ELLINGWOOD POINT 8/9/90

ELLINGWOOD POINT 14,042'

Mountain........Ellingwood Point
Elevation.........14,042
Rank...............43rd
Range..............Sangre de Cristo
Trail length......1 mile (from Blanca)
Elevation gain..450' (from Blanca saddle)
Difficulty..........**
Comments........Am I done yet?

TRIP REPORT

8/9/90

From Blanca's summit I descended on or near the ridge top to the Blanca - Ellingwood saddle. From there I followed cairns below the ridgetop on the left to Ellingwood Point, which at the time was a controversial Fourteener due to its proximity to Blanca, but now is an accepted member of the family.

To the north there were rugged peaks culminating in the serrated teeth of the Crestones. But my eyes wandered longingly back towards Alamosa. I slid and bouldered perilously down rockslides and rejoined the trail near Crater Lake. From there it was an easy hike back to camp. I packed up and made the long, long, hot trek back to the desert. By the time I reached my car I was dehydrated, exhausted, sore, and developing a nosebleed in the dry air.

I drove back to Alamosa, hosed myself down, and headed out for dinner at the local Subway. I followed that up with Cheetos and diet Coke in my room and then rested up for further adventures.

The next day I drove to Golden and found my friend Annette in her office at the Colorado School of Mines. We talked a bit, then I drove on to Boulder to visit Mitch, a climbing partner from earlier years. I helped Mitch and his wife, Melanie, put the roof on their cabin near Estes Park, then drove to Glenwood Springs and celebrated my birthday at the Los Desperados Bar while watching the Washington Redskins whip Denver in a pre-season football game. Then I checked into the Holiday Inn and prepared for a pleasant stroll up South Maroon Peak.