On 6/19/2020 I had to be in Salida Colorado on business... why not mix in some pleasure? A quick check of the forecast showed favorable conditions for the following day. Recent beta on Grizzly Couloir had me optimistic for one more late season couloir climb! I had too much fun on Ice and Cathedral this year, so the prospect of adding one more steep snow climb to 2020 had me raring to go.

I left Salida around 3PM and headed up Independence pass. As usual, there were 40,000 tourists at the summit. That being said it's still a ritual for me to saunter around a bit up there before continuing on my way. I noticed a large crowd once I pulled into the lot. They were all congregating around the largest and most elaborate telescope set-up I've seen in my entire life! I really wanted to stop and ask some questions, but hoards of people were already flocking around the owner like vultures so i decided against hassling him. Besides, i had place to be and peaks to climb. Off I went.

To my surprise, the Lincoln Creek Road was PACKED. There were probably 200 cars over the 6 mile stretch of road. Tent camping didn't seem to be an option as the campsites were overflowed. Fine with me! The "Jellystone" style of camping certainly isn't my jam anyhow. The back of my Jeep serves me just fine.

5AM came after a solid nights sleep. I set off expecting to see lots of other people on the trail considering the hoards of campers observed at portal CG. This was not the case... Instead I encountered total solitude. A welcomed surprise indeed. The first two and a half miles of trail feel very flat. I guess I was gaining gradual elevation, but it didn't feel like it.

A quality freeze the night before seemed to bode well for conditions in the couloir, but not so much for this creek crossing. Even the rocks that were hardly submerged in the water had a thin coating of ice on top. Rock hopping seems to be out, Im gonna have to find a place to clear this thing. I prefer to do my jumping without snow climbing gear on my back, but this was not a luxury i was to be afforded this time. I found the narrowest part of the river and executed a full power broad jump. It worked out with about 3 inches to spare. Whew. Really wasn't looking forward to fording that thing so early in the morning.

The 1000 feet from this point to the lake seemed to go a little too fast. I was almost starting to question if the stats for this climb were right!

I skirted around the left side of the lake to reach the couloir. I had to cross one snow bridge that looked a little more iffy than i care to talk about... It was short enough that i felt comfortable traversing it. The apron was reached and crampons were donned. Now the fun begins!

This is an awesome route. I totally recommend it to anyone who likes snow climbs and great views. The couloir proper doesn't exceed 45 degrees, but the angle is very continuous for over 1000 feet. The snow was much more firm here than on any of the other couloirs I've been on. That always helps to make a route feel a little more intense. Still, the climbing felt nice and chill. At the top I noticed a great opportunity to get on some steeper snow for the finish! The direct line here felt substantially more steep than the crux of the fridge. That being said its only like 15 feet of steep climbing.

After topping out the couloir i noticed another climber just below me on the ridge coming from McNasser gulch. Solo climbing is my preference, partially because i get to make friends along the way! Im an introvert but can be a social butterfly, particularly when meeting strangers in the wilderness. I ended up meeting Bryan, another 14er finisher enjoying the day on a new centennial peak. Turns out he is also a rock climber that frequents Eleven Mile Canyon, my favorite cragging area! We took the ridge to Garfield while recounting tales of our more memorable days in the mountains. Plans to meet up at Eleven mile were made, and we went our separate ways.

I had decided not to return down the couloir and instead descend via the West Slopes route. I always prefer to take an alternate line down when it gets me back to the same TH. Up and overs are the way to go! I would strongly recommend doing these peaks this way. The slope back down to the road was steep, but easy going. My feet seemed to sink into the loose dirt just enough to alleviate tension on the knees, but not enough to the point where my boots were filling with rocks. Pretty optimal. I observed a large herd of Elk below me... could i sneak down close enough to grab some great photos of them from the nearby hill?! Absolutely not. My clumsy ass knocked down a four billion pound rock down the mountain and scared them off. Smooth... I always tell people that despite all of the epic things i do, im most likely to die tripping down a flight of stairs.. *sigh*

The road miles could have went quick, but why? Instead i opted for two miles of slow sauntering. Ahh.... The way to go i tell ya.