So we finally got our first summit on the first day of summer! It ended up being a long day out for only being our 3rd time out really for the spring/summer. we covered just under 11 miles RT in 10hrs with over 3,000ft of elevation gain and some class 3 scramble at the end to reach the summit. We left the dogs with Eddy's mom so we could move faster in the rocks and for safety.
here is the track
https://www.google.com/maps/ms?msid=216389344331023168113.0004fc840b304121b7e41&msa=0&ll=39.446003,-106.054373&spn=0.033803,0.0418&iwloc=0004fc840b3a3f47903b2

and lots of pictures because the views rocked!


starting out was a mix of dirt road and run off till you hit the snow.


waterfalls all over


wildlife, still has the pups leashed!


poor jack fell in






first lake, just under 3miles from the lower TH parking


on the way to the top lake




top lake


pulled this out of the water






that peak in the background to the right is where we were headed




sierra loves snow










Eddy, his mom and her boyfriend


these also help in the snow


this was the route we read to take, but there was no way we were equipped to climb up it. so we found another way up


class 3 rock climbing!






the red dot in the middle is the dogs and humans waiting for us


summit in sight


made it!


so did these guys but on a much harder route

here are some summit views
















and some out of order









and a fun video of glissading down a section


till our next adventure...

Once again - superb pics...

What is that round metal contraption under the cabin?

The picture of Jack in profile against the mountains belongs in a Husky of the Month...on a calendar...blown up and framed on a wall...

Jenn - you and Bodhi's Michael may prompt me to move. Or at least, get an RV (never thought I'd say that  )

Amy,
the wheel thing? that was a little farther up the trail, its a pulley system for old mining equipment.

Uggh...does that mean mine shafts for a curious husky off leash?

Thanks for info

Amy, maybe but we did not see any near by, i let them off leash just past this point but they stuck to the trail on the way back, they are good like that (so far).
I was telling my "i like trails not peaks" friends that this is a great trail to do up to the upper lake, the uphill is not "bad" but it is still uphill!

Hmm, and this is called fun. You must have quite a few peaks conquered by now, but still how foolish to travel with a St,Bernard and not have one of those little barrels with Martini fixens in it  

I agree with Amy, that picture of jack in unbelievable!

Hughie wrote:

Hmm, and this is called fun.  You must have quite a few peaks conquered by now, but still how foolish to travel with a St,Bernard and not have one of those little barrels with Martini fixens in it  

Hats off to you Hughie!

Congrats on a great climb.
Worthy of at least two cold ones at the trailhead (as long as somebody else was driving home).

Ditto to the picture of noble Jack.

Crossing a log over a stream with the dog leashed is what got me in trouble.
Not Bodhi, but husky #2.
She was behind me, wouldn't go and pulled me off.
Stupidly, I hadn't unfastened the pack straps.
Couldn't get my face out of the water.
Finally I was able to flip over, but man my shins took a beating.

In the interim, I had dropped the leash.
Tasha was sitting on the bank looking at me like, "Why are you swimming?"

Michael, Eddy packs his cold ones for the summit (he waited till we met back up with the group on this one due to the decent we had to do) im not a beer fan but they just came out with canned angry orchard so i may be packing that in the future.
they did stop at the Breckenridge brewery on the way home, i just went home.

Sierra and Jack HATE crossing water, they are better on the logs now but to get them to cross in a cold stream as i rock hop my way across is bloody hell! they need to be shown every step, they are not water huskies.
poor Jack fell in this time cause Sierras leg got stuck between the 2 logs and i stopped to help her, the line for Jack got yanked and he fell over

Hughie, those barrels are not cheap and his first St. had one and it hit the rocks to much on the uphill so they are not that practical for what we do. would love the whiskey in it though!

i have 13-14ers checked off, one was a repeat
i have 30-13ers checked off, 2 were a repeat
and a whole bunch of trails that were not summits, i have covered a lot of miles and still many more to go.

That's really great, I'd do something with my life but it would require...effort. Naw not really. I am glad to see someone be able to do something they enjoy so much. Also, what is glissading? I've never heard of it.

Glissading is a BLAST, but the Wikipedia says:

Glissading is the act of descending a steep snow- or scree-covered slope via a controlled slide on one's feet or buttocks. It is an alternative to other descent methods such as plunge stepping, and may be used to expedite a descent, or simply for the thrill.

this may or may not work for you but its the other view of me going down.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10204252947949802&set=vb.1411052908&type=2&theater

jbealer wrote:

Glissading is a BLAST, but the Wikipedia says:

Glissading is the act of descending a steep snow- or scree-covered slope via a controlled slide on one's feet or buttocks. It is an alternative to other descent methods such as plunge stepping, and may be used to expedite a descent, or simply for the thrill.

this may or may not work for you but its the other view of me going down.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10204252947949802&set=vb.1411052908&type=2&theater

So, basically, you become 8 yrs old again and slide down on your ass? Sounds like fun - I wore out the seat of a brand new bathing suit when I was 17 doing similar on a small waterfall on a stream...

Oh, po' people sledding.

I about glissaded my ass right off Aspen Highland Mountain shortly after Aaron proposed

A 2000 ft glissade is possible on Mt. Adams in WA.

Here is the first 800 ft. off the summit:


Then you walk over to the false summit and go down this:


Much fun!
In late summer, the glissade track gets deep, so it's like you are in a bobsled run.