La Plata 6

Down into the basin...
I wasn't able to pick out the trail through the basin from my perch on the crater's rim, so I decided to drop down into the basin to try and find it. Dropping down into the basin is a bit of an understatement, from the rim of the crater it was a 200 feet drop that was very steep. I zigzagged my way down to reduce the angle of descent and quickly made it safely into the basin.

The floor of the basin was covered with dense brush. Finding the game trails and hiking through this stuff is always a little nerve wracking for me...I continually worry about a bear or a wolf lunging out at me from the brush. In reality though, the brush is so thick that a bunny would have difficulty lunging out at me. There were a few areas of the basin free from the brush but these were very swampy and hard to walk through.

I worked my way across the basin and couldn't find the trail. After thirty minutes or so of searching, I make it to the lowest point of the basin, where the creek drains into the valley. I found a large rock to sit on and take a final look back up into this magnificent scene and thank God for this stunning place!

Descent
As I edged over this lip of the basin, I decided to stay on the north side of the creek as I believed that is where the official trail would be. My strategy was the same, zigzag back and forth while descending in hopes of coming across the trail.  I quickly had to abandon my strategy as the trail became too steep to allow that option, I had to focus on the descent AND staying mostly upright...

Skiing in July
To say that I was descending is true...one could also use the phrases controlled falling, slip sliding, or skiing in July. The steepness was the main problem (easier going up than down) but add the dry dirt and lack of vegetation because of drought and you get a very difficult trip down. There were many times that I had to sit down, pick a rock or a tree or some target that would stop my descent, and then slide on my posterior. It is a wonder that my pants made it down fully intact.

Unidentified (large) Furry Object (obscured by dense forest)
As mentioned earlier, there was no trace of humanity in this part of the world and no telling how long it had been since human feet had trod in this valley. And this human (me) caused quite a ruckus while going down, a few miniature rock slides, a few expletives, and a lot of dust. About halfway down to the valley I flushed out a UFO from the dense brush twenty yards below me. The brush was so dense that I could not make out what it was but I could see that it was brownish in color. It also seemed very large by the sound of it tearing itself out of the brush trying to escape the foreign creature coming from above. Could have been a bear or an elk, but no worries, I am fairly confident about how to behave in case of an encounter with a bear AND I have an unproven method for dealing with an angry bull elk. So I was ready for anything...

Valley of Familiar Footprints
The second half of my descent was uneventful as I mastered the art of July Downhill Skiing; no encounter with a bear (though I wouldn't mind seeing one) and no testing of the Angry Bull Elk Evasion Technique (ABEET). I emerged into the North Fork of Clear Creek Trail valley with a few abrasion wounds, dusty pants, and two very tired legs.

As I walked on the dusty trail back to the car, I noticed a set of footprints headed the same direction as me. There was only one set, not a pair (the fishermen/false leaders) and the print left by the sole looked very familiar. I began to wonder if Nic had turned back from his summit attempt.

View from the trail back to the east, pyramid peak at right center is Huron Peak

Reunion
I passed by the fishermen/false leaders truck and noticed that the familiar footprints were still on the trail. By now I was fairly certain that Nic would be waiting for me back at the car, a reversal of last year's Tabeguache adventure. When I rounded the corner and spotted the car, I saw Nic sitting on the ground, leaning against a tree. When I walked up he said, "I was getting worried and was about to call the sheriff." Yes, an exact reversal of last year.

Nic made it to this ridge...

When we separated at Alan Lake, Nic quickly climbed the cliffs that separated us from the La Plata Basin. At the top, he determined that he couldn't connect with the Southwest Ridge because it would have been far too dangerous without ropes. His other option was to descend into the southern part of the basin several hundred feet, go all the way across the broad basin, and then go up the Southwest Ridge at a safer entry point.  This didn't look like a walk in the park from his perspective considering the loose rocks on the descent and the length of the hike to get to the ridge. He was right, I saw this route from the Basin and it looked fairly difficult. So Nic decided to hike back down to the car. He took the direct route and beat me back by at least an hour...

 We exchanged stories of our adventures for 15 minutes, then got in the car and headed back to Salida...

A couple of videos that I shot on the leisurely walk back to the car:

La Plata 5

Decision Time
Standing at the edge of beautiful Alan Lake it became apparent that we had gone too far south to begin our ascent to the basin. The jagged cliffs that loom over the west side of the lake also separate us from the basin due south of La Plata Peak. At this point we had three options:

1. Go straight up the cliffs and connect with La Plata's SW Ridge or at least get into the right basin and then go up the normal trail. These cliffs were reminiscent of our Tabeguache adventure last summer.
2. Go to the base of the cliffs on the north side of Alan Lake and work our way around the flank, working our way into the right basin, or...
3. Go back down to the car.

As a flatlander, I have a finite amount of energy to spend on the ascent and must keep some in reserve to make it safely down. I was out of ascending energy so Option 1 was out for me. The same for Option 2, the flank jutted so far out to the east it seemed it would take longer to work our way around it than to go over. I decided to go back down, La Plata will be there another day. Nic decided to go over (he lives in Denver, likes reduced oxygen levels, and is in better shape than I).

Separation
Unlike our separation last year, we were able to look each other in the eye and impart words of wisdom as we separated. Nic told me to take my time and be careful going down the steep mountain. I told him not to take any unnecessary risks because many people enjoyed his company and the mountain would still be there on another day. With that, he left to attack the cliffs to the north and I started my descent to the southeast hoping to find a less steep path down to the valley.

Reroute
As I moved slightly down towards the southeast, I began to think (I do my best thinking when alone in the mountains?!?!)...Nic is going to be gone for at least 4 more hours as he climbs the walls protecting Alan Lake, connects with the SW Ridge, summits La Plata, and makes it back down to the car. With all of this extra time on my hands, why not flank these cliffs and enter the basin south of La Plata? Yeah, why not? So I began to move laterally along the base of these cliffs, it was amazingly fun 4 point (hands and feet) scrambling over large boulders! After 45 minutes of scrambling on the boulders, I made it around the flank only to find another flank obscuring the view of the basin and La Plata. It took me another 30 minutes of scrambling but I was finally in view of the CORRECT basin and lovely La Plata Peak!

First view of La Plata and part of the basin, click to enlarge

On the south edge of the basin there is a shallow crater, the rim of this crater is perfectly situated for a broad look at this basin. The only problem was that I had to lose a few hundred feet of elevation and then regain it to get to the crater's edge, a minor problem (says I gasping and wheezing just thinking about that moment).


When I arrived at the highest point of this crater rim, I was overwhelmed. It is intensely beautiful, and expansive, and rugged! I was made to stand at this place! The jagged cliffs that guard Alan Lake now to my south and the broad basin below La Plata was completely laid out before me. Rising above the west end of the basin was the ridge that led up to the peak. La Plata towered majestically over the north side of the basin!

I spent a good amount of time here soaking in the views, taking video, and looking for Nic walking along the jagged ridge. The adrenaline rush that I had at this moment ALMOST convinced me to make a push for the summit. Better judgment took over and I decided against it, the clouds looked like they might be building up for a storm AND I would have to descend several hundred feet into the basin and then regain this altitude. As a flatlander I am not a big fan of giving up elevation once I have attained it...

Solo
As I enjoyed my time up on the crater's rim, I realized that there was no trace of humanity in this place, I was completely alone. No sign of Nic or any other person on the ridge. No people in the expansive basin. No sign of human life as far as I could see. The fishermen were out of sight at Alan Lake in the other basin and may as well have been on the moon. I also realized that because of my obscure route, I was probably one of the few humans (relatively speaking) to stand at this place and see this particular view! It was a good feeling, the road less travelled...

La Plata 4

The Basin

Target: The Lip of the Basin
We gained enough altitude to see the lip of the basin but La Plata was still not in view. We pick a notch in the lip as our target, it is still a long way away and up. The steepness and duration of this climb was beginning to wear on me. There were portions that were so steep that my middle-aged south Texas legs would only carry me five or six steps, then I would stop for a brief 30 second rest. And resting was really no rest at all because of the energy expended to maintain my balance on the steep side hill...

We trudge on and finally make it to the final pitch of our target - the lip of the basin. I took this picture right before climbing the final pitch. The Colorado wildflowers above the treeline rival those of the springtime in Texas.

Wildflowers along the creek...

As we make it up and over the lip of the basin, we realize it is not the real lip of the basin. The real lip was a little higher up. We also realize that rocky ridge that is now in view does NOT look like the Southwest Ridge of La Plata. No panic yet because sometimes the two dimensional pictures do a poor job of representing what mountains really look like, there may be hope for us yet.

A picture of my feet, too tired to walk any higher, but...

Here is a video that I shot between the "false" lip and the "true" lip of the basin. I've mentioned it before and I'll mention it again, this is one of the most beautiful hikes I have been on. Every direction is stunning!

We make it to the crest of the real lip to find this beautiful mountain lake!

Beautiful Alan Lake!

The only problem with this beautiful lake is that there is no lake in the basin of La Plata's Southwest Ridge, we hit the wrong target...If you watch the video closely you will see two men. Turns out the hikers that we were following were no hikers at all but fishermen...

La Plata 3

"Where's the trail?!?!?"

Nic, Josh, Caleb on Democrat

One of the most pathetic, heart-wrenching, and funny things I've heard as a parent happened on the hike to the top of Mount Democrat a few years back. Nic, Josh, Caleb, and I were doing this one together, it turned out to be 12 year old Caleb's first 14er summit! This warm summer day was fairly cool for us South Texans and the wind was howling up on the mountain. As we made our way up the steep talus, Caleb wandered off the trail a few feet to wipe away the fluids that were pouring out of his eyes and nose. He leaned over with his hands on his knees gasping for air (we are accustomed to rich, thick gulf coast air). He looked up and was a little disoriented and said with a combination moan/wail/cry,  

"Where's the trail?" 

My heart broke for him, I have ruined his young mountain climbing career and probably have scarred him for life. A mere two seconds after his lament, he eyes the trail and nonchalantly says,  

"Oh, there it is..."  

My how things turned.

Back to this day...As we watched our leaders struggle up the steep shoulder that hopefully leads to the basin below the southwest ridge AND as we realize that there was no trail marker at their point of entry, Nic and I began to lament,

"Where's the trail?!?!?"

We decide to stay in the valley for a while hoping that we come across a trail marker and/or a view of La Plata Peak. We walk west another quarter of a mile...

The unavoidable ascent...
It became clear that we were not going to find the trail marker AND that we were moving farther away from the La Plata. Our next decision - we must go up, hoping that our trailblazing skills will get us in view of La Plata. If we could see it, we could salvage the trip.

So up we went, rapidly. This turned out to be the longest steepest thing I have ever climbed. After about 500 feet of elevation gain we stopped for a break. My thighs and calves were already cramping and we were only a third of the way up.

Like all mountain pics, 2D doesn't really depict the scene...

 Despite legs and lungs that were struggling mightily, this was an incredible place to be!

View to the east from the treeline...

View due south from our spot at the treeline...

After 15 minutes of basking in this beauty, it was onward and upward! Easier said than done...

La Plata 2

The North Fork of Clear Creek Trail

Old School Navigation
Most hikers these days use a Smart Phone with GPS capabilities or a specific APP to plan and execute the adventure. Take four steps to the WNW, turn slightly to the right at these coordinates - 9°25'N 98°30'W - and pause for 23 seconds before taking 47 steps to the ESE. Of course, the Smart Phone delivers the instructions via a sultry female android voice. The technology of today is pretty amazing and leaves nothing to chance.

We don't navigate this way...we study paper maps, read multiple trail reports, collect data in our minds, memorize pictures of cairns and trails, and then fly by the seat of our pants. Nic says it best in his thick Algerian accent, "I see the top of the mountain and I walk towards it." To date this has worked out well.

Following...
the two guys from the truck seemed perfectly logical. Their truck was parked at the beginning of a clearly defined trail AND we could see them in the distance hiking towards the southwest. They HAD to be going up La Plata via the Southwest Ridge. We discarded all of the data previously collected and followed...

The North Fork of Clear Creek Trail...
is one of the most ruggedly beautiful places I have tread upon. The trail meanders through the valley between
the creek and forest, jagged peaks tower above us on all sides. We enjoyed soaking in the beauty on this stroll for about a mile. And though we enjoyed the leisurely stroll, there was a nagging feeling inside each of us that something was not quite right. The data previously collected and recently discarded mentioned that very early in the hike there is a steep ascent, the data never mentioned a leisurely stroll...

Questioning Our Leaders
We eventually lost sight of our leaders. Not a problem though because of the well marked trail and the certainty that La Plata Peak would soon be in view. Our leaders reappeared, not on the trail ahead of us but up and to our right, struggling up a steep hill (see photo below). The nagging feeling intensified as we began to wonder if our leaders were lost...

Click to enlarge

La Plata 1

From the Winfield Cemetery

Decision

Guys having fun on Democrat!!!

One of our family rituals/traditions is to vacation each summer in Colorado. This started in 2009 and has happened every year since in one form or another. And each year, the guys (Josh, Caleb, Nic, myself) try to climb a mountain or two. I have developed a criteria for selecting each year's mountain:

1. proximity to our vacation spot (normally Salida)
2. June (still snow up high) or July (afternoon storms)?
3. my personal physical condition at the time of vacation
4. length of the trip to and fro, or for the less poetically inclined, up and down

This year, as in year's past, we are staying in Salida. From Salida we have easy access to most of the Sawatch Range and we haven't climbed most of the Sawatch. Check #1. We are traveling in the third week of July, afternoons storms almost a certainty. Check #2. For a number of reasons, I am only in mediocre condition this season.  Check #3. So because of the afternoon storms and my sedentary lifestyle in the months preceding, we need a mountain with a short round trip.

And the winner is, La Plata Peak from the Southwest Ridge!

Once the decision is made, time to do the research on the mountain. Reading route descriptions, trail reports, and studying pictures...more on this later.

Anticipation...
sets in after reading dozens of trail reports and viewing hundreds of pictures! The thrill of hiking in the back country - the testing of mind and body and the experience of seeing rugged and expansive beauty - is unmatched for me. It appears that the steepness of this trail and the beauty of the North Fork Clear Creek Valley will satisfy both!

Anxiety...
tempers our enthusiasm...Tuesday night's weather report predicted a 60% chance of storms for Buena Vista and Leadville, La Plata lies right in between. Also, as we stargazed on the deck of Silver Ridge, Nic mentioned that he had a very uneasy feeling about Wednesday's adventure. Nothing specific just an ominous feeling. To make things more ominous, he said he was going to tag the summit regardless of rain, sleet, snow, lightning or thunder...hoping that there is not a repeat of last year's Tabeguache's stormy adventure.

Winfield Cemetery
Our climbing team was reduced to Nic and I this year, Josh had to work in San Antonio and Caleb's in-grown toenails were bothering him.

Our diminished team left Salida at 5:15 Wednesday morning, headed north through Buena Vista towards Leadville and turning west on Chaffee County 390 Road. We were on this road a few years ago going towards Huron, this morning we drove past the left fork that goes to the Huron Trail Head and continued on to the Winfield Cemetery and the La Plata Trail.

We park the car in the pines just below the Cemetery. Reading the memorial sign reminds us that, though beautiful, this country is very inhospitable.

At 6:15am, we began our two mile march to the official Trail Head. About a mile in, a 4WD truck carrying what appears to be two hikers passes on the rugged road. About a mile and a half in, we make note of a curious fork in the road that meanders to the right...

Sermon on the Mount Prayer List

- 5.3 – help me to be humble today

- 5.4 – help me to be aware and mournful about the condition of the world today

- 5.5 – help me to be meek today

    5.6 – help me to crave true righteousness and help me to learn what this is

- 5.7 – give me an opportunity to be merciful towards someone today

- 5.8 – help me to be pure in heart and mind today

- 5.9 – give me an opportunity to be a peacemaker today

- 5.10-12 – help me to live in these ways today; give me peace and patience as I experience the inevitable disfavor.

- 5.13 – remind me of the usefulness of salt, remind that salt must come into intimate contact with what it is to affect, and remind me that you call US the salt of the earth!

- 5.14-16 – help me to live in these ways today and remind me that I represent YOU!

- 5.17-20 – help me to better understand your ways, bring someone into my life to guide me, and help move about today in harmony with your kingdom

- 5.21-22 – help me to curb my anger in all situations and help me to not use my words to destroy

- 5.23-26 – I confess that there are broken relationships in my life, help me to make reconciling these my number 1 priority

- 5.27 – help me not to lust today

- 5.29-30 – help me to take my failings seriously and not rationalize them away

- 5.33-37 – help me to simply be a man of my word and help me to live consistently so that my word has credibility

- 5.38-42 – help to forsake the normal ways of the world – revenge, protecting what “is” mine, and giving just enough to stay out of trouble. Rather, give me strength to NOT seek revenge; help me to NOT go to painful measures to protect what “is” mine because I want to believe that everything is yours anyway; and help me to love and serve others extravagantly today.

- 5.43-48 – give me an opportunity to love an enemy today, real or perceived

- 6.1-4 – give me the humility to serve others without an agenda and to deflect all glory to YOU

- 6.5-7 – help me NOT be a religious showboat

- 6.10 – help me to be COMPLETELY subservient to YOUR will

- 6.11 – help me to be CONTENT with what I have today

- 6.12 – forgive me of my sins and give me an opportunity to forgive someone that has sinned against me

- 6.13 – give me the wisdom to recognize temptation and flee from it instead of flirting with it

- 6.24 – help me to worship YOU only today and not the false of god of the economy

- 6.25-34 – help me NOT to worry today; rather, help me to appreciate the sustenance YOU give – use the birds of the air and the flowers of the field to remind me of this

- 7.1-5 – help me to NOT judge others today; rather, remind me to use the energy that I consume in doing something reserved for YOU to work on the sins of my own life

- 7.7-8 – give me strength, wisdom, and reminders to ask, seek, and knock!

- 7.12 – help me to take the Golden Rule seriously, and let it rule all of my interactions with others

- 7.13-14 – give me courage to NOT follow the crowd but to pursue life found on the narrow road and through the small gate

- 7.24-27 – give me wisdom, strength, and courage as I build my foundation