2005 Uncompahgre Peak
It was a perfect autumn day in the
Rockies, and we adopted a leisurely pace. We left the Nellie
Creek 4WD
trailhead at 10:30, and didn't return until 5:30. However,
half of that time we were stationary, be it lunch,
breaks, or time on the summit.
Without 4WD, expect a much longer expedition.
This is a great mountain,
more interesting than many. No big surprises,
except that the section achieving
the final ridge was a little
steeper than expected, just crossing the border
into class 3 at several points, but
without significant exposure.
The north face is an awesome drop.
|
Before the Climb
|
| Lake City Rocks | Rock cliffs north of Lake City |
| Lake City Sky | Approaching Lake City from the north |
| Dawn at Mill Creek | The campsite on the morning of the climb |
| Lee and his jeep | On the Nellie Creek road |
|
The Ascent
|
| Lunch | On the slopes of Uncompahgre |
| Amy | |
| Group on the ridge | Libby, Amy, Natalee, Joel
(Photo: Lee Bowman) |
| Natalee | |
| Amy profile | |
| Peak panorama | Wetterhorn and Uncompahgre |
| The steep part | Natalee, Libby, Amy, Joel
(Photo: Lee Bowman) |
|
The Summit (14,309'/4,361m)
|
| Group at the summit | Joel, Natalee, Amy, Libby, Lee; Wetterhorn and Sneffels in the background |
| The ladies at the summit | Amy, Libby, Natalee |
| Libby relaxes | At 14,309 feet |
| Natalee on the cliff | View to the east |
| Lee on the cliff | Having his breath taken away |
|
Descent and Departure
|
| Joel descending | Redcloud, Sunshine, and Half Peak on the horizon
(Photo: Lee Bowman) |
| Amy and the mountain | Descending victorious |
| The group at Mill Creek | Joel, Natalee, Amy, Mike, Libby, Lee, Mark, Ildiko |
| Lake San Cristobal | View from the Slumgullion road |
| Uncompahgre amidst the aspen | From Slumgullion road |
| Great Sand Dunes | Crestone Group in the background |
|
