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I'd heard Antero can be buzzing with ATVs and jeeps during the summer so the plan was to hike up it before the road melted out and hopefully have a little privacy along the way. We left Golden late in the morning on Saturday and did a lazy drive up through Leadville and Buena Vista hitting brew pubs and gear shops along the way. Eventually we made it to the trailhead and were able to drive up to about 9'000 ft. before snowdrifts blocked our path so we parked and threw on our packs.
The road from that point to the creek was easy hiking with the occasional snowdrift to climb over. Thankfully the creek wasn't too high so crossing was easy.
Not far past the creek we strapped on showshoes and then hiked for another 45 minutes or so until we reached a good spot to camp below the treeline.
After a short night we headed out from camp before sunrise. The snow was nice and firm so traveling was easy. Once above treeline the terrain was pretty clear with the exception of the road which was completely drifted in. We decided to plow straight up the mountain staying on the edge of the remaining snowfields. (This shot was taken on the way down but you can see what I'm referring to.)
We made it to the top of pt. 13,800 and got our first blast of the wind we'd encounter the rest of our way to the top. We followed the outline of the road to the beginning of the ridge which was starting to clear off. This picture was taken near the end of the ridge.
We made it across in good time and appreciated the shelter it provided from the wind. This shot is a looking up the final few hundred feet to the summit. You could see recent ski tracks coming down from the summit.
The last little push to the summit.
The wind was absolutely howling at this point. I've got enough bulk I can hold my own against the wind but my wife was having to pull off her greatest acrobat pose to maintain balance towards the summit.
On top.
Our route was straight up the ridge in the lower center of the picture.
A couple more shots from the summit. Looking northwest.
Looking north at Princeton
After a quick 10 minutes on top to eat, drink and soak in the view we headed back down and took the express route.
A look back at our morning's accomplishment. With the exception of one couple we saw at the creek on our way out we had the mountain to ourselves the entire trip.
A quick hike back the vehicle was rewarded with tasty beverages, tortilla chips and homemade salsa. After a final stop at Eric's in Breck we made it home late Sunday afternoon.
Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):
Nice report. Based on your first sentence I see we both think alike. I‘ll be in BV the weekend of the 6th and was thinking about Belford/Oxford and Antero. The last place I‘d want to be in July-August is anywhere near that road. I figure if I don‘t get up there next weekend I‘ll shoot for late fall. Thanks for posting the pics. They are very helpful.
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