Where'd you get that glow-in-the-dark hat Kevin?
Karen & Tony above Willow Lake
Willow Lake - possibly one of the most picturesque I've been to in Colorado
Kit Carson Peak
The class 2+ gulley leading up to Challenger Point's northwest ridge was a 2000' garbage chute
Kevin split with us at the entrance to the gulley to pursue a series of 13er's
Another shot of the gulley leading up to Challenger Pt and the connecting ridge over to Kit Carson Peak
The Kirk Couloir offers another route, just right of Kit Carson, for those who enjoy steep snow
Karen and Tony stopping to sunscreen up
Jim and Tony heading up the grassy slopes toward the northwest ridge
Lesson learned, bring a daypack next time...I was way overpacked
Karen on the upper reaches of the gulley, almost there!
Route finding was difficult, and we took advantage of any solid rock we could find to avoid the rubble that fills the gulley
Tony towards the top of the gulley, centennial Mt Adams in the background
Are we there yet? Did I mention that the gulley was a loose mess?
Woohoo! We made it to the ridge! (Challenger Pt to the right, Kit Carson to the left
A close-up of Kit Carson Peak in the morning alpine glow
If you look closely, that tiny speck on top of Pt 13,541 is Kevin
Kevin's next objective, Pt 13,517
Part of the ridge connecting Pt 13,517 and Mt Adams
Centennial Mt Adams
A close-up of Mt Adams
We spotted a couple of Big Horn Sheep on our way up Challenger Pt
The Blanca Massif (including Blanca Peak, Ellingwood Point, and Little Bear Peak) with the Great Sand Dunes in the foreground
Tony topping out on Challenger Pt!
Jim topping out on Challenger Pt, #35!!
Tony signs the summit register with great views of Kit Carson and the Crestones behind
Karen and Jim on top of Challenger Pt
Our obligatory group summit photo
Boy, the Crestones look steep from this side!
There was a cool plaque on the summit, dedicating the peak to the courageous astronauts that died on board the Challenger
Kit Carson Avenue (our route toward the summit) is a ledge system visible in the lower right
A close-up of the avenue - the snow visible was of no consequence as the ledge is much wider than it seems
The first 1/3 of the avenue climbs slightly - looks are deceiving in this picture, it's much wider than it seems
Another shot from the start of Kit Carson Avenue
The avenue rounds a corner and then descends along Kit Carson's south face. It was bone dry except for this section, easily the toughest part
Karen crossing the snow-covered section of the avenue - we were glad to have our ice axes, although most climbers we met did not feel the need
Jim starting across the snow section
One last tricky section - after the snow is gone, the avenue is a cake walk
The class 3 gulley leading to Kit Carson's summit
The scrambling was fun and reminded me of a looser version of the south couloir on Crestone Peak
Tony taking on the conglamerate rock found in the gulley
Tony traversing a section before the summit, Columbia Pt in the background
Karen was motoring after leaving the gulley, and quickly scampered to the summit
The views east (r to l) to Columbia Pt, Obstruction Peak, and Humbolt Peak
Incredible views of the Crestones (l to r), Crestone Needle, NE Crestone Peak, and Crestone Peak
The ridge north where Kevin was hiking today with Willow Lake way down in the lower left
Challenger Pt, 400 yards away as the crow flies
Out summit photo on Kit Carson Peak
Success!
The views from the summit of Kit Carson were spectacular
On the descent back over to Challenger Pt - Tony and Jim are center
Moisture was condensing in the air as it rose from the valley below, covering the avenue with a light fog
Fast forward to the short downclimb back into the gulley west of Challenger Pt
The descent down the gulley was hazardous with several climbers above kicking loose rock missles - get me back to the lake!
Serenity - I could sit here for hours
Karen willow-bashing beside the lake - yes, she is actually on the trail
Breath-taking views from Willow Lake
A cool waterfall feeding the lake
Another cool waterfall near our campsite
We opted to pack up early rather than stay another night - little did we know what we were about to get into :-)
No more than 3 minutes after leaving camp - time for a raincoat and packcover
Moments later, we started getting pelted with dime to nickel size hail
Why was it a good idea to leave early again?
We endured heavy rain and hail for 30 minutes, and a trail turned creekbed. This was miles down the trail on a section I would call bone-dry compared to what we'd been through
4 drowned rats back at the trailhead, somebody get these people some dry clothes and a hot meal!
