Mt. Ouray on Sat, Sept 21

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SnowAlien
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Mt. Ouray on Sat, Sept 21

Post by SnowAlien »

It is last minute, but would anybody interested to carpool and hike Mt. Ouray on Saturday? Sort of last minute change of plans. Methinks this would be a good mellow option with all that recent snow.
Last edited by SnowAlien on Fri Sep 20, 2013 1:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Mt. Ouray on Sat, Sept 20

Post by bergsteigen »

What snow?

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Re: Mt. Ouray on Sat, Sept 20

Post by SnowAlien »

bergsteigen wrote:What snow?
huh? It's gone already? :) Even better
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Re: Mt. Ouray on Sat, Sept 20

Post by jdorje »

Saturday is September 21. Forecast for good weather.

I might be interested. What route? My experience from hiking (not summitting) on that mountain is that although the W ridge from the pass is shorter, you have to drive over 30 minutes further (low-clearance vehicle, road condition dependent) in each direction to get up there. So the Gray's Creek route (eastern shoulder) may be purely better (and still not that long). However the eastern shoulder could go through deeper snow whereas the W ridge is all along ridges or south-facing slopes (not an issue yet). A loop is possible but that's even more driving. There is a cabin at the pass, which is a bonus if you're camping at the trailhead.

I also couldn't find the trailhead for Gray's Creek when I drove through, but i wasn't looking all that hard.
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Re: Mt. Ouray on Sat, Sept 20

Post by highpilgrim »

jdorje wrote:you have to drive over 30 minutes further (low-clearance vehicle, road condition dependent) in each direction to get up there.
If the aspens have started changing, that road is 12 solid miles of aspen forests most of the way from the highway to the summit of the pass.
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Re: Mt. Ouray on Sat, Sept 20

Post by SnowAlien »

highpilgrim wrote:If the aspens have started changing, that road is 12 solid miles of aspen forests most of the way from the highway to the summit of the pass.
That was my primary reason for hiking that mountain. I hear aspens are just starting to change, but still seem to be a week or so away from the peak.

I'd be also up for Cronin.
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Re: Mt. Ouray on Sat, Sept 20

Post by Aug_Dog »

What a wonderful mountain. I hiked it this year from the east, up through the bristlecones and devil's arm chair. Ouray is an island in the sky and the views are spectacular. The basin with the bristlecones is a magical place.
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Re: Mt. Ouray on Sat, Sept 21

Post by jdorje »

I do not think the aspens are changing yet.
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Re: Mt. Ouray on Sat, Sept 21

Post by drewski »

There are very few aspens changing yet. The touch of snow very high up is gone now except in between a few rocks on the shady side.
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Re: Mt. Ouray on Sat, Sept 21

Post by bonehead »

Drewski is correct.
We were on Hunt's today.
Very little fall color, but it is beginning.
We're going to give Ouray area a go in 2 weeks.
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Re: Mt. Ouray on Sat, Sept 21

Post by boudreaux »

If you do, try up the middle, thru the armchair, to the left of the prominent white vein, a route you won't forget!
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