Jones Mountain Trip Report 10/02/2015

Peak(s):	Jones Mountain - 13,867 feet
Date Posted:	10/02/2015
Modified:	10/05/2015
Date Climbed:	09/28/2015
Author:	Bill Stafford

Jones Mtn A (13860)
The weather across the entire state of Colorado had been (and was forecasted to be) blue-bird warm... 70+ everywhere. On a lark, I decided to take some long overdue vacation time (I was bumping up against the Company's max) and head for the high country. I car-camped on Sunday night at the 11,300' American Basin Trailhead near Cinnamon Pass, some 22 miles of dirt road west of Lake City. I sat in my car, reading a "book" on my iPad and turning on the radio occasionally to catch the latest in the Broncos v Lions game. (It's so weird to be in the middle of nowhere and quietly receive a dose of mayhem happening somewhere, via dashboard lights.) Smiling with the Bronco's victory, I turned off the radio, stepped out of the car, and spied the full moon rising over the peaks. Ahh, I had forgotten this was the evening upon which fell a rare, harvest-moon eclipse. The moon had just started to emerge from the earth's shadow, a small crescent of light holding a dark-red ball. At 7:30am, I started south on a route that is probably more often used for summiting the 14er Handies Peak. The road ends at 11,600', and I continued up the heavily-used trail to 12,400', whereupon I left the trail to hike south-southwest up sometimes steep grass. I climbed a very-steep gully to what I thought was the 13,260' saddle described by Roach, but realized later that the gully I should have climbed was 100 yards to the right. Roach calls it an "easy snow slope"; I had just climbed something much (much) more unpleasant. There is no clear trail to follow, and I spotted no cairns. (Although I spotted a few on the way back down, later.) From the top of my gully, I hiked an ascending traverse to the 13,340-ft "Jones-American" saddle. From here, I hiked south-southwest, following cairns where available, staying below and to the left of the ridge to the summit. Deep blue skies, 50degF+, no wind - a perfect summit-day. Far to the NE, I could discern a few souls on Handies. I could find no summit register to sign. I relaxed awhile, took some pics, and began my descent about 11:30am, arriving back at my 4Runner at about 2:30pm. I then drove back to Lake City for dinner and around 5pm, headed south on Colorado 149 towards Slumgullion Pass. My goal for tomorrow - Stewart Peak. Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Jones Mtn A (13860)

The weather across the entire state of Colorado had been (and was forecasted to be) blue-bird warm... 70+ everywhere. On a lark, I decided to take some long overdue vacation time (I was bumping up against the Company's max) and head for the high country. I car-camped on Sunday night at the 11,300' American Basin Trailhead near Cinnamon Pass, some 22 miles of dirt road west of Lake City. I sat in my car, reading a "book" on my iPad and turning on the radio occasionally to catch the latest in the Broncos v Lions game. (It's so weird to be in the middle of nowhere and quietly receive a dose of mayhem happening somewhere, via dashboard lights.) Smiling with the Bronco's victory, I turned off the radio, stepped out of the car, and spied the full moon rising over the peaks. Ahh, I had forgotten this was the evening upon which fell a rare, harvest-moon eclipse. The moon had just started to emerge from the earth's shadow, a small crescent of light holding a dark-red ball.

At 7:30am, I started south on a route that is probably more often used for summiting the 14er Handies Peak. The road ends at 11,600', and I continued up the heavily-used trail to 12,400', whereupon I left the trail to hike south-southwest up sometimes steep grass. I climbed a very-steep gully to what I thought was the 13,260' saddle described by Roach, but realized later that the gully I should have climbed was 100 yards to the right. Roach calls it an "easy snow slope"; I had just climbed something much (much) more unpleasant. There is no clear trail to follow, and I spotted no cairns. (Although I spotted a few on the way back down, later.) From the top of my gully, I hiked an ascending traverse to the 13,340-ft "Jones-American" saddle. From here, I hiked south-southwest, following cairns where available, staying below and to the left of the ridge to the summit. Deep blue skies, 50degF+, no wind - a perfect summit-day. Far to the NE, I could discern a few souls on Handies. I could find no summit register to sign. I relaxed awhile, took some pics, and began my descent about 11:30am, arriving back at my 4Runner at about 2:30pm. I then drove back to Lake City for dinner and around 5pm, headed south on Colorado 149 towards Slumgullion Pass. My goal for tomorrow - Stewart Peak.

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

JosephG

Pleasant area.
10/7/2015 9:34am

What a pleasant peak and time of year.

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