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Mileage: 11.2
Elevation Gain: 4,992'
Time: 8.5 hrs
Partner: Solo
It's rather fitting that my first solo Gore peak would be Mt Solitude. I saw no one, until I was back on the trail, heading back to the trail head. Then I saw half the population of Vail. C'est la vie!
With a less than stellar weather forecast, I did my usual early start time, and was the first one parked in any of the 3 small lots. The waning moon helped out my headlamp as I made my way up the steep and verdant trail. Just as it was starting to get light, I see an animal off in the bushes. Possibly a bear, but I didn't stick around to find out. Thankfully, neither did the animal!
As I got higher up into the drainage, I started to see my turn off from the trail, to make my way up Climber's Point. The bushwack didn't look all that bad, and I managed to find a "fresh" game trail through the thigh deep dewy flowers and up through the willows. I was soaked by the time I was above and out of the thick undergrowth. Then it was just a bunch more elevation to gain before I attained the ridge and got some spectacular views of the Gore peaks surrounding me.
Time then passed too quickly as I made my way up and down the spiky and cliffy ridge, up and over the 2 unranked and one ranked peak. Too soon, it was time to descend, as I could see clouds to the west. On the descent I took some time to photograph some pretty flowers. The last of which, I don't think I have seen before. Very pretty. Something I'd like to have in my garden at home!
Enjoy the Gore photos!
First light on East Partner Gore bush whack... Thigh deep flowers to swim through Spider & Fly, E&W Partner Cliffy Pano from Climbers Point Ridge to Solitude Looking back at Climbers Point Pano from Solitude Vista Peak Looking back at Solitude and Climbers Point Cliffy east face of Solitude Pano from Vista Peak Black cones about to fall off Shrooms Solitude ridge from trail Very pretty flower What is this called?
Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):
We saw a lot of those flowers up in the Massive Wilderness over the weekend and thought the same thing. I believe it is a Calochortus nuttallii, the state flower of Utah.
We were there for a soggy backup plan Sunday. No views, but we figured you'd post a report. Somebody mentioned the high likelihood of abundant (fantastic) flower pictures.
I'm a bit puzzled on the location for Z'. Interesting
Edit: It appears the consensus is that 13075 is Vista Peak (Theron Welch) and 129XX out by Z is Z' (Ormes)?
Otina - That was a type-o on Bill's maps I believe. Z-Prime is actually the rightmost peak in Image #13. You are standing on Vista Pt, like Monster said.
You have a lot of Gore heavy hitters in image #9. Love that cliffy face lining the Solitude Group's eastern cirque.
I was wondering why Z Prime was all the way over on the Solitude side! I couldn't find a peak in the LOJ database either for that location, so went with Bill's typo! Worth the trip over for the view alone, so no loss.
Guess I'll see the view from Z Prime another day! Looking forward to it, in fact.
love that pic #13 of X & X Prime, a very nice knife edge ridge after X Prime. Someday I will get back in there and get the rest of those. The flowers were thick back then too when I went up the same way you did. Did a lot of those ridges along Booth, Pitkin and Bighorn, lots of game trails to follow up there! Brings back the memories!
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