Yoric wrote:
What kind of traffic can I expect on the cirque at this time of year?
I was there the first week of August which is supposed to be the most crowded time of year and I personally didn't find it to be overly crowded. There were definitely plenty of people and cars at the big sandy trailhead but once we got over Jackass Pass it thinned out a bit. We still came across people on a regular basis but it was certainly less crowded than RMNP or a 14er. If you really want solitude while in the Cirque, camp below Lonesome Lake up in the woods leading north towards Lizard Head. We were only a hundred yds or so off the trail but we didn't see a single person the two nights we stayed there. In retrospect though, I wish we'd camped above the lake in the Cirque itself because the views when we woke up would have definitely been worth it.
As for non-technical climbing routes to do near the Cirque, here's the list from Kelsey's book:
Lizard's Head west ridge (class 4 and a very long time up high on an exposed ridge, we wanted to do it but the weather was way too dicey)
Bollinger Peak northeast ridge (class 3)
Watchtower/South Watchtower/Pylon Peak all from the west slopes all class 2
Warrior I south slopes (class 2)
Warrior II south and east slopes (3)
Warbonnet south ridge (3)
Mitchell Peak south slopes (2) or northeast slopes (3)
Big Sandy Mountain west slopes (2)
In the Deep Lake area:
East Temple Peak southwest slopes (class 2)
Temple Peak southwest slopes (2-3) south ridge (3) east couloir (4)
A Cheval Peak southeast slopes (3)
Schiestler Peak southwest slopes (2) east chute (3)
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