tires. With the culprit car eventually out of the way, smooth, slow and careful driving saw us all through without incident.
Pictures:
http://s147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/jeffvalliere/2009_03_01_Pikes/
Sunday, 3/01/09
Northwest Slopes from Crags Campground
11.4 Miles RT
4,100 vertical
Jeff, Allison and Sierra Valliere, Steve Hoffmeyer, Ken Nolan, Carol Gerber, Joe Winters (and Emily Hale, Shep and Kiefer for a short part of the hike)
Flashback to August 16th, 2008. Pikes Peak Ascent, sub freezing temperatures, high winds, snow, hail, graupel, freezing rain, sleet, thunder, lightning…. In August???
Since then, I have often times remarked how that day got me prepared for the winter climbing season. Ironically, most of the winter climbs this year have been NOTHING compared to that day (although I am better dressed and often times choose my climbing days based on the weather).
Our climb of Pikes Peak on Sunday proved to be a stark contrast to that fateful (and disappointing) day last August. We had near perfect conditions with warm temperatures, minimal wind and dry ground to walk on, in fact I have had much less pleasant climbs in any of the summer months.
Allison and I have been hoping all winter to sneak in a winter ascent of Pikes and when Steve put out an invite to the Winter Warriors, we could not refuse. We started from the Crags campground at 7:32am and were able to easily walk the well packed trail to tree line without snowshoes.
The time went by fast as we all conversed about many topics (mostly mountain related of course).We took a long break at tree line, where Emily had to unfortunately turn around due to other obligations.
The six of us and Sierra continued on toward Devils Playground on mostly bare ground or packed snow. The route beyond Devils Playground only had several short patches of snow, none of which were the least bit of a hindrance. Often times, tourists driving up on the road would stop and take our picture, as if they had seen a Yeti, or Elvis. I got quite a kick out of this and occasionally waved a salute.
We made the summit at 11:27am and heading into the summit building to use the bathroom and eat. It would have been nice to eat inside, but we did not want to leave Sierra tied up, so we used one of the tables near the entrance that was nice and sheltered and relatively comfortable compared to most winter summits (although the views were less than stellar).
I had brought money, hoping to buy some French fries, but cheaped out at the last minute and stuck with just my hot soup.After a 30 or so minute break, we started down at noon. The descent was uneventful, other than my irritated IT band flaring up on the steeper sections. I think the entire hike took us just over 7 hours total at a relaxed pace with lots of stops.
The crux of the day ended up being the drive out on the iced up road from the TH to the Mennonite camp, as a car had slid off the road a bit and was blocking passage. We all go out of our cars to assist, which unfortunately resulted in Joe slipping hard enough to require a trip to the emergency room and Stevo also taking two good diggers. Conveniently, I had removed the studded snow tires from my car just 24 hours prior and instead was using my soon to be replaced worn summer tires. With the culprit car eventually out of the way, smooth, slow and careful driving saw us all through without incident.
Pictures:
http://s147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/jeffvalliere/2009_03_01_Pikes/
Friday, February 27, 2009
Friday, 02/27/09 Dowdy/Flatiron Vista/Marshall Loop
~5 miles
Got an invite from Gerry and Jennifer Roach to walk a 42 mile loop around Boulder and although I could not join for the whole loop, I enthusiastically agreed to join them for part of it, as I was eager to hear about their recent trip to Africa and we always have loads of things to talk about. Two hours with them seems like 5 minutes. We coordinated by cell phone and I met them a little after 9am at the S. Mesa TH, they were already 4 hours into their hike.
They also had the company of their good friend from Telluride, Ricky Denesik. I knew the name, but was a bit rusty on the specifics. I came to learn that Ricky has won Hardrock, gone sub 2:30 on Pikes and held the 14er record for a while in the 90's. Most recently, he was 3rd at the 2008 Hardrock at age 49, pretty amazing athlete! We were slow to aquaint, as both of us are a bit quiet at first, but soon we were talking it up about the zillion things we had in common.
We had an interesting start as we negotiated the construction at the Dowdy Draw TH. There was an obvious sign that read "Trailhead Closed". OK, fine, the trailhead is closed, but there was no sign that indicated that the trail was closed. We waltzed on through confidently until one of the workers started giving us grief. We informed him of their lack of appropriate signage without breaking stride. He was not impressed with our rationale, but oh well. We questioned why the heck they are wasting time/money fixing up what was already a very well maintained trail. Let me guess, they will next make it off limits to dogs???
Once past this, it was smooth sailing, except for the wind and snow that was pelting us on the Flatirons Vista North Trail. I was a bit underdressed, as I was expecting a nice warmup, but nothing really to complain about.
Once we made it to the Marshall Mesa TH, Gerry decided to call it a day, as his foot has been bugging him. I got on my junker bike that I had locked to a post earlier and got the car, where I then gave Gerry a ride to his truck.
I was planning on bailing here, but was having second thoughts, as conversation with Ricky was really starting to warm up, talking about 14ers, 14er records and the Matt C/Rick T fued. Bummer, hopefully he will join us for our April RRR trip.
My knee felt good today (have been dealing with IT band issues most of this month). I was thinking I was out of the woods last week, but a Skyline Traverse got it flared up again and set me back to a point of being worse than it ever was before, so I am trying to take things very easy for a bit, just easy hiking and some biking when it is warm enough and not windy.
I did a bit of googling about the 14er record and came across Andrew Hamilton's site:
http://www.andrewhamilton.com/14ers/story.html
I have seen this before, but never really read it all. I have read a bit more and am enthralled by the story. I have mused about this in the past, just a pipe dream really, but reading this detailed account has fully squashed any fantasies I have ever had about it. I'll stick to going for the individual peak FKT's. I enjoy going home to a nice meal, hot shower and comfortable bed, i'm just a big wimp really.
Got an invite from Gerry and Jennifer Roach to walk a 42 mile loop around Boulder and although I could not join for the whole loop, I enthusiastically agreed to join them for part of it, as I was eager to hear about their recent trip to Africa and we always have loads of things to talk about. Two hours with them seems like 5 minutes. We coordinated by cell phone and I met them a little after 9am at the S. Mesa TH, they were already 4 hours into their hike.
They also had the company of their good friend from Telluride, Ricky Denesik. I knew the name, but was a bit rusty on the specifics. I came to learn that Ricky has won Hardrock, gone sub 2:30 on Pikes and held the 14er record for a while in the 90's. Most recently, he was 3rd at the 2008 Hardrock at age 49, pretty amazing athlete! We were slow to aquaint, as both of us are a bit quiet at first, but soon we were talking it up about the zillion things we had in common.
We had an interesting start as we negotiated the construction at the Dowdy Draw TH. There was an obvious sign that read "Trailhead Closed". OK, fine, the trailhead is closed, but there was no sign that indicated that the trail was closed. We waltzed on through confidently until one of the workers started giving us grief. We informed him of their lack of appropriate signage without breaking stride. He was not impressed with our rationale, but oh well. We questioned why the heck they are wasting time/money fixing up what was already a very well maintained trail. Let me guess, they will next make it off limits to dogs???
Once past this, it was smooth sailing, except for the wind and snow that was pelting us on the Flatirons Vista North Trail. I was a bit underdressed, as I was expecting a nice warmup, but nothing really to complain about.
Once we made it to the Marshall Mesa TH, Gerry decided to call it a day, as his foot has been bugging him. I got on my junker bike that I had locked to a post earlier and got the car, where I then gave Gerry a ride to his truck.
I was planning on bailing here, but was having second thoughts, as conversation with Ricky was really starting to warm up, talking about 14ers, 14er records and the Matt C/Rick T fued. Bummer, hopefully he will join us for our April RRR trip.
My knee felt good today (have been dealing with IT band issues most of this month). I was thinking I was out of the woods last week, but a Skyline Traverse got it flared up again and set me back to a point of being worse than it ever was before, so I am trying to take things very easy for a bit, just easy hiking and some biking when it is warm enough and not windy.
I did a bit of googling about the 14er record and came across Andrew Hamilton's site:
http://www.andrewhamilton.com/14ers/story.html
I have seen this before, but never really read it all. I have read a bit more and am enthralled by the story. I have mused about this in the past, just a pipe dream really, but reading this detailed account has fully squashed any fantasies I have ever had about it. I'll stick to going for the individual peak FKT's. I enjoy going home to a nice meal, hot shower and comfortable bed, i'm just a big wimp really.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Tuesday, 02/10/09 Green Mountain
8 miles
2,600 vert.
Got out for a sweet run this afternoon up Green Mountain. Started from the Bear Creek TH, up to Mesa, then Bear Canyon and eventually to summit of Green. It was sunny, warmish and I was very thankful and conscious of the fact that there was no wind. I went on the easy side of moderate, trying to let my week old IT band knee injury heal, which seemed to work well, along with picking a gradual trail, as I did not feel it at all. There were several stretches of glare ice in the canyon, but they could easily be negotiated with some careful rock hopping and tip toeing.
I was just lost in my own little world, cruising the trail, listening to Competitors podcasts on my MP3 player, completely enjoying the day. I seemed to time my run just right, it is now getting cold and looks like it could snow any minute. Took it very easy on the descent, walking the icy sections as to not risk a fall.
57 up/49 down
2,600 vert.
Got out for a sweet run this afternoon up Green Mountain. Started from the Bear Creek TH, up to Mesa, then Bear Canyon and eventually to summit of Green. It was sunny, warmish and I was very thankful and conscious of the fact that there was no wind. I went on the easy side of moderate, trying to let my week old IT band knee injury heal, which seemed to work well, along with picking a gradual trail, as I did not feel it at all. There were several stretches of glare ice in the canyon, but they could easily be negotiated with some careful rock hopping and tip toeing.
I was just lost in my own little world, cruising the trail, listening to Competitors podcasts on my MP3 player, completely enjoying the day. I seemed to time my run just right, it is now getting cold and looks like it could snow any minute. Took it very easy on the descent, walking the icy sections as to not risk a fall.
57 up/49 down
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Tuesday, 02/03/09 Boulder Skyline Traverse
16 miles
6,250 vertical
Tim and I had a great run today, starting at the S. Mesa TH, over S. Boulder Peak, Bear, Green, Flag and then Sanitas. We generally went pretty easy, but bumped it up to moderate at times. There was a good bit of ice in places that required some caution as Tim had no foot traction and my studs are completely worn out. Tim did an amazing job keeping it upright on the ice, we were going fast in a few spots and he cruised it like a champ. Sanitas was of course a sting in the tail. I went fairly hard, hoping to beat my personal best from 2005, thinking it was 3:3?, I made the summit in 20:15 which ended up being a total of 3:28, but after doing a bit of research, my previous best was 3:27 in May of 2005 (although I waited for the dog a lot on that day). Oh well, better luck next time.... ;)
Great day out, it was fun to run with Tim and it was nice and warm, maybe 60's down low in the sun?
Rough Splits:
SBP 1:02?
Bear 1:20?
Bear Canyon Jct 1:44
Green 2:02
Start Sanitas 3:07:55
Sanitas Summit: 3:28:10
6,250 vertical
Tim and I had a great run today, starting at the S. Mesa TH, over S. Boulder Peak, Bear, Green, Flag and then Sanitas. We generally went pretty easy, but bumped it up to moderate at times. There was a good bit of ice in places that required some caution as Tim had no foot traction and my studs are completely worn out. Tim did an amazing job keeping it upright on the ice, we were going fast in a few spots and he cruised it like a champ. Sanitas was of course a sting in the tail. I went fairly hard, hoping to beat my personal best from 2005, thinking it was 3:3?, I made the summit in 20:15 which ended up being a total of 3:28, but after doing a bit of research, my previous best was 3:27 in May of 2005 (although I waited for the dog a lot on that day). Oh well, better luck next time.... ;)
Great day out, it was fun to run with Tim and it was nice and warm, maybe 60's down low in the sun?
Rough Splits:
SBP 1:02?
Bear 1:20?
Bear Canyon Jct 1:44
Green 2:02
Start Sanitas 3:07:55
Sanitas Summit: 3:28:10
Monday, February 2, 2009
January Wrap Up
After a busier than average December, I decided to take January somewhat easy and not focus on pounding up/down the same old peaks day in/day out. I never pushed too hard at all this month and all the easy activity has me itching to start "training" again soon and begin my build up to some speed and fitness this year.
I got in some surprisingly good bike rides during a week long stretch of 60-70+ degree weather, went skiing at Winter Park and got in some great winter peaks. I have even got in a few flat runs in the past few days. I'm not at all fast, but am already sensing progress and feel that it will be a benefit in the long run to "learn to run" so to speak.
January Stats:
I got in some surprisingly good bike rides during a week long stretch of 60-70+ degree weather, went skiing at Winter Park and got in some great winter peaks. I have even got in a few flat runs in the past few days. I'm not at all fast, but am already sensing progress and feel that it will be a benefit in the long run to "learn to run" so to speak.
January Stats:
- 126.9 Miles (on foot)
- 47,730 Vertical Feet climbed (on foot)
- 134 Miles Biked including 3,800 vertical up Mt. Evans
- 9 Fourteeners (Democrat, Cameron, Lincoln, Bross, Quandary, Elbert, Evans, Torreys and Grays).
- 1 13er (Parnassus).
- 1 12er (Woods).
- 2 Trips up Sanitas, 1 trip up Green, 6 trips up Bear, 3 trips up S. Boulder.
- 1 day skiing at Winter Park.
Saturday, 01/31/09 Torreys and Grays
Torreys and Grays
01/31/09
15 miles
5,060 vertical
Jeff and Allison Valliere, Dave Hale, Steve Hoffmeyer, John Broadbooks, Robert LeClair, Brandon Fuller, Mike Via, Sierra and Shep
Start: 7:30am
Finish: 4:30pm
The Winter Warriors group pulled off another successful day in the mountains on Saturday. There were varied agendas, but to the best of my knowledge, everyone was able to accomplish what they had set out to do.We started up the road at 7:30am and conditions were great as the trail was reasonably well packed, skies were clear and the temperature was reasonable with minimal wind (aside from the saddle to the top of Torreys).
There were several parties ahead of us, including John Prater, Bill Wright and Eric Coppock and several parties behind, a surprisingly busy winter day on these peaks.We took it very easy today, conversing easily and taking many breaks along the way. It was Robert and Brandon’s first outing with us and it was also Brandon’s first winter 14er. It was great to have them along and I look forward to more outings with these guys as they make great company and are strong hikers. If you get a chance, check out Brandon’s account of the trip on his blog, he has a nice write up, some pictures and a cool video.
We all put on snowshoes somewhere near the summer TH for the short stretch to where the snow runs out just prior to the Kelso turnoff. Allison took a chance and left her snowshoes in the car and was just fine without them and if I were to go back soon, I too would probably leave them.
Most who had snowshoes stashed them in the usual area. I put on my Kahtoola running crampons and a few others put on Kahtoola Microspikes. The trail can be quite tricky to walk on the upper sections of the mountain without traction as it is very hard snow/ice and usually off camber. Nothing too dangerous, just very inefficient and frustrating without traction.
Near the Grays/Torreys trail jct., we bumped into John and Bill who were heading down at a near run (they did the round trip in just under 6 hours). We stopped to talk with them for a while and John was nice enough to loan his Microspikes to Allison which helped her tremendously. She was extremely thankful.
Dave and I split off for Torreys, Mike and Steve were higher on Grays on their way toward Torreys (avoiding the snowfield) and the remainder of the group decided to climb Grays only. Dave and I made it to Torreys at 12:20pm and Steve showed up soon after, where we took a long break enjoying the views and each other’s company.
I eventually set off for Grays, hoping to catch Allison and Sierra while Dave headed down and Steve followed me toward Grays. I made it to Grays at 1:20pm and just kept going over the top and down the ridge in pursuit of the group, going fast enough to gain ground, but still relatively easy as to not get hurt in the variable snow and talus.Soon, we were a group again, except for Steve and Mike who were still higher on the peaks.
We decided to drop a bit of elevation and seek warmer temps where we could take some longer breaks and hope that they would catch up. Unfortunately, they were a bit further back than we estimated and we never did reconnect. The trip out was uneventful yet enjoyable and we were all satisfied with another great outing amongst good friends. We were done by 4:30pm and got to endure a bit of ski traffic, but fortunately it was not as bad as I had feared.
Pictures:
http://s147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/jeffvalliere/2009_01_31_Torreys_Grays/
01/31/09
15 miles
5,060 vertical
Jeff and Allison Valliere, Dave Hale, Steve Hoffmeyer, John Broadbooks, Robert LeClair, Brandon Fuller, Mike Via, Sierra and Shep
Start: 7:30am
Finish: 4:30pm
The Winter Warriors group pulled off another successful day in the mountains on Saturday. There were varied agendas, but to the best of my knowledge, everyone was able to accomplish what they had set out to do.We started up the road at 7:30am and conditions were great as the trail was reasonably well packed, skies were clear and the temperature was reasonable with minimal wind (aside from the saddle to the top of Torreys).
There were several parties ahead of us, including John Prater, Bill Wright and Eric Coppock and several parties behind, a surprisingly busy winter day on these peaks.We took it very easy today, conversing easily and taking many breaks along the way. It was Robert and Brandon’s first outing with us and it was also Brandon’s first winter 14er. It was great to have them along and I look forward to more outings with these guys as they make great company and are strong hikers. If you get a chance, check out Brandon’s account of the trip on his blog, he has a nice write up, some pictures and a cool video.
We all put on snowshoes somewhere near the summer TH for the short stretch to where the snow runs out just prior to the Kelso turnoff. Allison took a chance and left her snowshoes in the car and was just fine without them and if I were to go back soon, I too would probably leave them.
Most who had snowshoes stashed them in the usual area. I put on my Kahtoola running crampons and a few others put on Kahtoola Microspikes. The trail can be quite tricky to walk on the upper sections of the mountain without traction as it is very hard snow/ice and usually off camber. Nothing too dangerous, just very inefficient and frustrating without traction.
Near the Grays/Torreys trail jct., we bumped into John and Bill who were heading down at a near run (they did the round trip in just under 6 hours). We stopped to talk with them for a while and John was nice enough to loan his Microspikes to Allison which helped her tremendously. She was extremely thankful.
Dave and I split off for Torreys, Mike and Steve were higher on Grays on their way toward Torreys (avoiding the snowfield) and the remainder of the group decided to climb Grays only. Dave and I made it to Torreys at 12:20pm and Steve showed up soon after, where we took a long break enjoying the views and each other’s company.
I eventually set off for Grays, hoping to catch Allison and Sierra while Dave headed down and Steve followed me toward Grays. I made it to Grays at 1:20pm and just kept going over the top and down the ridge in pursuit of the group, going fast enough to gain ground, but still relatively easy as to not get hurt in the variable snow and talus.Soon, we were a group again, except for Steve and Mike who were still higher on the peaks.
We decided to drop a bit of elevation and seek warmer temps where we could take some longer breaks and hope that they would catch up. Unfortunately, they were a bit further back than we estimated and we never did reconnect. The trip out was uneventful yet enjoyable and we were all satisfied with another great outing amongst good friends. We were done by 4:30pm and got to endure a bit of ski traffic, but fortunately it was not as bad as I had feared.
Pictures:
http://s147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/jeffvalliere/2009_01_31_Torreys_Grays/
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Wednesday, 01/21/08 Mt. Evans Bike n' Hike (more bike than hike)
Mt. Evans
01/21/09
29 miles
~3,800 vertical
~3:08up
4:13 RT
I have had my eye on a Winter ascent of Evans for a few years now, but neither the prospect of walking from Echo Lake, nor trudging up to Guanella Pass from the new winter road closure seemed particularly appealing.With all this fine weather as of late, I began to think this week might be as good of a time as any.
As my mind wandered, I started to wonder how much of the road might be melted out and if it would be possible to use a bike to gain any advantage (yeah yeah, “cheating” I know, but I assure you, the ascent was NOT easier). The previous night I had decided not to go, but when I woke up at 7am, I was fired up on the idea again and quickly packed, readied my bike and was out the door a few minutes before 8am, armed with somewhat recent beta from Forrest. Why not have a look at least?
Once at the gate, it was surprisingly warm and calm, but there was a good bit of wind on the drive to the Echo Lake winter closure, so I dressed a bit heavier than I should have thinking I would soon be up in the cold and wind.I began riding at 9:17. There was a short bit of snow before the first switchback and a good stretch of snow before the bristlecone forest, but some was ridable (barely) and some required pushing the bike along. Fortunately, this was surprisingly short lived as it was kind of difficult.
I plugged my way along above treeline, somewhat burdened by my heavy pack and now was beginning to notice that pesky wind, but was still plenty warm (for January).As the road looped around Goliath, there was more and more snow on the road, but I was able to ride this entire section, balancing on a strip of pavement only as wide as my tire at times and crawling over occasional patches of snow and ice, all the while doing my best to ignore the drop to the immediate right that would certainly hurt a bit if I fell.
Once past Goliath, the road cleared out a bit better and I was able to ride the entire way to Summit Lake except for about 100 feet of walking where the snow had drifted all the way across the road. On the final stretch to Summit Lake, the wind became much stronger and was a direct head wind. Even though it is somewhat flat to down hill, it was agonizingly slow. I arrived at the lake in a disappointingly slow 1:34, a full 15 minutes slower than when I run the road.
I did not mind though, as I knew the whole bike thing was going to pay off big time on my return trip.As I passed the lake, the brutal headwind now became a welcome tailwind as the road steepens. I planned on parking my bike at or near the lake (if could make it that far), lock it to a post and proceed the remainder of the way on foot. I stopped and huddled behind a rock to eat, take in the views and contemplate my options. It would certainly be faster and easier to hike from here to the summit and would only take about 30 minutes, but I became increasingly intrigued by pulling off a complete bike ascent/descent in January. This idea got the best of me and I continued to plug along up the hill slowly, wobbling on two wheels.
As I rounded the corner to descend to the Epaulet saddle, the wind picked up in earnest, forcing me to pull over and put on my Gore-Tex shell, balaclava and warmest mittens. It was a bit of a trick to pull this off and not have anything launch toward Kansas.Once again, I doggedly fought the wind, back and forth on the seemingly endless switchbacks. No matter how many times I have been up here, there are always a few more switchbacks than I remember.
With each few hundred feet of gain, the wind seemed to increase 10 mph or so. On one stretch of road facing into the wind, I even got off my bike and pushed for a while, as it was just easier and safer.Eventually, I rounded the last switchback and the wind immediately deposited me at the far end of the lot.
As I was climbing off my trusty steed, the wind picked at my bike and was forcing it away from my grip. I snagged it by the bar end just at the last moment and wrenched it back with all my might, giving it all I had not to be tossed through the air like a rag doll. I staggered around the lot, trying to find a wind break with very limited success. Finally, I found a spot that was tolerable where I pulled out my bike lock to secure my bike and pack to a pole as to not be snatched away by the wind while I tagged the true summit.
I crouched and scampered my way across the lot, crawled carefully up and over the rocks to the true summit, where I spent little time admiring the views. So much for some leisurely snacking and picture taking in the non-existent, but much anticipated wind shadow.Back to the bike, I debated the sanity of riding back down in the wind, especially without a helmet (stupid). I did my best to keep the bike upright, pedaling as hard as I could downhill into the wind, only going 11mph, but then would round the bend and would be dragging the brakes to not surpass 40.
This seemed to go on for a while, but was cake compared to the ride up. Once near the Epaulet saddle and the little up before the descent to summit lake, the wind was at my back and before I knew it, I was going 58mph, in total silence, dragging my brakes ever so slightly. I could not believe the speed. Even after several years of racing road bikes at the pro level, I don’t think I had gone quite that fast. Crazy stuff!
The remainder of the descent varied from struggling into a headwind, walking or carefully negotiating the snowy/icy sections, finessing a cross wind or dragging the brakes going 55mph, admittedly a huge thrill, although not all that confidence inspiring without a helmet, not being clipped into the pedals and using big clumsy mittens to brake, grip and shift.I arrived back at the car at 1:30pm and had a quick drive back home. A very fun and unusual day indeed.
Lessons learned (if I were to do this over again):
Bring a helmet of any sorts…. I NEVER ride without one, except for today, but I really did not expect to ride my bike 29 miles, much less reach speeds of nearly 60mph.
Don’t wear bib cycling shorts under full winter gear, they are a real hassle if you need to drop trou for a big job.
Do wear clipless pedals and cycling shoes with a change of shoes in the pack if necessary. I put on platform pedals and rode as a hiker on a bike instead of a cyclist. Terribly inefficient.
Pictures:
http://s147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/jeffvalliere/2009_01_21_Evans/
01/21/09
29 miles
~3,800 vertical
~3:08up
4:13 RT
I have had my eye on a Winter ascent of Evans for a few years now, but neither the prospect of walking from Echo Lake, nor trudging up to Guanella Pass from the new winter road closure seemed particularly appealing.With all this fine weather as of late, I began to think this week might be as good of a time as any.
As my mind wandered, I started to wonder how much of the road might be melted out and if it would be possible to use a bike to gain any advantage (yeah yeah, “cheating” I know, but I assure you, the ascent was NOT easier). The previous night I had decided not to go, but when I woke up at 7am, I was fired up on the idea again and quickly packed, readied my bike and was out the door a few minutes before 8am, armed with somewhat recent beta from Forrest. Why not have a look at least?
Once at the gate, it was surprisingly warm and calm, but there was a good bit of wind on the drive to the Echo Lake winter closure, so I dressed a bit heavier than I should have thinking I would soon be up in the cold and wind.I began riding at 9:17. There was a short bit of snow before the first switchback and a good stretch of snow before the bristlecone forest, but some was ridable (barely) and some required pushing the bike along. Fortunately, this was surprisingly short lived as it was kind of difficult.
I plugged my way along above treeline, somewhat burdened by my heavy pack and now was beginning to notice that pesky wind, but was still plenty warm (for January).As the road looped around Goliath, there was more and more snow on the road, but I was able to ride this entire section, balancing on a strip of pavement only as wide as my tire at times and crawling over occasional patches of snow and ice, all the while doing my best to ignore the drop to the immediate right that would certainly hurt a bit if I fell.
Once past Goliath, the road cleared out a bit better and I was able to ride the entire way to Summit Lake except for about 100 feet of walking where the snow had drifted all the way across the road. On the final stretch to Summit Lake, the wind became much stronger and was a direct head wind. Even though it is somewhat flat to down hill, it was agonizingly slow. I arrived at the lake in a disappointingly slow 1:34, a full 15 minutes slower than when I run the road.
I did not mind though, as I knew the whole bike thing was going to pay off big time on my return trip.As I passed the lake, the brutal headwind now became a welcome tailwind as the road steepens. I planned on parking my bike at or near the lake (if could make it that far), lock it to a post and proceed the remainder of the way on foot. I stopped and huddled behind a rock to eat, take in the views and contemplate my options. It would certainly be faster and easier to hike from here to the summit and would only take about 30 minutes, but I became increasingly intrigued by pulling off a complete bike ascent/descent in January. This idea got the best of me and I continued to plug along up the hill slowly, wobbling on two wheels.
As I rounded the corner to descend to the Epaulet saddle, the wind picked up in earnest, forcing me to pull over and put on my Gore-Tex shell, balaclava and warmest mittens. It was a bit of a trick to pull this off and not have anything launch toward Kansas.Once again, I doggedly fought the wind, back and forth on the seemingly endless switchbacks. No matter how many times I have been up here, there are always a few more switchbacks than I remember.
With each few hundred feet of gain, the wind seemed to increase 10 mph or so. On one stretch of road facing into the wind, I even got off my bike and pushed for a while, as it was just easier and safer.Eventually, I rounded the last switchback and the wind immediately deposited me at the far end of the lot.
As I was climbing off my trusty steed, the wind picked at my bike and was forcing it away from my grip. I snagged it by the bar end just at the last moment and wrenched it back with all my might, giving it all I had not to be tossed through the air like a rag doll. I staggered around the lot, trying to find a wind break with very limited success. Finally, I found a spot that was tolerable where I pulled out my bike lock to secure my bike and pack to a pole as to not be snatched away by the wind while I tagged the true summit.
I crouched and scampered my way across the lot, crawled carefully up and over the rocks to the true summit, where I spent little time admiring the views. So much for some leisurely snacking and picture taking in the non-existent, but much anticipated wind shadow.Back to the bike, I debated the sanity of riding back down in the wind, especially without a helmet (stupid). I did my best to keep the bike upright, pedaling as hard as I could downhill into the wind, only going 11mph, but then would round the bend and would be dragging the brakes to not surpass 40.
This seemed to go on for a while, but was cake compared to the ride up. Once near the Epaulet saddle and the little up before the descent to summit lake, the wind was at my back and before I knew it, I was going 58mph, in total silence, dragging my brakes ever so slightly. I could not believe the speed. Even after several years of racing road bikes at the pro level, I don’t think I had gone quite that fast. Crazy stuff!
The remainder of the descent varied from struggling into a headwind, walking or carefully negotiating the snowy/icy sections, finessing a cross wind or dragging the brakes going 55mph, admittedly a huge thrill, although not all that confidence inspiring without a helmet, not being clipped into the pedals and using big clumsy mittens to brake, grip and shift.I arrived back at the car at 1:30pm and had a quick drive back home. A very fun and unusual day indeed.
Lessons learned (if I were to do this over again):
Bring a helmet of any sorts…. I NEVER ride without one, except for today, but I really did not expect to ride my bike 29 miles, much less reach speeds of nearly 60mph.
Don’t wear bib cycling shorts under full winter gear, they are a real hassle if you need to drop trou for a big job.
Do wear clipless pedals and cycling shoes with a change of shoes in the pack if necessary. I put on platform pedals and rode as a hiker on a bike instead of a cyclist. Terribly inefficient.
Pictures:
http://s147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/jeffvalliere/2009_01_21_Evans/
Monday, January 19, 2009
Sunday, 01/18/09 Mt. Elbert
Mt. Elbert
1/18/09
11.2 miles
4,850 vertical
Start: S. Mt. Elbert TH
Jeff and Allison Valliere, Dave Hale, Dave Gibson, Matt Kubrick, Steve Hoffmeyer, Carol Gerber, Ed Gerber, Steve Knapp, Chris Orwat, Mike Via, Ricky Carr, Shep and Sierra
8:16 RT (Start 7:20am, Finish 3:36pm)
On what has become an annual tradition, we had yet another great expedition up Mt. Elbert on an absolutely PERFECT January day. We had pretty much the same crew as last year, minus Kevin Lund unfortunately, yet we had a few new additions to the group.The forecast throughout the week kept reading mid 30’s and low wind. Could it really hold? Much to my surprise, the forecast did hold true, as a strong high pressure system held steady over Colorado.We left the house at 4:20am, picked up Steve H in Idaho Springs and made it to the TH in plenty of time for our ~7:15am proposed start. The lot was about full (mostly our group) and there were two parties on the trail ahead of us. We followed the well packed trail easily without snowshoes and made good time along the gradual road to the summer trailhead. Once the trail steepened, Allison and I put on our snowshoes for traction, but they were really not necessary. Before long, we were walking along a long flat stretch that was obviously off track. We all knew that whomever forged this track, missed the correct route on to the ridge. Despite this, it was easier to follow the packed trail than to break a new trail, despite the circuitous nature of the diversion. At the very least, it was scenic and was a perfect day!We all generally spread out and formed small groups of 2 or 3 and would occasionally regroup. Eventually, we chugged up a very steep hillside through an aspen forest and gained the normal route just below treeline. Someone even liked this alt. route so much, they marked it with orange flagging, however all of us who are familiar with the original route would prefer the latter. We all stashed snowshoes in one of the final patches of trees, hoping no one would “find” them and take them home thinking they did a good deed. We noted the contrast to last year, where we put on everything we had at this spot, but this year it was quite a bit warmer with very little wind, amazingly pleasant for January. Settling into each our own pace, we steadily made our way upward on patchy snow and bare ground. I felt great and made surprisingly easy progress up the final 1,800 ft. or so, feeling much better than I did last year (it helped tremendously to not have a bitter and howling headwind).Sierra shepherded me all the way to the summit, where we arrived at 11:15am and I let out a loud yell of joy. We enjoyed the solitude for 10 minutes or so, communicating with one another in a way that some may not understand, enjoying this perfect day on top of the state, certainly a special moment I will never forget.Soon, Chris arrived, followed by Steve Knapp and we exchanged handshakes and high fives. I knew Allison was a bit behind, so I dropped about 500 feet until I met up with her and offered to carry her pack, but she declined as she was too proud. Instead I paced her to the summit, where most of the group trickled in one by one. Soon, there were 10 from our group and 6 from the other two groups on the summit where it seemed like a typical summer day on Elbert. The mood was quite festive where we enjoyed a long and leisurely break, eating, conversing and snapping many pictures.Reluctantly, we started down the hill at 12:42 and passed Mike and Ed who were getting very close. The trip down was uneventful and we were all on a euphoric high from such a great day, it was like walking on air.It was great to get out again with old friends and meet new friends and was especially great to see Dave and Shep back in the mountains after a long hiatus.
http://s147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/jeffvalliere/2009_01_18_Elbert/
1/18/09
11.2 miles
4,850 vertical
Start: S. Mt. Elbert TH
Jeff and Allison Valliere, Dave Hale, Dave Gibson, Matt Kubrick, Steve Hoffmeyer, Carol Gerber, Ed Gerber, Steve Knapp, Chris Orwat, Mike Via, Ricky Carr, Shep and Sierra
8:16 RT (Start 7:20am, Finish 3:36pm)
On what has become an annual tradition, we had yet another great expedition up Mt. Elbert on an absolutely PERFECT January day. We had pretty much the same crew as last year, minus Kevin Lund unfortunately, yet we had a few new additions to the group.The forecast throughout the week kept reading mid 30’s and low wind. Could it really hold? Much to my surprise, the forecast did hold true, as a strong high pressure system held steady over Colorado.We left the house at 4:20am, picked up Steve H in Idaho Springs and made it to the TH in plenty of time for our ~7:15am proposed start. The lot was about full (mostly our group) and there were two parties on the trail ahead of us. We followed the well packed trail easily without snowshoes and made good time along the gradual road to the summer trailhead. Once the trail steepened, Allison and I put on our snowshoes for traction, but they were really not necessary. Before long, we were walking along a long flat stretch that was obviously off track. We all knew that whomever forged this track, missed the correct route on to the ridge. Despite this, it was easier to follow the packed trail than to break a new trail, despite the circuitous nature of the diversion. At the very least, it was scenic and was a perfect day!We all generally spread out and formed small groups of 2 or 3 and would occasionally regroup. Eventually, we chugged up a very steep hillside through an aspen forest and gained the normal route just below treeline. Someone even liked this alt. route so much, they marked it with orange flagging, however all of us who are familiar with the original route would prefer the latter. We all stashed snowshoes in one of the final patches of trees, hoping no one would “find” them and take them home thinking they did a good deed. We noted the contrast to last year, where we put on everything we had at this spot, but this year it was quite a bit warmer with very little wind, amazingly pleasant for January. Settling into each our own pace, we steadily made our way upward on patchy snow and bare ground. I felt great and made surprisingly easy progress up the final 1,800 ft. or so, feeling much better than I did last year (it helped tremendously to not have a bitter and howling headwind).Sierra shepherded me all the way to the summit, where we arrived at 11:15am and I let out a loud yell of joy. We enjoyed the solitude for 10 minutes or so, communicating with one another in a way that some may not understand, enjoying this perfect day on top of the state, certainly a special moment I will never forget.Soon, Chris arrived, followed by Steve Knapp and we exchanged handshakes and high fives. I knew Allison was a bit behind, so I dropped about 500 feet until I met up with her and offered to carry her pack, but she declined as she was too proud. Instead I paced her to the summit, where most of the group trickled in one by one. Soon, there were 10 from our group and 6 from the other two groups on the summit where it seemed like a typical summer day on Elbert. The mood was quite festive where we enjoyed a long and leisurely break, eating, conversing and snapping many pictures.Reluctantly, we started down the hill at 12:42 and passed Mike and Ed who were getting very close. The trip down was uneventful and we were all on a euphoric high from such a great day, it was like walking on air.It was great to get out again with old friends and meet new friends and was especially great to see Dave and Shep back in the mountains after a long hiatus.
http://s147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/jeffvalliere/2009_01_18_Elbert/
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Anybody want to join us for Mt. Elbert on Sunday, 01/18/09??
"Men wanted for Hazardous Journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success."
We are planning on starting from the S. Mt. Elbert TH around 7:15am and taking the East Ridge route. Stats are 11 miles RT, 5,000 vertical and will take the group roughly 8 hours.
Oh, this will be significantly more pleasant than Pikes last August ;).
We are planning on starting from the S. Mt. Elbert TH around 7:15am and taking the East Ridge route. Stats are 11 miles RT, 5,000 vertical and will take the group roughly 8 hours.
Oh, this will be significantly more pleasant than Pikes last August ;).
Monday, January 12, 2009
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Saturday, 01/10/09 Quandary Peak
Quandary Peak
01/10/09
5.4 miles
3,370 vertical
Jeff and Allison Valliere, John Prater, Kevin Lund, Steve Hoffmeyer, John Broadbooks, Paul Stratmoen, Mike Via, Carol Gerber and Sierra.
5:36 RT
We enjoyed a great Fourteenerworld “Winter Warriors” outing today up Quandary Peak. It was a bit cold at the start (I think Paul said something about -7 or so) and it took me a while to warm up my toes and feet. We made good time through the trees and split into a few small groups that varied moment to moment. It was nice to go casual and enjoy a bit of conversation and picture taking, as conversation would soon become very limited.
As we gained elevation, the winds increased with each foot. Sierra was doing pretty well, but as cold and windy as it was, I was starting to get a bit worried about her paws. She did not seem as concerned, but to be on the safe side, I stopped periodically and warmed her feet.As we were getting close to the summit, I decided to hurry ahead, then get back down quickly with Sierra to get her out of the worst of the elements. As I increased my effort up the final ~1,000 feet, I got pretty warm despite the serious wind/cold and the heat I generated fogged/froze the inside of my goggles. I had no choice but to put them on my head, leaving my face exposed for the final few hundred feet. Fighting the headwind and ground blizzard, this final stretch seemed to take a long time.
I was hoping that there would be the usual wind shadow once we topped out, where I could deal with my goggles and relax a bit, but it was just the opposite, as the wind went from fiercely strong to nearly intolerable. The final ~200 lateral feet to the true summit was probably the worst I have endured, as I had now ditched my completely useless goggles and now had no face or eye protection for a short while. I alternately staggered and hunkered my way across to the true summit, the wind snatching each breath as I struggled to inhale.Once on the summit, I huddled over my pack and quickly swapped my goggles (bringing an extra pair saved me) and tried to dig out my camera for a photo, but my jacket zipper was frozen.
I looked around for Sierra (I could swear she was with me), but did not see her. I was so consumed with my own discomfort, I was not paying attention to her. I was seriously nervous that she may have blown off the top and was frantically searching around the immediate summit area. I did not see her, so I started back, where John confirmed that she was heading down to shepherd Allison to the summit.
Once I dropped off the summit about a 100 vertical, I sat in the relative wind shadow where I put Sierra on my lap to cover her up with my body to warm her which I think worked well. Once Allison tagged the summit and re-joined us, we quickly headed down to get out of the wind and wait for the remainder of the group. It was pretty close to treeline before we found a respite from the wind, as conditions actually worsened on the descent. We passed several groups heading up into the maelstrom and I was very relieved to be heading down.
Due to dog sitting duties, Allison and I, along with Kevin and John had to boogey and were sorry not to finish the day as a group. Despite the tough conditions up high, it was a successful and enjoyable day with all 9 people and Sierra making the summit.
Pictures:
http://s147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/jeffvalliere/2009_01_10_Quandary/
01/10/09
5.4 miles
3,370 vertical
Jeff and Allison Valliere, John Prater, Kevin Lund, Steve Hoffmeyer, John Broadbooks, Paul Stratmoen, Mike Via, Carol Gerber and Sierra.
5:36 RT
We enjoyed a great Fourteenerworld “Winter Warriors” outing today up Quandary Peak. It was a bit cold at the start (I think Paul said something about -7 or so) and it took me a while to warm up my toes and feet. We made good time through the trees and split into a few small groups that varied moment to moment. It was nice to go casual and enjoy a bit of conversation and picture taking, as conversation would soon become very limited.
As we gained elevation, the winds increased with each foot. Sierra was doing pretty well, but as cold and windy as it was, I was starting to get a bit worried about her paws. She did not seem as concerned, but to be on the safe side, I stopped periodically and warmed her feet.As we were getting close to the summit, I decided to hurry ahead, then get back down quickly with Sierra to get her out of the worst of the elements. As I increased my effort up the final ~1,000 feet, I got pretty warm despite the serious wind/cold and the heat I generated fogged/froze the inside of my goggles. I had no choice but to put them on my head, leaving my face exposed for the final few hundred feet. Fighting the headwind and ground blizzard, this final stretch seemed to take a long time.
I was hoping that there would be the usual wind shadow once we topped out, where I could deal with my goggles and relax a bit, but it was just the opposite, as the wind went from fiercely strong to nearly intolerable. The final ~200 lateral feet to the true summit was probably the worst I have endured, as I had now ditched my completely useless goggles and now had no face or eye protection for a short while. I alternately staggered and hunkered my way across to the true summit, the wind snatching each breath as I struggled to inhale.Once on the summit, I huddled over my pack and quickly swapped my goggles (bringing an extra pair saved me) and tried to dig out my camera for a photo, but my jacket zipper was frozen.
I looked around for Sierra (I could swear she was with me), but did not see her. I was so consumed with my own discomfort, I was not paying attention to her. I was seriously nervous that she may have blown off the top and was frantically searching around the immediate summit area. I did not see her, so I started back, where John confirmed that she was heading down to shepherd Allison to the summit.
Once I dropped off the summit about a 100 vertical, I sat in the relative wind shadow where I put Sierra on my lap to cover her up with my body to warm her which I think worked well. Once Allison tagged the summit and re-joined us, we quickly headed down to get out of the wind and wait for the remainder of the group. It was pretty close to treeline before we found a respite from the wind, as conditions actually worsened on the descent. We passed several groups heading up into the maelstrom and I was very relieved to be heading down.
Due to dog sitting duties, Allison and I, along with Kevin and John had to boogey and were sorry not to finish the day as a group. Despite the tough conditions up high, it was a successful and enjoyable day with all 9 people and Sierra making the summit.
Pictures:
http://s147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/jeffvalliere/2009_01_10_Quandary/
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