Peak(s):	Mt. Lindsey - 14,042 feet "Northwest Lindsey" - 14,020 feet
Date Posted:	06/17/2011
Modified:	08/24/2011
Date Climbed:	06/12/2011
Author:	SnowAlien
Additional Members:	LynnKH

How to turn a mellow 8 mile Class 2 hike into a 12-hour Class 4 adventure without really trying
How to turn a mellow 8 mile Class 2 hike into a 12-hour Class 4 adventure without really trying Peaks: Mt. Lindsey and Northwest Lindsey Route: Roundabout via Lindsey-Blanca traverse Date: June 12, 2011 Length: About 10-12 miles Vertical: A lot of ups and downs. Probably between 5,000 and 6,000 Time: under 12 hours Who: Lynn (LynnKH) and Natalie (nkan02) LynnKH and I teamed up again this past weekend to attempt a mellow hike up Mt. Lindsey. We were planning to do Class 4 ridge near the top and maybe bag a nearby 13-er for added fun. We got a pretty late 6.20am start, expecting an easy day (and "0" chance of precipitation), and were merrily skipping along a nice flat dirt trail admiring the unfolding views and reviewing our past weekend adventures and possible future weekend plans. Cheerfully we blasted past the Lily Lake TH sign to arrive at the Huerfano river crossing. There was no bridge and the creek was gushing down with all the snowmelt it has recently received. Confused we went back to the Lily Lake TH sign and studied the TR description. For whatever reason we read "do not turn right at the Lily Lake TH" as "do turn right at the TH" - well it was 6.30 am in the morning. Relieved that we did not have to cross the ominous looking river without the help of the bridge we cheerfully dashed along, once again admiring the views and the nice easy flat trail. After a mile or two of this we suddenly found ourselves somehow bumped against the north wall of Blanca. After Lynn suggested we follow the trail to the right, I vaguely recalled that Blanca and Ellingwood Point should be far to the right from where we needed to be at this point. Similarly, I recalled that the ascent of EP from the north side is rated 5.0-5.2 in the Roach book. We unfolded the maps and studied the TR instructions once again. Ellingwood Point (or one of 3 of them - I'll get to this in a minute) loomed immediately in front of us. It became pretty clear that we overshot a standard trail by about a mile or two. Our options were to turn around and look for the proper trail (how lame!) or to climb a beautifully laid out boulder field immediately in front of us. Surprise, surprise, we chose the latter. Half an hour later we found ourselves on top of Class 3 trail entering a higher amphitheater. We knew that we were a bit lost, but the views around us were so stunning, that I did not think we minded it at all. After gaining the highest point on the next plateau (about 11,700 feet at that point) we studied our options once again: 1) we could go along the higher ridge to the left (which did not look appealing due to apparent loose talus and somewhat limited views) 2) climb the ridge head on (vetoed due to visible traces of rockfall and steepness) or 3) continue a gradual ascent to the right through the beautifully framed snow-filled valley with a nice-looking exit ridge at the end. We chose the 3rd option. Again, we were not sure 100% about our location and the three Ellingwood Points continued to look confusing, but the views were not disappointing. The Ellingwood Point must be on the right (or left?) wait, which one is EP? Left or right? After approaching the end of the ridge we again saw the traces of the recent rockfall. wowza Alarmed, I suggested we skirt the ascent gulley sticking to the snow and rocks on the right side. However, Lynn, correctly predicting that this could possibly be the Lindsey-Blanca traverse ridge, suggested entering the ridge as far to the left as possible, just in case we will have to traverse back to the left to get to Lindsey. The ridge in fact was none other but the L-B traverse. As we were gaining the 2nd ridge of today, the views started to unfold. We were also glad to see some faint traces of footprints, likely of people exiting or entering the traverse, so we got mildly encouraged. After topping off on the ridge we could see the full picture. Lynn uttered the seminal words: "It looks like we have finally found the right mountain", correctly pointing out to Mt. Lindsey looming about a mile and a half to the left, and thus sending me into an uncontrollable fit of laughter. Here is the correct mountain At this point we were finally able to differentiate Blanca and Ellingwood Point from an unnamed EP-look-alike. On top of the Lindsey-Blanca traverse How do we get back to Lindsey from half-way the Lindsey-Blanca traverse - that was La Question Du Jour. Again, it appeared that we had a couple of attractive options to consider - 1) to climb up the ridge that looked to me like a Class 5 climb with unclear descent prospects on the other end and a possibility of being cliffed out half-way Going up? or 2) to downclimb a nice-looking Class 4 gulley, traversing a few short snow fields and regain the grassy hill on the other side. or down? We went with the 2nd choice. Slowly downclimbing through the gulley we dropped down to the beginning of the snowfields. I led the climb by making footsteps in the snow. The snow was good - not too firm, not posthole-prone, so steps were not an issue. However, upon reaching the snowfield, Lynn was not happy with the traction in her boots and microspikes, so we chose to climb a bit higher to gain an added support of the rocks. The lower part of the traverse very much reminded me of the Blanca-Ellingwood traverse that I've recently completed, but the gulley itself was a bit steep. This is the gulley we downclimbed into. It turned out a bit steep. Upon reaching the grassy slope, we regained elevation to observe our further options and were greeted by this guy. The options did not look bad either, although the future route would require further elevation loss and gain. We glissaded down the snowfield to meet the connecting ridge to Lindsey. Upon gaining the saddle we finally met with the standard trail (after about 7 hours of searching). And this is where we came from (the left side of the traverse)- Started on the right of the ridge, finished on the left Sufficiently tired by that time, we decided to go with Class 2 standard route for the final push up Mt. Lindsey. Lynn opted for the grippy rocks on the right side of the couloir, while I went with the snow (I am still a bit surprised the couloir was rated Class 2). Since we both were using our hands, it was probably closer to Class 3 at least, and this not factoring in the exposure. topping off on the couloir Upon topping off on the couloir Lynn firmly stated her position - she wanted to gain the ridge. Grudgingly, I followed her, thus regaining the Class 4 section approximately 1/3-1/4 from the top. I forgot to mention that winds picked quite a bit at this point, so let's just say, the climb up North Lindsey was "interesting". Still, there were good options to hide from the gusts behind the rocks on the left side. We got to N. Lindsey, but were hartbroken to see that the Lindsey proper was still maybe 0.2 ahead of us. We finally got to Mt. Lindsey at about 2.30pm and happily found a shelter to hide from strong winds. We were cautiously optimistic that without losing the standard trail on the way back, the return trip should take a bit less than 9 hours. We were right! Upon carefully descending the standard route from Lindsey and narrowly avoiding being thrown on the rocks by wind gusts on the connecting saddle, we safely escaped into the cozy confines of the well-marked Class 1 trail. For two and a half hours were wondering where the initial turn-off was that we so badly missed, until we bumped into the Huerfano river crossing again, the same one as in the morning, only even more powerful at this late, post-5pm time of the day. With our boots sufficiently soaked from all the snow traverses that we've done that day, we did not waste any more time and attempted to walk on water without getting wet. Unfortunately we did not succeed at that, but luckily, the car with dry socks and shoes was a mere mile away. Overall, a great day with an awesome hiking partner, and honestly, I don't regret that much being lost. I think we have found a great new route up on Mt. Lindsey, definitely a more scenic one! Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

How to turn a mellow 8 mile Class 2 hike into a 12-hour Class 4 adventure without really trying Panoramas

How to turn a mellow 8 mile Class 2 hike into a 12-hour Class 4 adventure without really trying

Peaks: Mt. Lindsey and Northwest Lindsey
Route: Roundabout via Lindsey-Blanca traverse
Date: June 12, 2011
Length: About 10-12 miles
Vertical: A lot of ups and downs. Probably between 5,000 and 6,000
Time: under 12 hours
Who: Lynn (LynnKH) and Natalie (nkan02)

LynnKH and I teamed up again this past weekend to attempt a mellow hike up Mt. Lindsey. We were planning to do Class 4 ridge near the top and maybe bag a nearby 13-er for added fun. We got a pretty late 6.20am start, expecting an easy day (and "0" chance of precipitation), and were merrily skipping along a nice flat dirt trail admiring the unfolding views and reviewing our past weekend adventures and possible future weekend plans.

Cheerfully we blasted past the Lily Lake TH sign to arrive at the Huerfano river crossing. There was no bridge and the creek was gushing down with all the snowmelt it has recently received. Confused we went back to the Lily Lake TH sign and studied the TR description. For whatever reason we read "do not turn right at the Lily Lake TH" as "do turn right at the TH" - well it was 6.30 am in the morning. Relieved that we did not have to cross the ominous looking river without the help of the bridge we cheerfully dashed along, once again admiring the views and the nice easy flat trail. After a mile or two of this we suddenly found ourselves somehow bumped against the north wall of Blanca.

After Lynn suggested we follow the trail to the right, I vaguely recalled that Blanca and Ellingwood Point should be far to the right from where we needed to be at this point. Similarly, I recalled that the ascent of EP from the north side is rated 5.0-5.2 in the Roach book. We unfolded the maps and studied the TR instructions once again. Ellingwood Point (or one of 3 of them - I'll get to this in a minute) loomed immediately in front of us. It became pretty clear that we overshot a standard trail by about a mile or two.

Our options were to turn around and look for the proper trail (how lame!) or to climb a beautifully laid out boulder field immediately in front of us.

Surprise, surprise, we chose the latter. Half an hour later we found ourselves on top of Class 3 trail entering a higher amphitheater. We knew that we were a bit lost, but the views around us were so stunning, that I did not think we minded it at all.

After gaining the highest point on the next plateau (about 11,700 feet at that point) we studied our options once again: 1) we could go along the higher ridge to the left (which did not look appealing due to apparent loose talus and somewhat limited views) 2) climb the ridge head on (vetoed due to visible traces of rockfall and steepness) or 3) continue a gradual ascent to the right through the beautifully framed snow-filled valley with a nice-looking exit ridge at the end. We chose the 3rd option.

Again, we were not sure 100% about our location and the three Ellingwood Points continued to look confusing, but the views were not disappointing.

The Ellingwood Point must be on the right (or left?)

After approaching the end of the ridge we again saw the traces of the recent rockfall.

Alarmed, I suggested we skirt the ascent gulley sticking to the snow and rocks on the right side. However, Lynn, correctly predicting that this could possibly be the Lindsey-Blanca traverse ridge, suggested entering the ridge as far to the left as possible, just in case we will have to traverse back to the left to get to Lindsey. The ridge in fact was none other but the L-B traverse. As we were gaining the 2nd ridge of today, the views started to unfold.

We were also glad to see some faint traces of footprints, likely of people exiting or entering the traverse, so we got mildly encouraged. After topping off on the ridge we could see the full picture. Lynn uttered the seminal words: "It looks like we have finally found the right mountain", correctly pointing out to Mt. Lindsey looming about a mile and a half to the left, and thus sending me into an uncontrollable fit of laughter.

At this point we were finally able to differentiate Blanca and Ellingwood Point from an unnamed EP-look-alike.

How do we get back to Lindsey from half-way the Lindsey-Blanca traverse - that was La Question Du Jour. Again, it appeared that we had a couple of attractive options to consider - 1) to climb up the ridge that looked to me like a Class 5 climb with unclear descent prospects on the other end and a possibility of being cliffed out half-way

or 2) to downclimb a nice-looking Class 4 gulley, traversing a few short snow fields and regain the grassy hill on the other side.

We went with the 2nd choice. Slowly downclimbing through the gulley we dropped down to the beginning of the snowfields. I led the climb by making footsteps in the snow. The snow was good - not too firm, not posthole-prone, so steps were not an issue. However, upon reaching the snowfield, Lynn was not happy with the traction in her boots and microspikes, so we chose to climb a bit higher to gain an added support of the rocks. The lower part of the traverse very much reminded me of the Blanca-Ellingwood traverse that I've recently completed, but the gulley itself was a bit steep.

This is the gulley we downclimbed into. It turned out a bit steep.

Upon reaching the grassy slope, we regained elevation to observe our further options and were greeted by this guy.

The options did not look bad either, although the future route would require further elevation loss and gain.

We glissaded down the snowfield to meet the connecting ridge to Lindsey. Upon gaining the saddle we finally met with the standard trail (after about 7 hours of searching).

And this is where we came from (the left side of the traverse)-

Started on the right of the ridge, finished on the left

Sufficiently tired by that time, we decided to go with Class 2 standard route for the final push up Mt. Lindsey.

Lynn opted for the grippy rocks on the right side of the couloir, while I went with the snow (I am still a bit surprised the couloir was rated Class 2). Since we both were using our hands, it was probably closer to Class 3 at least, and this not factoring in the exposure.

Upon topping off on the couloir Lynn firmly stated her position - she wanted to gain the ridge. Grudgingly, I followed her, thus regaining the Class 4 section approximately 1/3-1/4 from the top.

I forgot to mention that winds picked quite a bit at this point, so let's just say, the climb up North Lindsey was "interesting". Still, there were good options to hide from the gusts behind the rocks on the left side. We got to N. Lindsey, but were hartbroken to see that the Lindsey proper was still maybe 0.2 ahead of us. We finally got to Mt. Lindsey at about 2.30pm and happily found a shelter to hide from strong winds.

We were cautiously optimistic that without losing the standard trail on the way back, the return trip should take a bit less than 9 hours. We were right! Upon carefully descending the standard route from Lindsey and narrowly avoiding being thrown on the rocks by wind gusts on the connecting saddle, we safely escaped into the cozy confines of the well-marked Class 1 trail. For two and a half hours were wondering where the initial turn-off was that we so badly missed, until we bumped into the Huerfano river crossing again, the same one as in the morning, only even more powerful at this late, post-5pm time of the day. With our boots sufficiently soaked from all the snow traverses that we've done that day, we did not waste any more time and attempted to walk on water without getting wet. Unfortunately we did not succeed at that, but luckily, the car with dry socks and shoes was a mere mile away. Overall, a great day with an awesome hiking partner, and honestly, I don't regret that much being lost. I think we have found a great new route up on Mt. Lindsey, definitely a more scenic one!

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

big_red_pride	WOW...glad you made it safely 06/17/2011 08:02 What a TR Natalie, glad you and Lynn made it back safe. That is a very long day when you are not expecting it. Thanks for the report, I'm planning on hitting up Lindsey sometime this summer. Congrats on making the summit!
jam6880	Adventure with a capital A 06/17/2011 15:46 This is what summer is all about getting lost and finding yourself in one of the greatest parts of the state(having fun too). Both of you are hiking great this year!!!
CO Native	Nice 06/17/2011 17:33 I'm heading down there tomorrow for Lindsey and Huerfano, I think I'll just go with the standard route instead of your scenic tour. Great perseverance!
bmratc	sweet 06/17/2011 18:07 Glad you two made it to the top, and at least you didn't have to negotiate the creek crossing on the way up We decided to hold off until possibly this weekend to shoot for Lindsey.
Exiled Michigander	Great Report! 06/17/2011 19:01 Fantastic job of describing a situation most of us have found ourselves in: somehow lost/turned around on a 14er trek. Really enjoyed reading this TR, and loved the photos!
catfish hank	Snow 06/17/2011 20:15 missed the turn as well my first time up there and ended up at the base of Blanca. Thankfully the winds were howling hard enough to give up on any further push up the route you guys went How much snow is there left in the coulior? Could there still be a rewarding snow climb to the top?
Johnson	Wowza! 06/17/2011 22:13 Excellent report, pictures, and report title! As someone said, way to persevere. Sounds like both kept a positive outlook and just adapted and took in the scenery while you chugged along!
LynnKH	blue helmet team strikes again! 06/18/2011 14:35 Hey Natalie, I have an idea, let's just point our fingers in the direction of our next mountain and start hiking!! ;) can't wait until our next adventure. And btw, thanks for being such a fabulous hiking partner - I love that you push for the summit while helping me to remember to enjoy each moment.
14ologyst	BRAVO! 06/19/2011 13:34 Don”t stop 'till you reach the top! very nice report. fantastic pictures.
msc118	Sounds all to familiar... 07/25/2011 19:46 My friend and I were laughing reading your trip report and looking at your pictures because we had a similar experience to yours. Congratulations on your perseverance!
SnowAlien	Thank you! 04/02/2015 19:45 Little Bear SW ridge route was a GRIND, but this route was FUN. I liked that the most difficult stuff was early in the day, Lindsey summit was on autopilot, and the descent was nice and easy. I could not have planned this any better myself.

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