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I had noticed mattpayne11's report from back a few months ago about how little snow there was on these peaks but forgot about it until just before Christmas I noticed the Snotel sites around Silverton showing up as white circles. Less than 18 inches of snow...hmmm. Well between some ailments and my wife's surgery I could not go before or anywhere over the holidays, probably lost out on the lack of snow I figured. A few days before last weekend it still looked to be dry. I contacted Matt who indeed confirmed that was still the case. Despite being sick (ear infection, upper respiratory) I decided I could not pass up getting a couple of winter 13ers.. Okay I had to go and when I looked there was still a window on Saturday for decent weather. Snow was coming in Saturday evening. It was supposed to snow 5-7 inches Saturday night.
Lined out our animal care lady, Jenny, and made the 6 1/2 hour drive down to my favorite car camp spot, south of Ouray at the Bear Creek trailhead on Highway 550. I have camped here more than a few times now and it is quiet, a few cars drive by a night, and has so far been twenty degrees warmer than below or above at the pass. Did not have to freeze up.
Woke up about 5:00 am Saturday morning and drove over the pass to the Little Molas Lake road.
It was still dark until around 7:00 but Billie Jean and I started up the road (campground closed and the gate locked right at Hwy 550) and hiked up the road to a minor trail that takes off to the right before you get to the Colorado Trail sign.
We followed the trail for a while, lost and found it several times before coming out in the basin between West Turkshead and the peak to the right. There are trails on both sides of the creek but at one point we crossed over to the right side and found the trail on that side.
The trail up the basin is much better defined as you head up and over the saddle/notch.
Once there you can start to see the way ahead but you have to get around unranked Spencer before seeing Grand Turk. I had intended to walk up Spencer on the way back not much vertical, but the weather had turned and thought I have enough unranked 13ers.
The weather way fine going up with some intermittent sun and a slight breeze but that changed once we made it to Sultan and it socked in with a good 40 mph winds whipping ice crystals and snow about.
Due to the weather and not feeling as well as I could I opted to head down and skipped the 12er. The 12er is not too far away at all but I had not been at elevation (above 13000) in several months and it was clouded in at the time I was going by. Once back down and over the saddle there was not any wind or much snow. It had however laid down a dusting of snow all the way back down to the car.
These two peaks are gentle giants but even though the way to the top is a Class 2 the peaks definitely have character, with the views from their vertical faces and from afar are spectacular.
Early light
part of a trail
sunlight trying to make it over the peaks
heading up
frozen creek
a first look at the basin
the well defined trail below the saddle
a look back down
just below the saddle
drainage above the saddle as it levels out
making our way through the drainage
the trail and rock
a view to enjoy
Sultan
the trail below Spencer and looking ahead towards Gran Turk
another look at Sultan with the return trail cutting across the slopes
heading for Grand Turk first
closing in
the summit of Grand Turk
views east
more views
excellent view of the route from Grand Turk to Sultan
Silverton
a good look back from the Sultan ridge
summit of Sultan
shrouded Silverton
back down
may have seen this tree before...
the town of Silverton
ice climbing??
driving home along Blue Mesa
The Snotel at Red Mountain Pass the day before this hike was 17", today after reaching 34" a few days ago, it is now 30". The Snotel by Molas Lake was 2", now 17" of snow.
teaser
hope to put together my Game of Peaks from 2017
Dragon
scarier dragon
Dothraki
Dothrocky
My GPS Tracks on Google Maps (made from a .GPX file upload):
it is a nice hike, glad to see you are still out there hiking Old Goat, Never Stop Exploring, right
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