Kit Carson Mountain 8/9/91
Kit Carson Mountain 14,165'
Mountain........Kit Carson Mountain
Elevation.........14,165
Rank...............23rd
Range..............Sangre de Cristo
Trail length......7 miles
Elevation gain..7000' (including backtracking)
Difficulty..........****
Comments........Leave your dogs at home
TRIP REPORT
8/9/91
Driving along Route 17 from Alamosa to Crestone at 4:30 a.m. I spotted a lot of bunny ears in the grass near the road. I drove to within about 1.5 miles of the Willow Lake trailhead - you will need a jeep (or something better than an Escort) for the rest. Saw more bunnies and two deer down low and after passing by scenic meadows and waterfalls eventually arrived at Willow Lake. Here I saw what I think were two mule deer fawns (barrel-shaped and spotted). While working my way around the lake I heard barking and seconds later had two Rottweilers in my face. I stood very still and talked to them quietly as they leaped and yapped. Eventually their owners, who were camped about a quarter mile away by the lake, woke up and called the dogs back. Thanks a lot. In Maryland, we have leash laws.
A little bit shaken (I prefer bear encounters to dogs!) I took a high route around the lake to avoid further pet problems and got above the waterfall at the far end of Willow Lake to a narrow valley. I continued up the rocky trail until reaching the base of what is now Challenger Peak on the right (at the time it was just a lump next to Kit Carson). I climbed straight up most of the way toward Challenger's summit (required lots of arm work), then angled left to a notch directly below Kit Carson's peak, following badly placed cairns. Very steep and slabby.
From here the peak looked impossible, at least for a solo unroped effort. The summit was about 300' directly above atop a wall of knobby conglomerate that would have been fun to top-rope. However, nobody tossed a rope down, so I scouted around and finally decided to go to the right around the peak, and DOWN! a slash across Carson's flank (about 200' descent). This worked - it put me at the base of a steep loose-rock couloir that led directly to the summit ridge with a little scrambling.
As I sat amazed on the summit, looking across at the Crestones and wondering how in the world I was going to climb them, a guy on Challenger's peak yelled across to me (it's that close) and asked how the hell I got there. I told him. He disappeared. None of the trail guides described the route I had taken; only one mentioned Willow Lake as a possible route. But I think it's easier than coming over from Colony Lakes.
I worked my way back down the couloir and traversed up the slash to the notch. The first 200' down from there (which involve about 1/2 mile of traversing below the Challenger ridge) scared me to death. I went VERY slowly and finally found some cairns, which helped some but not a lot. Back in the valley above Willow Lake, hail and lightning attacked as I meandered into a willow bog by mistake. I had to retreat uphill to get back on the trail to the lake; I again kept a high line around the lake to avoid dogs which resulted in bashed shins among the tangled trees.
It was hailing and raining most of the way down; very windy and a little chilly. I got to the car around 6:45 (late!) sneezing, aching,with dry eyes, stomach cramps and knee spasms. I spent the next day in Alamosa recuperating, doing laundry, and preparing for a pack adventure into the Crestones.
Mountain........Kit Carson Mountain
Elevation.........14,165
Rank...............23rd
Range..............Sangre de Cristo
Trail length......7 miles
Elevation gain..7000' (including backtracking)
Difficulty..........****
Comments........Leave your dogs at home
TRIP REPORT
8/9/91
Driving along Route 17 from Alamosa to Crestone at 4:30 a.m. I spotted a lot of bunny ears in the grass near the road. I drove to within about 1.5 miles of the Willow Lake trailhead - you will need a jeep (or something better than an Escort) for the rest. Saw more bunnies and two deer down low and after passing by scenic meadows and waterfalls eventually arrived at Willow Lake. Here I saw what I think were two mule deer fawns (barrel-shaped and spotted). While working my way around the lake I heard barking and seconds later had two Rottweilers in my face. I stood very still and talked to them quietly as they leaped and yapped. Eventually their owners, who were camped about a quarter mile away by the lake, woke up and called the dogs back. Thanks a lot. In Maryland, we have leash laws.
A little bit shaken (I prefer bear encounters to dogs!) I took a high route around the lake to avoid further pet problems and got above the waterfall at the far end of Willow Lake to a narrow valley. I continued up the rocky trail until reaching the base of what is now Challenger Peak on the right (at the time it was just a lump next to Kit Carson). I climbed straight up most of the way toward Challenger's summit (required lots of arm work), then angled left to a notch directly below Kit Carson's peak, following badly placed cairns. Very steep and slabby.
From here the peak looked impossible, at least for a solo unroped effort. The summit was about 300' directly above atop a wall of knobby conglomerate that would have been fun to top-rope. However, nobody tossed a rope down, so I scouted around and finally decided to go to the right around the peak, and DOWN! a slash across Carson's flank (about 200' descent). This worked - it put me at the base of a steep loose-rock couloir that led directly to the summit ridge with a little scrambling.
As I sat amazed on the summit, looking across at the Crestones and wondering how in the world I was going to climb them, a guy on Challenger's peak yelled across to me (it's that close) and asked how the hell I got there. I told him. He disappeared. None of the trail guides described the route I had taken; only one mentioned Willow Lake as a possible route. But I think it's easier than coming over from Colony Lakes.
I worked my way back down the couloir and traversed up the slash to the notch. The first 200' down from there (which involve about 1/2 mile of traversing below the Challenger ridge) scared me to death. I went VERY slowly and finally found some cairns, which helped some but not a lot. Back in the valley above Willow Lake, hail and lightning attacked as I meandered into a willow bog by mistake. I had to retreat uphill to get back on the trail to the lake; I again kept a high line around the lake to avoid dogs which resulted in bashed shins among the tangled trees.
It was hailing and raining most of the way down; very windy and a little chilly. I got to the car around 6:45 (late!) sneezing, aching,with dry eyes, stomach cramps and knee spasms. I spent the next day in Alamosa recuperating, doing laundry, and preparing for a pack adventure into the Crestones.
posted by JansStores at 5:50 AM
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