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Peak(s): |
Mt. Blue Sky - 14,268 feet
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Date Posted: |
09/13/2015 |
Date Climbed: |
09/06/2015 |
Author: |
jmjr2k |
Labor Day Weekend On Mount Evans-West Ridge |
There is a saying that goes something like, "you can't get enough of a good thing" which describes this past summer's visit to the mountains of Colorado. The visit to Durango in early August along with the climb to Mt. Sneffels' summit gave me a great appreciation for the San Juan mountains after visiting the Front Range many times. So, after that great week in southwest Colorado, I knew we'd be back again soon.
Several weeks had passed since coming back to the low-lands of Missouri, and already I was thinking about the next 14'er to visit and check-off on the so-called "bucket list". With Labor Day approaching, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to see another summit. Considering that we really only had 4 days to play with (two days for driving, and two for hiking), Mt. Evans looked like the best mountain to visit for a weekend.
My big concern were the road conditions. I had eMailed CDoT to find out about Highway 5 since I had learned that it was opened later this year because of last winter's storms and damage it sustained. It was great to learn that the road crews had done a fine job of repairing the deteriorated sections, and the entire segment from Highway 103 at Echo Lake to the summit was a pretty smooth run.
Highway 5 to Summit Lake, and on up to Mt. Evans' summit parking lot, is part of the 28 mile scenic byway that begins at I70 from Idaho Springs. It's a beautiful stretch of road that takes you some 7000 feet up in elevation to the top. It's amazing how the road is constructed with such steep drop-offs with no guard rails. So, be careful as you ascend and descend, and pay attention especially with the gusty winds towards the summit. The Labor Day weekend brought quite a bit of traffic as you can imagine, and we found the last spot to park the car at 6:45 a.m. at Summit Lake.
I checked the weather forecast the day before, and saw where the temps were supposed to be in the low 40's early in the morning, and make it to the low 50's by mid-afternoon with no chance of storms. So, the day was right for hiking Mount Evans. When we got out of the car, the wind greeted us with a cold blast. Looking at the temperature gauge, it showed 38 degrees, and the wind had to be blowing at 25-30 mph! That combination of temperature and wind speed put our "feels like" temperature around 25 degrees! I have to say that we looked at each other trying to figure if we wanted to pursue going up this early, but we added a few more layers along with our thermal ear bands and hats and took off.
The ascent to Mt. Spalding in the summer is an easy Class 2 scramble to this 13'er summit. It's a beautiful hike with quite a few places to pause and take some pictures including Summit Lake. Once at the summit, you have a great view of the West Ridge and the summit of Mount Evans. Hiking along the ridge as described in the 14'er route guide for Mt. Evans West Ridge is the way to go. Also, the winds are not as gusty taking this route as well. There are a number of cairns that will lead you along the best route to the final switchbacks where you meet up with the tourists from the summit parking lot.
The summit of Mt. Evans is not real spacious, especially when the mountain is literally crawling with hundreds of Labor Day visitors looking for that last trip before the Byway closes for the winter. We took a few pictures at the top, had lunch, and decided that we would descend the slope on the east side of the mountain that takes you right back to the Summit Parking area via a short section of the road. Once at the parking area, we decided to summit again-this time in the car to take a few pictures at the top with some of Mt. Evans' history.
The summit route to Mt. Evans via Mt. Spalding around the West Ridge is really a panoramic hike that gives you a continuous view of the lakes and valley below while keeping the summit in view for you, and letting you see your accomplishment behind you. I would say that this is one of the perfect first 14'ers!
"Ever since a small boy, I have loved just to look at the mountains, to see them in different lights and from different angles, to feel their rough rock under my fingers and the breath of the winds against my feet... I am in love with the mountains." --Wilfrid Noyce.
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