CULEBRA PEAK 8/2/92
CULEBRA PEAK 14,047'
Mountain........Culebra Peak
Elevation.........14,047
Rank...............41st
Range..............Sangre de Cristo
Trail length......5.5 miles (from Taylor Ranch)
Elevation gain..4000' (from Taylor Ranch)
Difficulty..........*
Comments........Elk, bear, marmot, mud
TRIP REPORT
8/2/92
Another year, just two fourteeners to go, but I only made it up one (Culebra). My original flight to Denver was cancelled due to typical east coast thunderstorms which also knocked down a tree in my back yard. I had time to leave the airport, go home and chop up the tree, call the Taylor Ranch in Colorado to make arrangements to climb Culebra, take my wife to lunch, and return to the airport for the next available flight.
I flew first class (the only available seat!); high winds in Denver forced the pilot to abort the first landing attempt; he made it the second time around. I arrived late and found a Denver hotel around midnight. Slept for 3 hours, got up and checked out at 4. Drove to Walsenburg by 6:20 and had breakfast while a long, slow train blocked the only road through town. Then continued to Taylor Ranch (saw some pronghorn antelopes on the way) on a very slick muddy road, signed in, and managed to drive about a mile further before the mud and ruts got too deep for my Tercel.
I hiked 4 miles (and 1800' vertical) to the end of the jeep road and arrived just as a jeep showed up. Probably could have gotten a ride if I'd waited, but that's cheating. From the end of the road it was about a 1700' climb up the first knob (saw some elk across the slope). Then down 200' and up 600' to the first false summit (13,800'). From here, Jay Stateler (climbing his 53rd like me; he had Snowmass left, I had Capitol) pointed out a bear turning over rocks about a quarter mile away, probably going after a bird's nest and eggs (a bird was pecking at his head in an attempt to defend the nest). Bears above treeline! Stow your food at high camps!
Then it was another 200' up to another false summit. Finally I slogged up to the real summit and signed in as a herd of marmots watched and whistled. The views were nice. I had wanted to climb Red Mountain (13,900') also but it was further away than it had looked on the map and it was getting late and dark clouds were moving in. So I headed back to the car with lightning striking all the surrounding peaks. It started to pour just as I got back in the car. I signed out at the ranch and slid and skidded back out the mud & manure road and headed to Alamosa.
The rest of the 1992 trip: I re-climbed Castle Peak to leave Richard's ashes since he hadn't made it up in 1983. I was joined by my climbing partner Carol on Castle, and a few days later on Capitol where I failed for a third time to reach the summit (see Capitol Peak). Then I flew back home with just one bright shining peak left to climb.
Mountain........Culebra Peak
Elevation.........14,047
Rank...............41st
Range..............Sangre de Cristo
Trail length......5.5 miles (from Taylor Ranch)
Elevation gain..4000' (from Taylor Ranch)
Difficulty..........*
Comments........Elk, bear, marmot, mud
TRIP REPORT
8/2/92
Another year, just two fourteeners to go, but I only made it up one (Culebra). My original flight to Denver was cancelled due to typical east coast thunderstorms which also knocked down a tree in my back yard. I had time to leave the airport, go home and chop up the tree, call the Taylor Ranch in Colorado to make arrangements to climb Culebra, take my wife to lunch, and return to the airport for the next available flight.
I flew first class (the only available seat!); high winds in Denver forced the pilot to abort the first landing attempt; he made it the second time around. I arrived late and found a Denver hotel around midnight. Slept for 3 hours, got up and checked out at 4. Drove to Walsenburg by 6:20 and had breakfast while a long, slow train blocked the only road through town. Then continued to Taylor Ranch (saw some pronghorn antelopes on the way) on a very slick muddy road, signed in, and managed to drive about a mile further before the mud and ruts got too deep for my Tercel.
I hiked 4 miles (and 1800' vertical) to the end of the jeep road and arrived just as a jeep showed up. Probably could have gotten a ride if I'd waited, but that's cheating. From the end of the road it was about a 1700' climb up the first knob (saw some elk across the slope). Then down 200' and up 600' to the first false summit (13,800'). From here, Jay Stateler (climbing his 53rd like me; he had Snowmass left, I had Capitol) pointed out a bear turning over rocks about a quarter mile away, probably going after a bird's nest and eggs (a bird was pecking at his head in an attempt to defend the nest). Bears above treeline! Stow your food at high camps!
Then it was another 200' up to another false summit. Finally I slogged up to the real summit and signed in as a herd of marmots watched and whistled. The views were nice. I had wanted to climb Red Mountain (13,900') also but it was further away than it had looked on the map and it was getting late and dark clouds were moving in. So I headed back to the car with lightning striking all the surrounding peaks. It started to pour just as I got back in the car. I signed out at the ranch and slid and skidded back out the mud & manure road and headed to Alamosa.
The rest of the 1992 trip: I re-climbed Castle Peak to leave Richard's ashes since he hadn't made it up in 1983. I was joined by my climbing partner Carol on Castle, and a few days later on Capitol where I failed for a third time to reach the summit (see Capitol Peak). Then I flew back home with just one bright shining peak left to climb.
posted by JansStores at 5:22 AM
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