Mt. Antero Trip Report 05/18/2018

Report Type	Full
Peak(s)	Mt. Antero - 14,271 feet
Date Posted	05/18/2018
Date Climbed	05/16/2018
Author	HikesInGeologicTime

Mt. Antero: Another Instance In Which HIGT Loses the Trail
Considering I have the Colfax Half-Marathon coming up on Sunday, tackling a fourteener - especially one with a trail as lengthy as Antero's in its current state - was perhaps a questionable decision. But I couldn't resist; the weather was perfect (seriously, there wasn't even any wind on the summit ridge!), I'd read that conditions looked more like late June than mid-May, and I figured that after 16 miles and 4000 feet of elevation gain over a rocky road with some steep scrambling at the end, 13.1 miles on flat pavement that doesn't fluctuate much around that mere mile above sea level wouldn't be so bad. Or possibly I simply hate myself. A case could be made for both. I started at 5:10 a.m., summited at 11:26, and returned to the trailhead at 4:48. I felt pretty good about my sub-12-hours time, considering this was my first of the season...and of course I had a few misadventures along the way. My major source of consternation was the ridgeline between the end of the Jeep road and the final summit pitch. The trail along it is far more obvious from above than below it; my advice to anyone attempting it in its current state would be to choose the highest option when faced with two or more potential paths, lest you wind up traversing the top of the snow still clinging to the slope. I mean, if you want to know what sinking hip-deep into spring snow and then feeling like you're scrambling up the pitch with slightly melted Slurpee remnants in your boots is like, by all means, go the same way I did! Otherwise, stay high and stay dry. That wasn't my only opportunity to give my lower extremities a bath, however, as I also ran into trouble at the Baldwin Creek crossing. There is one rock that is smaller and slightly more rounded than its neighbors. It is coated in ice before the sun has a chance to hit it and slick with water after that. Suffice to say that it's fortunate the temps were as warm as they were, because I needed to spend some time wringing out my socks after it foiled me coming and going. Overall, however, this was a great introductory fourteener for Summer 2018, and now is the time if you're feeling masochistic...er, adventurous enough for the full sixteen miles; I only saw one other person the whole day, and there's still a little too much snow that is too deep and goes on for too long for all but the most intrepid of four-wheelers with some serious enhancements to take on after the creek crossing, so it's currently a hiker's haven. Because I like to make occasional lists of things, here are items that I am glad I did not have weighing down my pack, as they would have been unnecessary: snowshoes, goggles, helmet. Some things I did have but did not need: microspikes, an extra shirt. Some things I wished I'd had: spare socks, gaiters, a jumbo pack of Wet Wipes instead of the mere travel pack I had. Without getting into overly TMI territory, let's just say that going off a medication that wreaks havoc on the ol' GI tract right before climbing above 10,000 feet can sometimes have some...explosive results. X( Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Mt. Antero: Another Instance In Which HIGT Loses the Trail

Considering I have the Colfax Half-Marathon coming up on Sunday, tackling a fourteener - especially one with a trail as lengthy as Antero's in its current state - was perhaps a questionable decision.

But I couldn't resist; the weather was perfect (seriously, there wasn't even any wind on the summit ridge!), I'd read that conditions looked more like late June than mid-May, and I figured that after 16 miles and 4000 feet of elevation gain over a rocky road with some steep scrambling at the end, 13.1 miles on flat pavement that doesn't fluctuate much around that mere mile above sea level wouldn't be so bad. Or possibly I simply hate myself. A case could be made for both.

I started at 5:10 a.m., summited at 11:26, and returned to the trailhead at 4:48. I felt pretty good about my sub-12-hours time, considering this was my first of the season...and of course I had a few misadventures along the way.

My major source of consternation was the ridgeline between the end of the Jeep road and the final summit pitch. The trail along it is far more obvious from above than below it; my advice to anyone attempting it in its current state would be to choose the highest option when faced with two or more potential paths, lest you wind up traversing the top of the snow still clinging to the slope. I mean, if you *want* to know what sinking hip-deep into spring snow and then feeling like you're scrambling up the pitch with slightly melted Slurpee remnants in your boots is like, by all means, go the same way I did! Otherwise, stay high and stay dry.

That wasn't my only opportunity to give my lower extremities a bath, however, as I also ran into trouble at the Baldwin Creek crossing. There is one rock that is smaller and slightly more rounded than its neighbors. It is coated in ice before the sun has a chance to hit it and slick with water after that. Suffice to say that it's fortunate the temps were as warm as they were, because I needed to spend some time wringing out my socks after it foiled me coming and going.

Overall, however, this was a great introductory fourteener for Summer 2018, and now is the time if you're feeling masochistic...er, adventurous enough for the full sixteen miles; I only saw one other person the whole day, and there's still a little too much snow that is too deep and goes on for too long for all but the most intrepid of four-wheelers with some serious enhancements to take on after the creek crossing, so it's currently a hiker's haven.

Because I like to make occasional lists of things, here are items that I am glad I did not have weighing down my pack, as they would have been unnecessary: snowshoes, goggles, helmet.

Some things I did have but did not need: microspikes, an extra shirt.

Some things I wished I'd had: spare socks, gaiters, a jumbo pack of Wet Wipes instead of the mere travel pack I had. Without getting into overly TMI territory, let's just say that going off a medication that wreaks havoc on the ol' GI tract right before climbing above 10,000 feet can sometimes have some...explosive results. X(

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

ctlee	Wasn't it a great day? 5/18/2018 6:31pm I think I'm the one person you saw that day! Good on you for doing the summit ridge--I'm scheduled for Achilles surgery in three weeks and my whole hike was an act of defiance. I reached my limit at Point 13, 820 and lived vicariously through watching you come down the summit ridge! I sympathize with your wet socks--I chose another strategy in the early morning-sliding across the rocks in the stream on my butt. It would have worked if not for that dang rounded rock--my butt was slooooowly submerged as I lost a trekking pole trying to stop my slide. Not my finest moment. My next attempt on this beast will definitely involve taking my Jeep up to the creek crossing and camping there. Such a gorgeous area! Congrats on the summit! Enjoy the rest of the summer--I'm VERY jealous! :D
HikesInGeologicTime	How cool! 5/18/2018 7:29pm That was a spectacular day! I Would you believe I tried the same butt-first technique with those rocks? I got "lucky" in that, when I put my foot out to stabilize myself on that confounded round one and started to shift my weight onto it, my foot slid right off, and I was able to catch myself with the other one, though not before letting loose a high-pitched whining noise when I felt that water rush into my boots! Now I know why we didn't cross paths on the ridge...I'd wondered if I was so tired that I'd imagined you. Good on you for getting as far as you did, and I'll be happy to say that you were on the summit with me in spirit - there's no way I could've made it all the way up that road with a cranky foot, and I'm very glad you didn't try to scramble over that loose rock with it. I think a creek crossing campout sounds like a fun way to meet this monster again. :D Good luck with your surgery, and I hope you get the summit once you're healed up! This was my third attempt at it, so I know how elusive it can be.
ctlee	Thanks! 5/19/2018 10:43am Thanks for the well wishes! Hope to see you on the trail in future days!
HikesInGeologicTime	Agreed! 5/19/2018 1:31pm As much strength as I can send over the Internet fir a speedy recovery!
Scott Conro	Creek crossing 5/21/2018 11:30pm Now I feel bad about not putting that in my condition update...I totally put a foot in after slipping on that same damn rock! Congrats on the summit!
HikesInGeologicTime	Slipping on that rock must be... 5/22/2018 6:53am ...a rite of literal passage. Sorry you had to deal with a wet boot yourself, but it is somewhat comforting to know I'm not the only one!

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