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| Hiking | 12.29 Miles |
4,358 AEG |
| | Hiking | 12.29 Miles | 8 Hrs 3 Mns | | 1.62 mph |
| 4,358 ft AEG | 29 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | I camped on the (very rough) road to the trailhead, at a marked campsite just before a stream crossing. Unlike the road to Huron, I think it would've been possible to make it in the Civic, but it would've been pretty stressful and I'm glad I didn't try. I counted maybe half a dozen campsites, mostly signed, and not much else.
The approach was a bit tedious - road hiking and not much of interest below tree line. After that the scenery improves, but you're on rocky mining roads that are convoluted to avoid private property. Routefinding is a bit annoying here - the 14ers app (  I know....) came in very handy in a few places. There are also some big snowfields, but I was fine with only poles. After one steep and very out-of-the way switchback, you arrive at Rock of Ages saddle and you have a great vantage point to think about whether Mt. Wilson and El Diente will be on your agenda the next day, or next year, or ever.
The slope up to the Wilson/Gladstone ridge is more difficult terrain than before, but is a manageable class 2. After the saddle, I decided to stay high and do the class 3 traverse rather than descending to the easier (but probably not really) terrain. A large guided group avoided the class 3, descended, and crossed a snowfield, but I'm really not sure why they decided to do that other than it allowed them to stay closer together and in sight of the guide. Just really didn't seem worth the effort to me. After that, it's a pretty straightforward and well-cairned route up to the false summit.
Normally a false summit is a place of great suffering and frustration, but this was the start of a really fun scramble. There are plenty of holds on really solid rock, and the exposure didn't seem bad at all compared to Wetterhorn/Longs/etc. It is a pretty sustained arms-and-legs effort to reach the summit, but I was honestly wishing it was longer. Beautiful views and cell reception on the summit.
Met a few people acclimatizing in the basin on the way down, one of whom was a local who recommended Taco del Gnar in Telluride for lunch. Very good call. |
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