Sunlight Peak, 2025

April 12, 2026 philturk Leave a comment

Date: August 23-24, 2025
Partner: Ross Bricklemyer, Jennifer Reneker
Height: 14,061 feet
Range: San Juan
Route: Chicago Basin Approach and South Face (Class 4)
Overall Distance: 17 miles
Elevation Gain: 6,000 feet (train to summit)
14ers climbed: 49 separate climbs
14ers remaining: 4
Road Condition to Trailhead: Get ready for the craziest drive to the “trailhead” you’ve ever had. From Durango, you will hop on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Call the railroad in advance to reserve a special Wilderness Access/Needleton hiker drop-off ticket. You and your backpack will take the scenic train about 30 miles north along the Animas River to the Needleton stop (~2.5 hours).

In August 2018, I was roundly trounced in an attempt to do a solo summit of Sunlight Peak. Long story short, I was right at the Leap of Faith with a storm brewing and did not feel comfortable attempting the move by myself on slippery rock. The 14.5-mile hike back to Purgatory Flats in a driving rain only served to add salt to my wounds. This fearful memory of the mountain, and what has been called the most exposed move among the 14ers, haunted my dreams for seven years.

Fast forward to 2025 and I decided to try my luck again. However, this time I would be much better prepared. First off, I would go with someone who was experienced in the mountains, my Appalachian Trail partner Ross Bricklemyer. I spent lots of time studying the route and trying to collect as much information as I could about the Leap of Faith. Eventually, after much back-and-forth with Ross, we decided that we would treat this as a rock climb and prepare accordingly. We were able to work with the owner of New River Mountain Guides, Elaina Arenz, to set up a shakedown session in the New River Gorge near Fayetteville, West Virginia a few weeks before the climb. Working with guides Jeffery Hearn and Brian Sabourin, we were able to spend a day simulating the moves on the Sunlight Peak summit pitch and get ready with the appropriate gear. Ross and I are very much indebted to them for all their help and encouragement. If you are ever in the area, please book a trip with them.

In any event, the time came to head to Colorado. Joining us would be my friend/co-worker Jennifer Reneker. I guess the “bad news” would be that this was her first time tackling a 14er (and she chose a dandy!), but the “good news” was that she was in very good shape. This was not going to be a vacation but rather an adventure. The three of us flew to Durango from Denver on August 22, with Jennifer and I coming by way of Cleveland, Ohio, and Ross coming from St. Louis, Missouri. As I described in my Windom Peak post from 2019, even getting to the Chicago Basin for this approach is quite the adventure; I will refrain from describing that again here.

On Saturday, August 23, the three of us left the Needleton train stop, crossed the Animas River on the suspension bridge, and set off up the trail toward Chicago Basin. Ross played the role of the jackrabbit, racing out ahead to find a good campsite before anyone else might claim it. This approach is not a chip shot. It is a good 6 miles, and almost 3,000 feet of ascent, along Needle Creek up into the Chicago Basin, with full packs. You will know you’ve done something when you stop. The day became seriously warm and Jennifer and I had to take a few rest stops to rehydrate in the high altitude.

Near the upper end of the basin, around 11,200 feet, Ross had found a dandy campsite to the right, very near the trail junction to Twin Lakes. We set up our tents and laid around for a few hours chatting and eating. I would have been lucky to have been the recipient of even a few hours of sleep that night. I think I was both too anxious and too excited.

Because of a very compressed schedule, we left Chicago Basin quite early; that is, in the dark. We had a few points along the way were we had to search for cairns but for the most part it was an uneventful, steep climb up well-defined trail to Twin Lakes (12,500′).

From Twin Lakes, we veered to the right, followed the trail around the first lake, then climbed switchbacks into the upper basin. By now the sun had appeared and the morning was beautiful. Above 13,000 feet, we followed cairns east, then angled left across the basin toward the gully between Sunlight Peak and Sunlight Spire. While the trail petered out here, it was pretty obvious what had to take place to get to the summit ridge. We climbed an oppressively nasty and steep gully to the saddle, then turned left into a notch. You will have to be careful here and frequently refer to your map and pictures of the route downloaded from 14ers.com (you surely have those with you, right?!).

The final section to Sunlight Peak involves Class 3 climbing, route finding, and significant exposure. Again, it is easy to get off track here, so take your time. From the notch, the three of us climbed and traversed beneath some cliffs and stayed to our left. We then continued up steep rock, located a small chimney with a hole at the top, climbed through it, then turned left toward the summit block. Jennifer had done a remarkable job the whole climb; it was hard to believe she had never done this before. There was the last summit pitch, now 8.5 miles from the trailhead, a scene I had pictured in my mind 1,000 times over the past seven years.

The last summit pitch is dangerously exposed but was dry and had a solid gritty grip. We changed over to climbing shoes and did some initial reconnoitering. Ross then stemmed over from the Leap of Faith platform to the Left Slab trailing a Sterling 30-meter climbing rope. He scrambled to the top of the Left Slab and hip belayed me straight up the face. Both of these steps were made with total confidence (frankly due to the training we had with New River Mountain Guides). From there Ross and I both took turns crawling out to the summit itself. Ross then belayed me down to the bottom of the Left Slab using his belay device. Not feeling great about setting a hand-line due to lack of pronounced rock features, Ross decided to simply stem back over to the Leap of Faith platform. All of this was done without hesitation, and with calm expediency. The climbing rope and climbing shoes were excellently suited for this climb.

Jennifer, Ross, and I had little time to celebrate because we had to catch the southbound train from Silverton heading back to Durango. Missing this train would mean spending another night in the Weminuche Wilderness. That meant grabbing a quick bite to eat, and then gingerly retracing our steps back to Twin Lakes, slipping and sliding from time-to-time on the loose, sandy fine rock prevalent on the steep gully slope. Scurrying down to our tents, we quickly broke down camp and filled our backpacks with our gear, and then set off to Needleton at a fast clip. It rained on and off toward the last hour, but that did not dampen our spirits and we made it to Needleton with about 30 minutes to spare to catch the train.

This was the last of the San Juan Mountains for me and I will never forget the smell of the wildflowers, the remoteness, the alpenglow, the mountain goats, and the feeling I had finally getting to the summit of Sunlight Peak. If it were not for the Leap of Faith, I would give this an 8 on a scale of difficulty. However, the last summit pitch move puts it at a 9. If you want to hear more detail on the last summit pitch move, then I would be happy to help if you leave a message and contact information in the comments.

Wilson Peak, 2025

November 25, 2025 philturk Leave a comment

Date: August 15, 2025
Partner: Randy Weaver
Height: 14,021 feet
Range: San Juan
Route: Southwest Ridge (Class 3)
Overall Distance: 10 miles
Elevation Gain: 3,900 feet (car to summit)
14ers climbed: 48 separate climbs
14ers remaining: 5
Road Condition to Trailhead: You are going to a need a good map and a 4WD for this just to play it safe. It’s 8.5 sinuous miles on Silver Pick Rd (all dirt) from the Hwy 145 blacktop with a couple subtle turns along the way. Study the driving directions on 14ers.com and have these downloaded on your phone prior to heading out. Be advised there are several rough sections of road and a stream crossing that will require high clearance on the way to Rock of Ages Trailhead.

It was back to the San Juans as my 14er journey continued into 2025. My brother-in-law, Randy Weaver, joined me once again as we had our eyes set on Wilson Peak. We flew into Grand Junction, via Denver, on a Thursday afternoon and rented a Jeep Rubicon. No sooner did we leave the airport than a passing truck threw up a rock, which cracked our windshield — not a good start to the trip. Eventually, we made our way to a small motel in Norwood for the night.

We embarked from the Rock of Ages trailhead slightly before dawn the next day. I would not say there is anything remarkable or tricky about this approach. In my opinion, it was deceptively steep — you’ll climb 2,600′ in just over four miles. After the first mile, we ascending out of Elk Creek Basin and entered into Silver Pick Basin. The trail was clearly defined. In the distance, we were able to see the Rock of Ages saddle and Wilson Peak to its left. The trail then became an old, rocky mining road, perhaps a bit monotonous. At around 12,000′, we moved onto another trail that ran perpendicular to steeper terrain of solid rocks and talus. Randy and I did encounter some small patches of ice-packed snow but nothing serious. The goal is to reach the saddle (~13,000′) and it is here the real technical finesse work begins.

Get your mapping software out and pay attention for the next mile! You will head roughly east on the Rock of Ages saddle and traverse a slope of solid rocks and talus to yet another (small) saddle. Dropping off the saddle, Randy and I thought this next part of the climb was sketchy and a bit dangerous — we poked our way through a couple hundred yards of exposed ledges until we got on solid ground. Once again we traversed the side of the steep ridgeline looking for cairns as we could see them. Taking care to check our route on the GPS, we eventually ascended to a wicked false summit.

Once we successfully crested the false summit, the problem of getting to the actual summit appeared and it was a bit foreboding. First thing you’ll want to do is to study a picture of the route from 14ers.com. We had to descend down into a steep gully, but not too far, making sure to stay toward our right where there was more solid rock and ledges. You’ll want to choose your line slowly and carefully. The goal here is to get to the bottom of the so-called “Gash”, the crux of the climb. The Gash itself is a quite steep section of Class 3 rock but the there are good hand and footholds for roughly 50 yards (?) all the way to the top. So you remember how to safely descend, be sure to note this location with a cairn before walking the remaining short and easy walk to the summit.

All told, I would say this climb is a solid 7.5 out of 10 in terms of difficulty. While it did rain on our way out, weather was never really a factor for Randy and me. Clocking in at 10 miles, almost 4,000′ of ascent, and with a tricky ridgeline mixed with some bouldering, you will get your money’s worth for your day out in the mountains. Next on tap will be Sunlight Peak, the last of the San Juan Mountains for me.

Mount Wilson, 2024

February 16, 2025 philturk Leave a comment

Date: August 31, 2024
Partner: Ross Bricklemyer
Height: 14,256 feet
Range: San Juan
Route: Southwest Slopes (Class 3)
Overall Distance: 12.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 4,400 feet (car to summit)
14ers climbed: 47 separate climbs
14ers remaining: 6
Road Condition to Trailhead: At last we come to a trailhead that any 2WD automobile could get to. Out of Telluride, you’ll head south on CO 145 for a spell and then look for FR 535 on your right. Take this dirt road for about 5 miles to the Kilpacker Basin Trailhead where there is plenty of parking.

Ready for a challenge, my kindred mountaineers? Mount Wilson will provide it. This trip was made all the sweeter by the presence of my friend Ross Bricklemyer. The trip came together rather suddenly. We flew into Grand Junction, Colorado via Denver late on Thursday, August 29, rented a pickup truck, and drove down to the trailhead the next day.

We took the Kilpacker Approach to its end (~ 3 miles). It is a really pretty and straightforward hike that gently climbs until the trees start to peter out near a meadow at the start of a large basin. While we scrambled around a bit, we found a place to set up camp for the night and managed to get some sleep.

In the very early morning, Ross and I set off — the weather was crisp and pleasant. Around 11,000′ feet, the trail broke out into the basin and began to steadily climb to the left. It ran across a slope of talus perpendicular to El Diene’s west ridge and crested a saddle just over 12,000′. By now the sun was coming up and Ross and I took a quick breather. Several other climbers were near us. We continued heading east up the basin, over increasingly faint trail through talus, heading toward Mount Wilson’s southwest slope.

As we neared the end of the basin (~13,000′), we cut left into a drainage where we could clearly see Mount Wilson in the near distance. There was not much trail left at this point — mostly a cairn here and there with Ross and I choosing our own adventure. We proceeded up the drainage toward a large pile of talus and boulders. Veering to the left (northward), we made our way to the first major challenge; that is, a large pile of rock below the El Diente-Wilson connecting ridge.

You are going to want to pay attention here and make sure you stop frequently to compare the route ahead of you with pictures from 14ers.com. The trick is to skirt the large pile of rocks to the left, and cross over where it abuts the connecting ridge. Once on top of the pile, you’ll be able to look ahead and see the second major challenge.

Ross and I carefully traversed over steep terrain to the gullies and headed just to the left of the clearly obvious rock rib. Once on the run, we were able to do some Class 3 bouldering moves and find a nice crossover visible as a notch at the top of the rib to our right. Do not drop down too soon — stay high a bit and move up toward the southern gully.

Once we entered the steep southern gully, we stayed near the northern side so as to avoid slippery rock and gain better traction on solid ground. Honestly, it really wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. Finally, Ross and I found ourselves at the top of the gully. Turning north, we were left with about 150′ feet of bouldering and scrambling over a tangle of rocks up to a narrow platform that constituted the summit.

It was sunny and beautiful out and the perfect time and views to enjoy a slice of cheese and avocado on a thick hard cracker, chased with a can of espresso. To the north, we could see Wilson Peak, while to the west, we could see the ominous El Diente Peak. We had not run across any other climbers for the last couple of hours and so we lingered a few minutes longer to savor the fruits of our labor. This climb is about a 7.5 on a 1-to-10 scale of 14er difficulty. Really enjoyed this journey and though there are places with high exposure and you are definitely going to punch the clock and put in some work if you hope to get to the summit, I’ll remember this 14er fondly.

Wetterhorn Peak, 2024

November 24, 2024 philturk Leave a comment

Date: August 16, 2024
Partner: Randy Weaver
Height: 14,021 feet
Range: San Juan
Route: Southeast Ridge (Class 3)
Overall Distance: 7 miles
Elevation Gain: 3,300 feet (car to summit)
14ers climbed: 46 separate climbs
14ers remaining: 7
Road Condition to Trailhead: Out of Lake City, you will head west on the Alpine Loop for about 5 miles. Drive past Nellie Creek Road. After another 4 miles, turn right onto North Henson Road. After another 2 miles, you’ll turn right at the road denoted by the Matterhorn Creek trailhead. The next and last mile is a nasty rock fest to the final parking area. I had a Jeep Rubicon and still sweated out a couple of spots along the way. A typical 2WD automobile would not be able to drive this road.

I’m terribly behind on my blog entires, so let’s jump right into it, shall we?

Randy Weaver and I decided to dispense with any camping this trip and climb Wetterhorn Peak as a day-climb. The first mile was a peaceful stroll through the woods before the trail broke out into the open at the start of a majestic valley. Ahead of us we could see Matterhorn Peak, with 100s of domestic sheep grazing at the base, and the tip of Wetterhorn Peak off to the left.

Around 12,000′, the trail forked to the left and began to ascend through some rocky terrain. Eventually, the trail gave way to a beautiful grassy area — the goal was to gain the southeast ridge at around 13,000′. At this point, I wouldn’t say the hiking was all that difficult.

We began to climb on the southeast ridge and the wind started to pick up. Now the terrain became much steeper and scoured, and our pace slowed. Eventually, we came to the base of a tangle of rocks. It’s here where the real work began.

Veering to the left, we carefully picked our way through rugged, rocky terrain which led up to the well-known prow of Wetterhorn Peak. You will have to be careful with your route-finding here — stay alert for cairns and make sure you have loaded pictures of the route from 14ers.com prior to your climb. Of particular interest will be successfully locating a V notch on the ridge crest at the top of a rock rib. Randy and I were able to head up a steep gully, and locate and pass through this notch with no great challenge.

We had to climb past the right side of the prow to reach an open area below the summit block. We climbed through another steep notch between the prow and the summit. At this point, you’ve reached the crux of the climb. You have to shimmy down a steep slab rock in order to reach the final pitch. For those that don’t like exposure, here is where your journey likely ends. Taking a fall anywhere along this stretch, would likely be fatal. Randy and I continued. There was good, solid rock on the final pitch allowing us to maintain three points of contact. Despite the exposure, I never felt unsafe. We reached a narrow catwalk and found an easier line to the summit just to the left.

At the top, we could see Uncompahgre Peak, the mountain we climbed the previous year. It was a sunny and pleasantly mild day at the top as we enjoyed a few snacks before carefully heading back down. Wetterhorn Peak is definitely a Class 3 climb with a bit of bite to it and I’ll give it a 6-to-6.5 on a 1-to-10 scale of 14er difficulty. That said, I really enjoyed this climb and I am always grateful to spend time in the San Juans. If you climb Wetterhorn Peak, then let me know what you think …

Uncompahgre Peak, 2023

September 2, 2023 philturk 2 Comments

Date: August 12, 2023
Partner: Randy Weaver
Height: 14,318 feet
Range: San Juan
Route: South Ridge (Class 2)
Overall Distance: 7.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 3,000 feet (car to summit)
14ers climbed: 45 separate climbs
14ers remaining: 8
Road Condition to Trailhead: Out of Lake City, you will head west on the Alpine Loop for about 5 miles. You will then make a right and head north on the Nellie Creek Road. It is roughly 4 miles of rough 4W driving to the trailhead. I had a tricked-out Jeep Wrangler and had no problems crawling along (about 30 minutes). There are a couple of creek crossings and a few sharp and steep hairpin turns, along with some rocky stretches. A typical 2WD automobile would not be able to drive this road.

Last December, Dr. Thomas Gross resurfaced my right hip in Columbia, South Carolina. All those years of running long-distance races finally caught up to me, the osteoarthritis was too far gone, and it was clear that I had reached the end of the line. When I climbed Handies Peak last year, I was in some pain; there was no cartilage left in the joint. I decided it was better to act now, and continue to have an active lifestyle, rather than to be stubborn and likely create even worse health problems. To make a long story short, the surgery went well and I took my recovery and my physical therapy very seriously. After six months, all restrictions were lifted and I began to try to get myself into “mountain shape”. This included doings lots of swimming, walking, stair workouts, weightlifting, and plyometrics. Even going into August, I had my doubts about whether I could do a 14er this year, but I seemed to turn a corner, both mentally and physically, and decided to give it a go. My brother-in-law Randy Weaver had been training for a considerable time to go with me. We flew into Denver and took a leisurely two days to drive to Lake City. On Friday, August 10th, we arrived at the Nellie Creek Trailhead. The standard South Ridge Route is well-travelled and easy to follow. The first mile climbs up through the trees and keeps Nellie Creek off to the left. The summit itself, a monolithic block of rock, soon came into view as the trail broke out into a large sweeping valley. We got up to about 12,500′ and set up camp near a spring around 1 PM. A steady rain began to fall and turned into hail at times. I stayed underneath my tarp curled up in my quilt until dinner, when the rain stopped and the sun came out. Randy and I chatted a bit, I did some stretching, ate a little bit, and then went to bed. Around 6:30 AM, Randy and I set off for the summit. Again, the route was very obvious as the trail headed back to the southwest and made its way to the top of the South Ridge. We headed north along the spine. Near 13,300, the trail became quite steep, but it was a comfortable ascent. The crux of the climb is near 13,800′. There’s a steep Class 2 chute with loose rock you need to scramble up for about 200′. However, if you pick your line carefully, it will not represent a big challenge. Once through the chute, it is an easy ramble for about 0.25 mile to get to the summit plateau. I will confess I was a little misty-eyed as I got to the summit. Last December, I honestly could not say for certain that I would be able to ever climb a 14er again … The views of the San Juans, including the neighboring 14er Wetterhorn Peak, are spectacular (see the pictures below). Randy did a very good job in his second 14er and my right hip held up just fine. Since the route is an out-and-back, we just retraced our steps, paying close attention to down climbing the chute. It was a beautiful, cool, sunny day and we made it back to the car just after lunch time. It looks like this will be my only 14er of the year, but given the circumstances, I am grateful I had the opportunity. Climbing Uncompahgre Peak using the standard approach is straightforward; I’d have no reservations taking someone on this trip for their first 14er if they were trained and in shape. I am going to give it about a 2.5 on a 1-to-10 scale of 14er difficulty. Hope to see you out in the Colorado mountains next year.

Handies Peak, 2022

October 28, 2022 philturk Leave a comment

Date: September 3, 2022
Partner: Randy Weaver
Height: 14,058 feet
Range: San Juan
Route: East Slopes (Class 2)
Overall Distance: 8 miles
Elevation Gain: 3,650 feet (car to summit)
14ers climbed: 44 separate climbs
14ers remaining: 9
Road Condition to Trailhead: Please see Redcloud Peak, 2020.

My second (and final) 14er of the year happened over Labor Day weekend. Joining me for this climb was my brother-in-law Randy Weaver from northeastern Ohio. This was to be his first try at a 14er and he had spent a considerable amount of time over the course of 2022 training for the attempt.

Randy flew into Albuquerque on Thursday, September 1. Unfortunately, my flight the same day was canceled and I didn’t arrive until the next day; welcome to flying in the year 2022. We immediately rented a 2-wheel drive pickup truck and set off for the long drive up to Silverton, Colorado. Because of the flight cancellation, our “perfect plans” were already off-kilter. There would be no camping nor staged climb. Instead, it would have to be a one-day push from the trailhead. We arrived in Silverton and crashed for the night at the no-frills Kendall Mountain Lodge.

The next morning, long before the sun came up, we set off for the Silver Creek/Grizzly Gulch trailhead. The first time I tried this drive was last year on my Redcloud Peak climb. As previously described, it is a terrible road and I harbored serious doubts as to whether Randy and I would be able to get there in a 2-wheel drive pickup truck. However, what saved us was the high clearance and dry roads and we were able to make it with only a few tense moments. Had there been rain, we would not have been able to make it.

Having arrived at the trailhead, we set off up the trail. By “up”, I truly mean “up” … you climb a lot of stairs in the first half-hour. It’s good trail that continuously climbs and meanders through woods. Not long after we started, we could see Handies Peak come into view. Starting at about 11,500′, the trail broke out into an extensive basin (Grizzly Gulch) and followed alongside a creek. Most people who attempt to climb Handies Peak come in on the standard route from American Basin, which is substantially shorter and easier. If you are looking for more solitude and scenic views with some beautiful wildflowers thrown in, then you will love the East Slopes route. It is reputed to be one of the most beautiful hikes in southwestern Colorado and I now know why 🙂

Around 12,400′ is where things start to get a little tougher. Randy and I took one last breather, pumped some water, and began an ascent up a small hill leading to a rock moraine. From here, once past the moraine, it was a steep and steady sidehill traverse of about 0.5 mile toward the summit. Again, there is nothing terribly difficult about the climb to this point … you’re just punching the clock. As we got past 13,300′, we had to ascend a small stretch of steeper and scoured terrain to get onto the North Ridge. Once on this ridge, you will be faced with what is clearly the steepest part of the hike. You do have to be careful here as the trail becomes rockier and more fragmented. While a fall wouldn’t kill you, you could really hurt yourself.

Once we got past this crux of the route, the trail leveled off and I am proud to say Randy took us the remaining few hundred yards to the summit. He did a great job training for this climb and fighting through the effects of the high altitude, and it paid off. There were a few swollen afternoon clouds floating around blue skies, but for the most part the weather was pleasantly warm with no wind up top. We hung out and chatted with a few other climbers who had come up the standard Southwest Slopes route, had some snacks, and set off for a relatively uneventful return trip.

On the way back down the mountain, I had a chance to reflect on the San Juan Mountains. This has become my favorite part of Colorado and I could easily see myself settling down in a small mountain town out here some day. Beautiful views of rocky crags and wildlife, friendly people who love the environment, and lots of opportunities to recreate in the great outdoors. Every time I come here I feel at home and I depart feeling recharged.

Let’s give Handies Peak a 2.5 on a 1-to-10 scale of 14er difficulty. It is by no means technical, but has enough length and some scrambling up toward the summit to let you know that you’ve accomplished something by the time you get back to the car. Here’s hoping all of you got out at least a few times to enjoy the beautiful autumn colors while the leaves still clung to the trees. Take care …

Kit Carson Peak, 2022

September 25, 2022 philturk Leave a comment

Date: August 21, 2022
Partner: Ross Bricklemyer
Height: 14,167 feet
Range: Sangre de Cristo
Route: Via Challenger Point (Easy Class 3)
Overall Distance: 13 miles
Elevation Gain: 6,250 feet (car to summit)
14ers climbed: 43 separate climbs
14ers remaining: 10
Road Condition to Trailhead: Please see Challenger Point, 2020.

I had a late start for 14ers this year due to a variety of reasons. Nevertheless, I was able to make a trip out to Colorado and head into the mountains with my good friend Ross Bricklemyer. Ross and I hiked the Appalachian Trail together (Class of 2005) and the last several years we had talked many times about joining forces again to do a 14er. This was to be his first one. Fortunately, our calendars aligned and we decided to just do it. After going back and forth for several days about which one to do, we ultimately settled on Kit Carson Peak.

We separately flew to Denver on Friday, August 19 and met at the airport late afternoon. We rented an SUV and headed out on our drive. By the time we got groceries and had dinner, it was late into the evening before we got to our motel in Poncha Springs. The next morning, after some terrific coffee and muffins at The FlaminGo truck, we continued south to Crestone. I’d say we pulled into the Willow Creek Trailhead slightly before lunch.

This hike retraces the one I did a couple of years ago for Challenger Point. Hence, I will dispense with going over it a second time. Suffice it say that the battle plan was exactly the same; that is, get to Willow Lake via the Willow Creek approach and camp for the night. Ross and I did really well for a couple of flatlanders and arrived at the lake with plenty of daylight to spare. By then, lots of dark clouds had rolled in with a few occasional sprinkles. We chatted a bit after dinner and then I settled into my quilt in my tarp tent to get some sleep.

We were up well before dawn the next morning and followed the standard route up Challenger Point, i.e., the North Slope. Kit Carson Peak is actually only 1.5 miles across a saddle from Challenger Point. However, because I am climbing each 14er separately by the the 3,000′ rule and not shortcutting ascents, and the standard route for Kit Carson Peak goes up and over Challenger Point, I had to climb the latter a second time. It was just as steep and filled with loose rocks as I remembered it Near the gully up toward the notch, we ran into two nice guys — Logan Brannigan and Jean Cote. So nice, in fact, that we ended up hiking with them the entire day.

What I will describe here starts from Challenger Point. From here, the trail dropped down a few hundred feet to a saddle. [Caution: it is easy to get off route in this terrain so be careful; there have been fatalities here, including an experienced climber the month before our climb. Pay attention and note your surroundings so that you can exactly retrace your steps for the return trip to Challenger Point.] The goal is to get onto a famous Class 2 ledge known as Kit Carson Avenue. The ledge wraps itself around the south side of the mountain, with a few ups and downs, before stopping at a large rock rib. At this point, you’ll make a hard left and head up the crux of the climb, steep Class 3 terrain for roughly 400-to-500 feet, before topping out on a narrow band of a summit.

I was so happy to see Ross, my “brother from another mother”, get to the top of this mountain. The views of Crestone Needle and Crestone Peak across the cloud-drenched valley, two serious 14ers I have yet to do, were world-class. The experience was made all the better enjoying the day with Logan and Jean. Ross and I were pushed and pleasantly tired, but not wiped out by the time we made it back to the car (n.b., I breathed a sigh of relief because I had promised Ross’ wife Alicia prior to the trip that her husband would return to St. Louis alive and in one piece ). In fact, we drove to just south of Denver (4 hours away) and got a hotel that night so that we would have an easy trip back to our homes the next morning.

Kit Carson Peak is a solid 5 on a 1-to-10 scale of 14er difficulty due to the length of the route and total vertical ascent. It will be either a long day of climbing from the trailhead or two days with a night of camping. Be sure to load up with water at Willow Lake (bring a pump) before tackling the lion’s share of the route. Safe climbing to all of you and I will hopefully see YOU out in the mountains sometime soon.

Sunshine Peak, 2021

October 14, 2021 philturk Leave a comment

Date: September 17, 2021
Partner: none
Height: 14,001 feet
Range: San Juan
Route: Northwest Peak (Difficult Class 2)
Overall Distance: 10 miles (returned over Redcloud Peak)
Elevation Gain: 4,200 feet (car to summit)
14ers climbed: 42 separate climbs
14ers remaining: 11
Road Condition to Trailhead: From Silverton, you must traverse Cinnamon Pass via the Alpine Loop. This is a very rough, if not dangerous, road that will require 4WD with a high clearance. You will be crawling along a plethora of rocks, steep drop-offs, and washouts. The scenery is spectacular (at least for the passenger ). It is roughly 20 miles to get to the Silver Creek/Grizzly Gulch trailhead and it will take you every bit of 1.5 hours or more to get there (seriously).

After climbing Redcloud Peak the previous day, and catching dinner and some sleep back in Silverton, I returned to the San Juans bright and early the next morning. I felt pretty refreshed, fueled up with coffee, and ready to hit the trail around 8 AM. Once again, you could not have asked for better weather to climb a 14er.

Once again, back up the Silver Creek drainage I went for 1.5 or 2 miles. I then cut across Silver Creek and began to head south into the South Fork of Silver Creek. This turnoff is easy to miss, so pay attention for the cairns and have a map up and loaded on Gaia GPS. Because this route is not the standard route (for good reason), you will have to hike on periodically faint trail that meanders through trees and shrubs.

Around 12,000′ the trail breaks out into a very large bowl. You will enter into fields of rocks, cross over a small rock glacier, and continue over fields of larger rocks and gullies toward the end of the basin. It will be slow going here. In some places, there is no trail.

Now, here is where things get tricky. At the back end of this basin, you will see a series of steep chutes that radiate up the back of the basin. It will be almost impossible to find the right chute unless you have the pictures of the route downloaded on your phone from 14ers.com. You must “stick the landing” here; that is, you must ascend up the correct chute. The chute is a hellacious, steep slot canyon filled with loose rock and talus. If you stay in the middle of the chute, you risk triggering a rock avalanche. As best as you can, stay to the wall on climber’s right and try to find some good handholds among the flaky, rotten rock to secure your position. Test every handhold you use and every rock you are thinking about putting your weight on with your foot. This is a steep piece of terrain and a fall could be dangerous. 14ers.com had this route rated as Difficult Class 2. Truth be told, this section of the route is at least Class 3 territory. Bring your climbing helmet. I knew before I was halfway up the chute that there was zero chance I was returning the same way

At the top of the gully (13,000′), it is fairly smooth sailing across easy terrain to the northwest face. Staying to the right, I accessed the West Ridge. I stayed up on the spine, and pivoted to the northeast. Avoiding the exposed, massive drop to my right, I slowly and carefully picked an obvious line across the rocks leading right to the summit.

Once I was on the summit, I took a break to grab some food and coffee, and to reconfigure my return route. The views from this summit are spectacular; you will see several other 14ers close by. Studying the map, I decided to cross over a saddle to Redcloud Peak and head back to the car via the route I had trod the day before. While it was going to cost me an extra 1.5 miles and tack on another 500′ of ascent to my hike, I was willing to pay that price for a safer experience. The irony of this was that I met a man (Jay) on Redcloud Peak who had come up the same chute I had in the morning and, like me, had decided not to attempt to downclimb it! We hiked out together and enjoyed each other’s company for several hours.

I will give this route a 3.5 out of 10 due to the chute, length of the hike, and route finding. This would not be a route I could suggest to other climbers, unless you replicate the loop route I did and do not care about climbing each of these two 14ers by the 3,000 foot rule. Happy autumn climbing to all of you.

Redcloud Peak, 2021

September 29, 2021 philturk Leave a comment

Date: September 16, 2021
Partner: Mike Todt
Height: 14,034 feet
Range: San Juan
Route: Northeast Ridge (Class 2)
Overall Distance: 9 miles
Elevation Gain: 3,700 feet (car to summit)
14ers climbed: 41 separate climbs
14ers remaining: 12
Road Condition to Trailhead: From Silverton, you must traverse Cinnamon Pass via the Alpine Loop. This is a very rough, if not dangerous, road that will require 4WD with a high clearance. You will be crawling along a plethora of rocks, steep drop-offs, and washouts. The scenery is spectacular (at least for the passenger ). It is roughly 20 miles to get to the Silver Creek/Grizzly Gulch trailhead and it will take you every bit of 1.5 hours or more to get there (seriously).

Since I was losing the summer fast due to the heavy burden the pandemic was placing on my workplace, I was approaching the point of “now or never” if I wanted to get some 14ers under my belt in the year 2021. Similar to last year, I decided to fly to Albuquerque, NM (instead of Denver). I arrived late Tuesday night and crashed at a local hotel. The next morning, I grabbed a Toyota Tacoma and made the 4.5-hour drive up to Silverton, CO. Around dinner, my friend Mike Todt came up from Durango to join me.

We did not arrive at the trailhead the next morning until around 8:30 (see Road Condition to Trailhead above). The weather was crisp and sunny; perfect conditions for bagging a 14er. From the trailhead, you will be hiking for a couple of miles alongside Silver Creek to your right. It’s good trail that steadily and gently climbs upward.

Around 12,000′, the trail breaks out into a beautiful, vast basin and you will see the saddle to the northeast ridge in front of you. Continue for another relatively easy mile and ascend good trail up to the saddle (~ 13,000′).

Here is where the work begins. Head west along the saddle on obvious trail until you get into the steepest section you will encounter on your journey, with loose rock and patches of sandy ground. Mike and I decided to swing out to climber’s right to avoid the worst part of this area before heading back towards the ridgeline. The goal is to vector towards an obvious false summit.

Once at the false summit, things will flatten out a bit, and you will see obvious, good trail leading you to the summit roughly 0.5 mile away. Mike and I took our time and made it to the summit with no problems. This was Mike’s first 14er and he honestly did an excellent job of polishing this off. Redcloud Peak has wonderful views of the San Juans and other neighboring 14ers; it might be one of the prettier 14er summits.

With two nights of sleeping at altitude, a few Diamox, and taking in only Gatorade for sustenance, I had no problems with altitude sickness. I was in better shape this year than in 2020 due to increasing my running volume and intensity while back in Charlotte.

We had no problems or anything eventful to report retracing our steps back to the trailhead; it might have taken us 2.5 hours to get back? If you are an ultra runner, getting ready to run the local Hardrock 100, say, then this route would be a great choice for a training run.

Let’s give this about a 2.5 out of 10 on a scale of difficulty. If you are inclined to make a weekend out of it, then this would be a good choice for someone looking to bag their first 14er. Happy trails to you …

Mount Sneffels, 2020

October 6, 2020 philturk 2 Comments

Date: October 2, 2020
Partner: none
Height: 14,150 feet
Range: San Juan
Route: South Slopes (Easy Class 3)
Overall Distance: 7 miles
Elevation Gain: 3,000 feet (car to summit)
14ers climbed: 40 separate climbs
14ers remaining: 13
Road Condition to Trailhead: A 2WD car can make it about 6.5 miles up a reasonable dirt road from Ouray. Beyond that, a stock 4WD can make it an additional mile to the “lower” Yankee Boy Basin Trailhead.

My third and final 2020 trip back West occurred last weekend. I decided to mix things up and tackle a mountain in the San Juan Mountains, my favorite range in Colorado. Hence, I left Charlotte, NC early Thursday morning and, after a brief Dallas, TX layover, arrived in Albuquerque, NM around noon. Getting a rental car was a snap and I settled in for the 3.5-hour drive up to Durango, CO. In my opinion, getting into the San Juans is logistically much easier doing it this way, then coming in from Denver.

After picking up some food supplies in Durango, I then had another 2.5-hour drive to Ouray. While it’s only ~75 miles as the crow flies, you’ll have lots of twists and turns along the beautiful Million Dollar Highway to slow you down.

I finally arrived in the vicinity of the lower trailhead around 7 PM and I parked alongside the road at roughly 11,100′ to make sure I was abiding by “the 3,000 foot rule”. By the time I rummaged through my things to get packed for the next day, it was already dark. I decided to just sleep in the rental car; I’m glad I did because it got down into the mid-20s F that night.

After tossing and turning for several hours of light sleep, I decided to get after the climb. There was a beautiful harvest moon out, so bright that I didn’t even need to use my headlamp. The first mile consisted of simply trudging along an old mining road that ended at the upper Yankee Boy Basin Trailhead (~12,500′).

Since I was short on time this trip, and was therefore once again adopting “run-and-stun” mountaineering, my strategy for this climb consisted of several layers. First, after a recent MRI, I had been informed by my orthopedic doctor that the reason why I had been experiencing pain in my left knee was because I’ve had a torn meniscus and a strained lateral collateral ligament the last couple of months. Hence, I was determined to take it slow. Second, to fight off the nausea from the 24-hour sea level-to-14,000′ ascent, I would not eat solid food. My diet would consist of candied ginger and regular Gatorade. Third, I had taken Diamox the past few days. I’m happy to say this strategy appears to have dialed me in

I made my way into Yankee Boy Basin and onto true trail whereupon I took one of the best pictures I’ve ever taken in all my years out in the mountains (see above). As I reached the base of the South Slopes, the first rays of the sun finally began to appear in the east. This trail goes straight up the slope at about a 40 (?) degree angle. The middle of the slope is scoured and sandy, perfect for a slip-and-fall. My advice would be to stay to climber’s left and try to gain what purchase you can in the loose rocks.

At the top of the South Slopes was a saddle. At this point, I had probably walked about 3 miles and was at about 13,500′. To my left was a notch known as the Lavender Col. By eyeball, it appeared to be steeper yet, maybe 50, 60 degrees, and filled with larger rocks and boulders. Interestingly, even though this was tougher Class 3 terrain, I’d say it was easier to climb because of more stable and sure footing. After a few hundred yards of this, I saw the crux of the climb.

The crux of the climb is a V notch formed by two slabs of rock raised at over waist level. One of my favorite mountaineering websites (14ers.com) has this rated as an “easy Class 3” move. I cannot agree with this assessment (also, see here) and I personally found this move to be sketchy. There is no easy way to get into the notch. You will have a very small toehold to plant your foot midway up the entrance wall and a couple of smaller rocks wedged between the slabs to grab onto (smaller people could have trouble with this move). To your immediate left is exposure where a fall would be almost certainly serious. In one motion, I was able to get my right knee up and into the notch to secure myself before pulling myself through. On the way back down from the summit, it is best to slowly downclimb this notch backwards; you will not be able to see where to put your feet if you do not have a spotter. Word to the wise: if you are inexperienced in the mountains or uncomfortable with exposure, do not trivialize this crux move.

After I was through this, it was about 100 yards of Class 2+ scrambling up to the summit. Luckily, I met a very nice couple (Amy and Kevin) up there and we decided we’d join forces to get back down through the V notch together. Thanks for the spot, Kevin. And happy 47th birthday, Amy. I took my time to get back to the car, not only to watch my knee, but because it was so much fun to be out in the great Colorado outdoors.

I was originally going to give this short, steep hike a 3 out of 10 on a scale of difficulty, but the crux move causes me to move up to a 4. This might be one of the best 14ers for summit viewing I’ve been lucky enough to stand on to date. This was made even more spectacular by the 360 views of all the aspen changing color and the blue lakes off in the distance. Go get this one as soon as you can before winter comes …