Uncompahgre Peak Trip Report 09/19/2011

Report Type	Full
Peak(s)	Uncompahgre Peak - 14,318 feet
Date Posted	09/19/2011
Date Climbed	09/14/2011
Author	Old Goat

Unkind Uncompahgre
We began this year's mountain hikes with two vehicles: a van that served as our bedroom and a borowed Nissan Xterra (from my daughter in college in Denver) for 4WD duties. The tires on the Xterra are more street tires than trail tires, but since the vehicle has the 4WD Low (granny gear) and great ground clearance, I thought we could still get to the top of the 4WD trail heads. Approaching Sneffels the day before, we kept slipping at the slanted shale spot. We ended up parking just a little above that for our hike up Sneffels - all OK, but light rain. After getting down from Sneffels, we drove both vehicles to Lake City and parked for the night at the bottom of the road to the Nellie Creek trailhead. The next morning, we started driving up to the hiking trailhead. We made it not quite 1/2 way, but the creek crossing had water running pretty high and the quick, steep climb on the opposite bank of the creek looked to be too much for the tires. We hiked from there to the sign in, then we continued on toward the summit. Drizzle and small snowflakes were getting for more frequent but not enough to turn us back. My climbing partner was not up for the last section to the summit, so he waited down near the wooden stakes and signs. I slogged on through more wind, snow and drizzle. When I arrived at the steep Class 3 (at least that day it was), all of the rocks for handholds were wet and the trail between them was muddy. Though it looked like lots of climbers had gone the same way I did, it was not the recommended, most-popular trail. I yelled down to the now 6 people and a dog trying to decide to follow me or go the other way, to take the left trail. It was the one that joined the main trail at the top. I took off for the summit through much heavier snowfall and stronger wind. All of a sudden the trail disappeared. I took a zigzag pattern stroll looking for rock cairns. Every once-in-a-while I could find one and a dent in the snow that must be the trail. Not having read carefully which rock tower was the actual highest point, the heavy snow had me confused. I ended up climbing the the top of each - and WOW, what a drop off just past the summit. On my hike back to steep, muddy part, I kept expecting to see the other climbers. I later found out the they had turned back at that point. I started thinking, Gee if I had a rope I might have been able to help them up. DUMMY, you did have a rope. Now I started feeling bad. The rope we planned to use at the Sneffels V-notch was still in my backpack from yesterday. On the stroll back down, I found my partner waiting, thick parka covered in snow. Walking back to the Xterra, we saw the other climbers. I feeling stupid, I apologized for not remembering that I had a rope. To get that close and not feel safe enough to try the final push would be a bad memory. All of the way back to the Xterra, the snow got heavier and heavier, until treeline where it turned back to rain. We drove off to spend the next night in Gunnison. On our drive the next day from Gunnison to Kite Lake, we kept passing mountains that were snow-covered to the treeline, and we got a sinking feeling that our climbing was done for this trip - Yes it was.

Unkind Uncompahgre

We began this year's mountain hikes with two vehicles: a van that served as our bedroom and a borowed Nissan Xterra (from my daughter in college in Denver) for 4WD duties. The tires on the Xterra are more street tires than trail tires, but since the vehicle has the 4WD Low (granny gear) and great ground clearance, I thought we could still get to the top of the 4WD trail heads. Approaching Sneffels the day before, we kept slipping at the slanted shale spot. We ended up parking just a little above that for our hike up Sneffels - all OK, but light rain. After getting down from Sneffels, we drove both vehicles to Lake City and parked for the night at the bottom of the road to the Nellie Creek trailhead. The next morning, we started driving up to the hiking trailhead. We made it not quite 1/2 way, but the creek crossing had water running pretty high and the quick, steep climb on the opposite bank of the creek looked to be too much for the tires. We hiked from there to the sign in, then we continued on toward the summit. Drizzle and small snowflakes were getting for more frequent but not enough to turn us back. My climbing partner was not up for the last section to the summit, so he waited down near the wooden stakes and signs. I slogged on through more wind, snow and drizzle. When I arrived at the steep Class 3 (at least that day it was), all of the rocks for handholds were wet and the trail between them was muddy. Though it looked like lots of climbers had gone the same way I did, it was not the recommended, most-popular trail. I yelled down to the now 6 people and a dog trying to decide to follow me or go the other way, to take the left trail. It was the one that joined the main trail at the top. I took off for the summit through much heavier snowfall and stronger wind. All of a sudden the trail disappeared. I took a zigzag pattern stroll looking for rock cairns. Every once-in-a-while I could find one and a dent in the snow that must be the trail. Not having read carefully which rock tower was the actual highest point, the heavy snow had me confused. I ended up climbing the the top of each - and WOW, what a drop off just past the summit. On my hike back to steep, muddy part, I kept expecting to see the other climbers. I later found out the they had turned back at that point. I started thinking, Gee if I had a rope I might have been able to help them up. DUMMY, you did have a rope. Now I started feeling bad. The rope we planned to use at the Sneffels V-notch was still in my backpack from yesterday. On the stroll back down, I found my partner waiting, thick parka covered in snow. Walking back to the Xterra, we saw the other climbers. I feeling stupid, I apologized for not remembering that I had a rope. To get that close and not feel safe enough to try the final push would be a bad memory. All of the way back to the Xterra, the snow got heavier and heavier, until treeline where it turned back to rain. We drove off to spend the next night in Gunnison. On our drive the next day from Gunnison to Kite Lake, we kept passing mountains that were snow-covered to the treeline, and we got a sinking feeling that our climbing was done for this trip - Yes it was.

Comments or Questions

matthewbe

Unkind indeed
9/20/2011 3:40am

I climbed it a couple of weeks ago and actually went up that steep 3 section as well. I didn't know until I made it to the top that the ”correct” way was further to the left. I wouldn't have wanted to do it with snow on it though! Congrats on the summit. :D

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