Horseshoe Mountain Appreciation Thread
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- ColoradoGuy
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Re: Horseshoe Mountain Appreciation Thread
Wow! Nice photos Benners! :D
- elkheart22
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Re: Horseshoe Mountain Appreciation Thread
One of my favorites!!!
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Lakes below the mountains
Flow into the sea
Like oils applied to canvas,
They permeate through me. --- Jimmy Buffett
Flow into the sea
Like oils applied to canvas,
They permeate through me. --- Jimmy Buffett
Re: Horseshoe Mountain Appreciation Thread
Colorado Guy,
It was great meeting you briefly on Horseshoe. My wife and I also enjoyed the hike tremendously. The flowers on top were awesome, as were the views of the Sawatch. After seeing you on Horseshoe we made our way over to Sheridan and then joined the masses up Sherman. I am always amazed at how I can hike two 13ers and only see one person and then hike a 14er in the same area and see 100+ people. I'll always hold a special place in my heart for the 14ers, but I am beginning to learn that the 13ers are what I really enjoy! Let's keep it quite though. Hopefully well bump into you again some time.
Corey
It was great meeting you briefly on Horseshoe. My wife and I also enjoyed the hike tremendously. The flowers on top were awesome, as were the views of the Sawatch. After seeing you on Horseshoe we made our way over to Sheridan and then joined the masses up Sherman. I am always amazed at how I can hike two 13ers and only see one person and then hike a 14er in the same area and see 100+ people. I'll always hold a special place in my heart for the 14ers, but I am beginning to learn that the 13ers are what I really enjoy! Let's keep it quite though. Hopefully well bump into you again some time.
Corey
- Jim Davies
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Re: Horseshoe Mountain Appreciation Thread
I climbed this last Thursday from Weston Pass. An awesome day! The south end of the summit cabin has collapsed in recent years - if you look inside (when it's melted out) you'll see the top of a square mine shaft.
On the ridge coming from the south, there were stretches (mainly in the saddles) where the rock turned into a sort of orange-brown shale, and was covered with bright orange lichens and crammed with thriving and blooming tundra flowers. My understanding is that the orange lichens require extra nitrogen, so is that rock some kind of enhanced fertilizer-full stuff (hence the bounteous plant growth)?
A great thread about a great mountain, one of my perennial favorites. The alpine forget-me-nots around the summit of Horseshoe are some of the best anywhere, and they're peaking right about now.
On the ridge coming from the south, there were stretches (mainly in the saddles) where the rock turned into a sort of orange-brown shale, and was covered with bright orange lichens and crammed with thriving and blooming tundra flowers. My understanding is that the orange lichens require extra nitrogen, so is that rock some kind of enhanced fertilizer-full stuff (hence the bounteous plant growth)?
A great thread about a great mountain, one of my perennial favorites. The alpine forget-me-nots around the summit of Horseshoe are some of the best anywhere, and they're peaking right about now.
Climbing at altitude is like hitting your head against a brick wall — it's great when you stop. -- Chris Darwin
I'm pretty tired. I think I'll go home now. -- Forrest Gump
I'm pretty tired. I think I'll go home now. -- Forrest Gump
- Mark A Steiner
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Re: Horseshoe Mountain Appreciation Thread
Marvelous flower shot Jim. This thread continues to get better.
Being a geologist and not a botanist, all I can say is the lichens apparently aid their existence with nutrients directly from the rocks themselves. I understand they secrete a weak acid that slowly breaks down hard shales or arkosic sandstones (sand rocks with quartz feldspar) and build a very primitive soil they can anchor to. Over time (who knows, years, decades, centuries - at 13,900 feet the process is very slow) this process may form a thin soil suitable for the forget-me-nots. Just an educated opinion from not much of an expert. Maybe someone else can amplify on this or for other Mosquito Range peaks.
Being a geologist and not a botanist, all I can say is the lichens apparently aid their existence with nutrients directly from the rocks themselves. I understand they secrete a weak acid that slowly breaks down hard shales or arkosic sandstones (sand rocks with quartz feldspar) and build a very primitive soil they can anchor to. Over time (who knows, years, decades, centuries - at 13,900 feet the process is very slow) this process may form a thin soil suitable for the forget-me-nots. Just an educated opinion from not much of an expert. Maybe someone else can amplify on this or for other Mosquito Range peaks.
Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatever state I am, therewith to be content - Paul the Apostle.
Like it or not, I am a slow driver. Putt ... putt ... putt ...
Good day.
Like it or not, I am a slow driver. Putt ... putt ... putt ...
Good day.
- ColoradoGuy
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Re: Horseshoe Mountain Appreciation Thread
Great discussions here. I finally have photos of my Horseshoe Mountain climb up:
http://coloradoguy.com/horseshoe-mountain/colorado.htm
On Horseshoe, facing NE (or NNE?) toward Mt. Sherman and White Ridge:
-Steve
http://coloradoguy.com/horseshoe-mountain/colorado.htm
On Horseshoe, facing NE (or NNE?) toward Mt. Sherman and White Ridge:
-Steve
It's a tough job, but someone has to photograph the mountain. www.MtPrinceton.org
Re: Horseshoe Mountain Appreciation Thread
"A couple more shots of whiskey,
the women 'round here start looking good"
the women 'round here start looking good"
- kaiman
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Re: Horseshoe Mountain Appreciation Thread
Horseshoe is a great mountain. I climbed it last summer from the Gold Basin http://14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.ph ... ki=Include and despite the wind it was one of the best days of climbing I had last summer. When climbing from that side you don't get the view of the circ that you have from the Leavick side, but Gold Basin is probably one of the prettiest places I been in the Ten Mile/Mosquito Range.
"I want to keep the mountains clean of racism, religion and politics. In the mountains this should play no role."
- Joe Stettner
"I haven't climbed Everest, skied to the poles, or sailed single-handed around the world. The goals I set out to accomplish aren't easily measured or quantified by world records or "firsts." The reasons I climb, and the climbs I do, are about more than distance or altitude, they are about breaking barriers within myself."
- Andy Kirkpatrick
- Joe Stettner
"I haven't climbed Everest, skied to the poles, or sailed single-handed around the world. The goals I set out to accomplish aren't easily measured or quantified by world records or "firsts." The reasons I climb, and the climbs I do, are about more than distance or altitude, they are about breaking barriers within myself."
- Andy Kirkpatrick
- Mark A Steiner
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Re: Horseshoe Mountain Appreciation Thread
Hope this thread keeps going. Excellent photography and captions. Thanks to all of you Horseshoe Mountain contributors!
Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatever state I am, therewith to be content - Paul the Apostle.
Like it or not, I am a slow driver. Putt ... putt ... putt ...
Good day.
Like it or not, I am a slow driver. Putt ... putt ... putt ...
Good day.
- elkheart22
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Re: Horseshoe Mountain Appreciation Thread
No thread about Horseshoe would be complete without mentioning
the old mining shack near the summit.....
the old mining shack near the summit.....
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Lakes below the mountains
Flow into the sea
Like oils applied to canvas,
They permeate through me. --- Jimmy Buffett
Flow into the sea
Like oils applied to canvas,
They permeate through me. --- Jimmy Buffett
- Jim Davies
- Posts: 7638
- Joined: 6/8/2006
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Re: Horseshoe Mountain Appreciation Thread
The old building on the summit has a mine shaft inside it.
The cirque is the outstanding and unique feature, of course.
Along the winding road up from Leavick there is an old mine with this curious "diving board" structure.
This mine also has some nicely decrepit ruins and an old gas truck. Two years ago, I ran into a couple of guys who had just bought the mines here while hiking down the road; they told me the tanker is empty (much to their relief).The cirque is the outstanding and unique feature, of course.
Climbing at altitude is like hitting your head against a brick wall — it's great when you stop. -- Chris Darwin
I'm pretty tired. I think I'll go home now. -- Forrest Gump
I'm pretty tired. I think I'll go home now. -- Forrest Gump
Re: Horseshoe Mountain Appreciation Thread
My impessions from Horseshoe Mt.