Mt. Massive Trip Report 01/03/2016

Peak(s):	Mt. Massive - 14,427 feet "Massive Green" - 14,311 feet "North Massive" - 14,337 feet
Date Posted:	01/03/2016
Date Climbed:	01/02/2016
Author:	Mickeys Grenade

Massive Amount of Effort
I'm excited for winter 2016. Last winter I didn't attempt any winter 14ers. I had some issues with Achilles Tendonitis. This winter I'm hoping to get after it. With all the recent snow and avy danger, Massive seemed like the logical choice out of the winter 14ers I have left to climb. I tried Massive as an overnight in the winter of 2012. I didn't even get the trail broke to treeline. I tried Massive as an overnight last weekend and I managed to break the trail to tree line, but then I didn't have enough energy for a summit attempt. So.......I decided to try as a 3 day trip over New Years and go for Massive and North Massive from the Leadville Fish Hatchery. This time my luck had changed on Massive. There were two cars at the trailhead at 8 AM on the 1st day of the year! The only problem was it was 22 below zero! Cold Start -22 F I was pleased to see that my trench had been improved from last weekend. Mt. Massive Wilderness Boundary Trench is in Good Condition I reached my high camp after 4.5 hours at 11,800. It even had a nice spot for a kitchen. Winter Camping Kitchen with White Gas Looking Above Camp Kitchen Camp at 11,800 Above Camp There was not much to do after building camp and having dinner. It was just before 5 PM and I decided to take a short walk up the trail. It was just above tree line and I ran in to 3 guys that had just come down from the summit of Massive. They were appreciative of the trench busting I did the weekend before. I was very pleased with all the work they did today to improve trail conditions. We didn't talk long as they were in a hurry to get the death march over with and get back to the trailhead. They said it was -26 F at 5:30 AM that morning. I was excited about summit day, but I still had to survive 12 hours of winter camping. I went to bed at 5 PM and I got up at 5 AM. It was a long and very cold night. I got started up the trail at 6 AM. I decided to blow off boiling water for breakfast in the morning. I didn't want to stand around freezing to death while waiting for water to boil. Sunrise North Massive East Ridge Mt. Massive Summit It took me about 4.5 hours to reach the summit of Mt. Massive, but I knew the real struggle would be doing the double traverse over to North massive. There was a summit just a short distance to the South of Mt. Massive that looked like it could be a little higher, so like a dumb ass I went over there to make sure. It was lower and it was not on the way to North Massive! East Ridge South Massive ? Mt. Massive from the South East Ridge Maroon Bells Point South of Massive (Is Not Higher) South Massive ? Massive Green and North Massive I was doing well on the traverse over to North Massive until I ran in to this nasty little rock band in the ridge just past Massive Green. I first tried to bypass it on the east side and I ran in to very steep unconsolidated snow. This made me think twice. So I turned around and tried the west side of the ridge. I got in to some nasty scrambling so I turned back again. I went back to the east side of the ridge for some more wallowing. This seemed too dangerous with all of the snow so I turned back again. I figured there has to be a way on the west side of the ridge. I really wanted North Massive and I didn't want to come back yet again. I did some better route finding on the west side and I found a way through. This was some difficult class 2 and class 3 terrain. I finally reached the summit of North Massive at 2 PM. I was really dreading the return trip to Mt. Massive. I thought about a short cut. Then I remembered that my short cuts never seem to pay off, so I retraced the route back to Mt. Massive. I was really happy to be on the summit of North Massive, but I knew I had a long ways to go to get back. I had 3 hours of daylight left, so I thought I had better get with it. I managed to get back to Mt. Massive in 2 hours. It was now 4 PM. I used my 5 hour energy for the last push up to the summit of Mt. Massive. 2 more hours and I was back at high camp at 6 PM. It was a very difficult and taxing 12 hour day, but I had a smile on my face since I pulled off both summits. I usually prefer one mountain at a time, but sometimes they are best done in pairs. That was 47 and 48 on my list of 59 winter 14ers, but I still feel like I'm not even close to finishing since I have not done any in the Elk Range. Mt. Massive from North Massive False Summit just before North Massive Mt. Massive from North Massive North Massive Summit Mt. Massive from North Massive Final section of Ridge to North Massive I didn't feel like packing up and leaving in the dark. So I had dinner and settled in for another wonderful night of winter camping. The 12 hours went by fast! It was much warmer then the previous night. I have spent a total of 4 nights on Mt. Massive, but now it has all paid off big time. What an awesome trip. I saw Natalie and Amy heading in when I was on my way out. I was smelling the barn and hiked out in 2.5 hours. Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Massive Amount of Effort

I'm excited for winter 2016. Last winter I didn't attempt any winter 14ers. I had some issues with Achilles Tendonitis.
This winter I'm hoping to get after it. With all the recent snow and avy danger, Massive seemed like the logical choice out of the winter 14ers I have left to climb. I tried Massive as an overnight in the winter of 2012. I didn't even get the trail broke to treeline. I tried Massive as an overnight last weekend and I managed to break the trail to tree line, but then I didn't have enough energy for a summit attempt.

So.......I decided to try as a 3 day trip over New Years and go for Massive and North Massive from the Leadville Fish Hatchery. This time my luck had changed on Massive. There were two cars at the trailhead at 8 AM on the 1st day of the year! The only problem was it was 22 below zero!

I was pleased to see that my trench had been improved from last weekend.

I reached my high camp after 4.5 hours at 11,800. It even had a nice spot for a kitchen.

There was not much to do after building camp and having dinner. It was just before 5 PM and I decided to take a short walk up the trail. It was just above tree line and I ran in to 3 guys that had just come down from the summit of Massive. They were appreciative of the trench busting I did the weekend before. I was very pleased with all the work they did today to improve trail conditions. We didn't talk long as they were in a hurry to get the death march over with and get back to the trailhead. They said it was -26 F at 5:30 AM that morning. I was excited about summit day, but I still had to survive 12 hours of winter camping. I went to bed at 5 PM and I got up at 5 AM. It was a long and very cold night. I got started up the trail at 6 AM. I decided to blow off boiling water for breakfast in the morning. I didn't want to stand around freezing to death while waiting for water to boil.

It took me about 4.5 hours to reach the summit of Mt. Massive, but I knew the real struggle would be doing the double traverse over to North massive. There was a summit just a short distance to the South of Mt. Massive that looked like it could be a little higher, so like a dumb ass I went over there to make sure. It was lower and it was not on the way to North Massive!

I was doing well on the traverse over to North Massive until I ran in to this nasty little rock band in the ridge just past Massive Green. I first tried to bypass it on the east side and I ran in to very steep unconsolidated snow. This made me think twice. So I turned around and tried the west side of the ridge. I got in to some nasty scrambling so I turned back again. I went back to the east side of the ridge for some more wallowing. This seemed too dangerous with all of the snow so I turned back again. I figured there has to be a way on the west side of the ridge. I really wanted North Massive and I didn't want to come back yet again. I did some better route finding on the west side and I found a way through. This was some difficult class 2 and class 3 terrain. I finally reached the summit of North Massive at 2 PM. I was really dreading the return trip to Mt. Massive. I thought about a short cut. Then I remembered that my short cuts never seem to pay off, so I retraced the route back to Mt. Massive. I was really happy to be on the summit of North Massive, but I knew I had a long ways to go to get back. I had 3 hours of daylight left, so I thought I had better get with it. I managed to get back to Mt. Massive in 2 hours. It was now 4 PM. I used my 5 hour energy for the last push up to the summit of Mt. Massive. 2 more hours and I was back at high camp at 6 PM. It was a very difficult and taxing 12 hour day, but I had a smile on my face since I pulled off both summits. I usually prefer one mountain at a time, but sometimes they are best done in pairs. That was 47 and 48 on my list of 59 winter 14ers, but I still feel like I'm not even close to finishing since I have not done any in the Elk Range.

I didn't feel like packing up and leaving in the dark. So I had dinner and settled in for another wonderful night of winter camping. The 12 hours went by fast! It was much warmer then the previous night. I have spent a total of 4 nights on Mt. Massive, but now it has all paid off big time. What an awesome trip. I saw Natalie and Amy heading in when I was on my way out. I was smelling the barn and hiked out in 2.5 hours.

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

astrobassman	Nice Trench Work 1/3/2016 7:40pm Way to put it in for #47 & #48
SnowAlien	Thanks for the trench 1/3/2016 9:17pm It was so good while it lasted. Had to bust my way to North Massive ridge though. Ridge is way easier than the one on Massive, but lots of up and down to get there. Congrats again on finishing the Sawatch!
dillonsarnelli	nice job! 1/4/2016 7:46am I was the guy you talked to on our way down man. Solid effort going back for what you started and camping in those temps! I’m just glad I still have 10 fingers and toes. Thanks again for the prior weeks trench effort and glad we could help you out too. Looks like a fine weekend in there. Cheers to 2016!
michaelgrundy	Good work! 1/4/2016 10:42am Having attempted that route two winter’s ago, I can really appreciate the amount of work you put it! Good job and keep up the good work!
Yikes	congrats!! 1/4/2016 3:55pm ... on +2 to the list. The traverse and back is a bear...and you added S Massive as well.
Mickeys Grenade	Thanks 1/4/2016 7:12pm Don’t give me too much credit. I just went to a false summit slightly to the south of Mt. Massive. I didn’t go all the way over to South Massive. I think it is 0.62 miles away. I can’t imagine adding that to the traverse.
blindmule	Stellar effort 1/5/2016 9:09am Nice work on getting both summits. While you were doing the Massive Mania thing, I struggled up Mt. Morrison. Whew!! Tough!! Any idea what your total vertical gain was?
blazintoes	Poaching Queen 1/6/2016 8:22pm I’m pretty sure I owe you and Dillon and crew a lot of beer. Natalie and I split up about a mile after we met you. She tackled N Massive via ski and I was able to summit both via your trench. There’s no way I would’ve been successful without the magic Rocky Mountain trail Sherpa’s. Seems a lot of folks are getting after it this season. Hopefully I can repay the favor this winter.
kushrocks	DUDE! 1/10/2016 7:42pm Well done man!! So pumped to see you get closer to finishing the winter list.

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