MOUNT EOLUS 7/24/89
MOUNT EOLUS 14,083'
Mountain........Mount Eolus
Elevation.........14,083
Rank...............33rd
Range..............San Juan
Trail length......1.5 miles (from Twin Lakes, w/North Eolus)
Elevation gain..1,800' (from Twin Lakes, w/North Eolus)
Difficulty..........**
Comments........'Sidewalk in the sky', met Annette!
TRIP REPORT
7/24/89
After climbing Sunlight earlier in the morning and taking a brief lunch break back at my tent at Twin Lakes, I started hiking around the lakes toward Eolus. I ran into two sisters from Denver (Annette & Karen) who were setting up camp nearby. We talked about the weather a bit and then I started up Eolus. There was a good trail and no problems up to the base of the summit wall. Here I had to cross a narrow 'sidewalk in the sky' (per Borneman & Lampert) - a flat-topped ridge 3-5 feet wide with sheer drops on both sides. I walked partway across and crawled the rest, then picked my way up steep, loose rock the last 200 feet or so to the summit.
I had my movie camera with me again, so I took some shots in a light sprinkle on top and then started down. Just below the summit I ran into Annette who was coming up (she's FAST!), and I pointed the way to the summit while she posed for a short clip saying Hello. Then she ran on to the top as I clumsily descended the slope, taking a wrong turn at one point that dead-ended at a cliff. I had to backtrack and eventually arrived down at the "sidewalk", where I paused for a water break. Thunder was rumbling nearby.
Annette showed up and joined me for a bit. She told me she was a chemical engineering professor at the Colorado School of Mines and that she enjoys technical climbing. She called me an 'Animal' (!) for hauling the camera and other unnecessary gear up the mountains. This endeared me to her for life. Most people just call me 'slug'.
I followed her tightroping walk back across the ridge, then she talked me into running up North Eolus 'as long as we were there' despite the threatening weather and my fatigue. I dropped my pack and it turned out to be a simple short scramble to the top; then we headed back down to camp telling mountain stories the whole way.
She crawled back into her tent with her sister as I packed my camp (I had a train to catch). On my way out, I handed her a business card which she stuck in her boot. Then I hiked back to within about a mile of the train tracks and set up camp for the night. The rain had stopped and it was a pleasant evening. I took a short nap, then had a dinner of chicken & rice, cocoa, nuts & raisins. Then I slept until my watch alarm went off the next morning.
I hiked back to the tracks where the train was supposed to arrive at 9:40, but it was a little late due to rockfall on the track. The conductor said he had chased a bear cub a little ways up the track. Eventually I got back to my car and drove to Telluride and the Victorian Inn.
Mountain........Mount Eolus
Elevation.........14,083
Rank...............33rd
Range..............San Juan
Trail length......1.5 miles (from Twin Lakes, w/North Eolus)
Elevation gain..1,800' (from Twin Lakes, w/North Eolus)
Difficulty..........**
Comments........'Sidewalk in the sky', met Annette!
TRIP REPORT
7/24/89
After climbing Sunlight earlier in the morning and taking a brief lunch break back at my tent at Twin Lakes, I started hiking around the lakes toward Eolus. I ran into two sisters from Denver (Annette & Karen) who were setting up camp nearby. We talked about the weather a bit and then I started up Eolus. There was a good trail and no problems up to the base of the summit wall. Here I had to cross a narrow 'sidewalk in the sky' (per Borneman & Lampert) - a flat-topped ridge 3-5 feet wide with sheer drops on both sides. I walked partway across and crawled the rest, then picked my way up steep, loose rock the last 200 feet or so to the summit.
I had my movie camera with me again, so I took some shots in a light sprinkle on top and then started down. Just below the summit I ran into Annette who was coming up (she's FAST!), and I pointed the way to the summit while she posed for a short clip saying Hello. Then she ran on to the top as I clumsily descended the slope, taking a wrong turn at one point that dead-ended at a cliff. I had to backtrack and eventually arrived down at the "sidewalk", where I paused for a water break. Thunder was rumbling nearby.
Annette showed up and joined me for a bit. She told me she was a chemical engineering professor at the Colorado School of Mines and that she enjoys technical climbing. She called me an 'Animal' (!) for hauling the camera and other unnecessary gear up the mountains. This endeared me to her for life. Most people just call me 'slug'.
I followed her tightroping walk back across the ridge, then she talked me into running up North Eolus 'as long as we were there' despite the threatening weather and my fatigue. I dropped my pack and it turned out to be a simple short scramble to the top; then we headed back down to camp telling mountain stories the whole way.
She crawled back into her tent with her sister as I packed my camp (I had a train to catch). On my way out, I handed her a business card which she stuck in her boot. Then I hiked back to within about a mile of the train tracks and set up camp for the night. The rain had stopped and it was a pleasant evening. I took a short nap, then had a dinner of chicken & rice, cocoa, nuts & raisins. Then I slept until my watch alarm went off the next morning.
I hiked back to the tracks where the train was supposed to arrive at 9:40, but it was a little late due to rockfall on the track. The conductor said he had chased a bear cub a little ways up the track. Eventually I got back to my car and drove to Telluride and the Victorian Inn.
posted by JansStores at 6:28 AM
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