My friend Andi and I set off to try to get one last 13er before the snow flies out here in Colorado. We'd attempted to get this particular peak a few weeks prior (see "Cold and Rainy"), so when the weather looked chilly but clear, we decided to take another crack at it.
We met nice and early one Sunday morning and headed for the Spruce Creek trailhead just south of Breckenridge. It was a 4wd road, but a relatively easy one. After parking at what we thought was the trailhead, we headed off into the trees on a good trail. The trail started out winding through early morning forest, passing many ponds and along the way, we startled some wildlife - deer, birds & other invisible scampering creatures, probably because we were two of the first few folks on the trail that day. The trail eventually came at the parking lot we should have parked at earlier, as it turned out we could've went further on the 4wd road and saved probably 30-45 minutes of hiking, oh well.
After that parking lot, the trail started to climb in earnest. Up up up through trees and winding around the creek. This area also has a lot of old mining equipment, some in ruins, and some in very good condition. Below is an old miner's cabin and the top of a pulley system.
After a good bit of climbing we leveled out for a bit at Mayflower Lakes - a smattering of smaller lakes that were almost perfectly still in the morning calmness. The sky was just SO BLUE that day. Quite a contrast from all the late fall colors of brown, yellow and orange we get in the Rocky Mountains.
Between the Mayflower Lakes and Mohawk Lakes the trail, of course, climbed higher, topping out at around 12,100ft for Upper Mohawk Lake. Such a beautiful setting - there were some backpackers enjoying the solitude, fishing and hot camp coffee at these lakes. We also were lucky enough to see a mama and baby mountain goat. One of the camping couples had 2 dogs and that mama was keeping a super close eye on the canines. Her kid obediently laid by her side the whole time she stood over it and watched. It really made me wish I had a much better camera than my iPhone. They were on top of a huge rock (of course) and were highlighted from behind by the morning sun. It really is a moment I'll remember forever, so majestic and still - I could've watched them for quite awhile if we wouldn't have had a lofty goal still looming ahead of us.
So, we left the lakes and headed up (of course) into the final basin with an unnamed lake. Below, you can see our target, Pacific Peak, in the distance, just saying hello above the ridgeline. We had quite a climb ahead of us, but the weather was holding. For now.
All over this area were very cool rock structures and smaller rocks. The black ones below were something I'd never seen before.
Then, we arrive at the crux of the route. Probably 1000ft of severely steep, loose rock, topping out on the ridge below the final pitch to Pacific Peak.
We started to scramble up this gully, sometimes struggling to get a good hand or foothold. It is rated difficult class 2, but in some areas, it was approaching easy class 3. There wasn't any really exposure on this slope, but it was steep and unstable. There were large boulders intermixed with a lot of small scree like rock. On and on we went as the clouds built quickly in all directions. We stopped a few times and surveyed the weather. Lightning is always a huge concern above tree line, but we fully realized we were also on a steep, already slick (icy in some areas) slope that would become a lot more challenging if it was wet.
So, when we were level with that upper left snowfield in the first picture of the slope, we called it. We didn't want to, but we did. We realized that we had another 1/2 hour of scrambling (or more) before we reached the ridge, then probably another hour until we summited. At that point, the rain looked closer than an hour and a half out.
Needless to say, we were disappointed to turn around, but we feel we made the right decision - and we did get rained on as we descended on the trail - justified decisions are always the best. :) This climb will be squirreled away for next season, and maybe we'll approach from the opposite direction so we can easily bag both Pacific and Atlantic Peak a bit easier.
So, we slid/hiked back down the steep slope and made our way out of some of the most beautiful scenery I've seen this year in our great state.
We met nice and early one Sunday morning and headed for the Spruce Creek trailhead just south of Breckenridge. It was a 4wd road, but a relatively easy one. After parking at what we thought was the trailhead, we headed off into the trees on a good trail. The trail started out winding through early morning forest, passing many ponds and along the way, we startled some wildlife - deer, birds & other invisible scampering creatures, probably because we were two of the first few folks on the trail that day. The trail eventually came at the parking lot we should have parked at earlier, as it turned out we could've went further on the 4wd road and saved probably 30-45 minutes of hiking, oh well.
After that parking lot, the trail started to climb in earnest. Up up up through trees and winding around the creek. This area also has a lot of old mining equipment, some in ruins, and some in very good condition. Below is an old miner's cabin and the top of a pulley system.
After a good bit of climbing we leveled out for a bit at Mayflower Lakes - a smattering of smaller lakes that were almost perfectly still in the morning calmness. The sky was just SO BLUE that day. Quite a contrast from all the late fall colors of brown, yellow and orange we get in the Rocky Mountains.
Between the Mayflower Lakes and Mohawk Lakes the trail, of course, climbed higher, topping out at around 12,100ft for Upper Mohawk Lake. Such a beautiful setting - there were some backpackers enjoying the solitude, fishing and hot camp coffee at these lakes. We also were lucky enough to see a mama and baby mountain goat. One of the camping couples had 2 dogs and that mama was keeping a super close eye on the canines. Her kid obediently laid by her side the whole time she stood over it and watched. It really made me wish I had a much better camera than my iPhone. They were on top of a huge rock (of course) and were highlighted from behind by the morning sun. It really is a moment I'll remember forever, so majestic and still - I could've watched them for quite awhile if we wouldn't have had a lofty goal still looming ahead of us.
So, we left the lakes and headed up (of course) into the final basin with an unnamed lake. Below, you can see our target, Pacific Peak, in the distance, just saying hello above the ridgeline. We had quite a climb ahead of us, but the weather was holding. For now.
All over this area were very cool rock structures and smaller rocks. The black ones below were something I'd never seen before.
Then, we arrive at the crux of the route. Probably 1000ft of severely steep, loose rock, topping out on the ridge below the final pitch to Pacific Peak.
We started to scramble up this gully, sometimes struggling to get a good hand or foothold. It is rated difficult class 2, but in some areas, it was approaching easy class 3. There wasn't any really exposure on this slope, but it was steep and unstable. There were large boulders intermixed with a lot of small scree like rock. On and on we went as the clouds built quickly in all directions. We stopped a few times and surveyed the weather. Lightning is always a huge concern above tree line, but we fully realized we were also on a steep, already slick (icy in some areas) slope that would become a lot more challenging if it was wet.
The larger boulders provided some good handholds on the way up!
The view on our way up.
You can see the clouds building in the background here.
So, when we were level with that upper left snowfield in the first picture of the slope, we called it. We didn't want to, but we did. We realized that we had another 1/2 hour of scrambling (or more) before we reached the ridge, then probably another hour until we summited. At that point, the rain looked closer than an hour and a half out.
Needless to say, we were disappointed to turn around, but we feel we made the right decision - and we did get rained on as we descended on the trail - justified decisions are always the best. :) This climb will be squirreled away for next season, and maybe we'll approach from the opposite direction so we can easily bag both Pacific and Atlantic Peak a bit easier.
So, we slid/hiked back down the steep slope and made our way out of some of the most beautiful scenery I've seen this year in our great state.
Just beautiful. Seriously, amazing.
I arrived back home to see Tom diligently working on extending the chicken run roof - last year, the ladies were stuck with a relatively little area of snow-free ground during some of our larger snowstorms. They will love this new addition!!
