WINDOM PEAK 8/15/88
WINDOM PEAK 14,082'
Mountain........Windom Peak
Elevation.........14,082
Rank...............34th
Range..............San Juan
Trail length......8 miles
Elevation gain..5,900'
Difficulty..........**
Comments........First backpack climb; Train ride
TRIP REPORT
8/15/88
I had planned and trained for a one-week backpack and climb with two friends (Mike and Kit) in the Needles section of the San Juan mountains, so about a month after Richard's death (see Missouri Mountain) we flew out to Durango and spent a pleasant night at the General Palmer Hotel by the trainyard. We were very well cared for by the staff (Thanks, Steffi!), who had picked up our camp stove fuel for us prior to our arrival, fed us snacks & coffee in the lobby, and were very helpful with directions, information, and the all-important wake-up call. We had a big dinner and arranged our packs & provisions for the trek.
We got up early and took the 7:30 Rockwood train (not the regularly scheduled tourist train which leaves much later) to Needleton bridge (about 8:40), where they slowed enough to allow us to toss our packs and then jump out. We took off pretty quickly for Chicago Basin. Kit and Mike had no major climbing ambitions and so were headed for the lower basin; I planned to climb a bit so I took off at a faster pace headed for the Twin Lakes basin about 1300' higher up.
I had a pleasant lunch in the lower basin, then headed up the steep headwall to Twin Lakes in absolutely gorgeous weather, enchanted by the flowers and waterfalls. At 3:15 I got to the lakes and set up camp and collected water for cooking & climbing. I snacked on pepperoni before having a dinner of freeze-dried Shrimp Alfredo. Mmmmmm. Some surprisingly yellow marmots and curious mountain goats herded around to watch. I was hoping to go for multiple summits in the morning before descending to meet Kit & Mike in the afternoon, so I dove in the tent early to rest.
There were about 15 other people camped in the area. I played solitaire and listened to the crunchy sound of goats wandering around the tent. Around 8:00 I tried to sleep but couldn't. I was somewhat nauseous (could have been nerves, the altitude, or the shrimp) and the weather was turning rough - windy, colder, and big clouds. I wound up spending a sleepless night listening to rain & hail pounding the tent.
I crawled out of my bag at 7:00 a.m., threw on my pack, and started up Windom, following a cairned trail to a saddle at about 13,600'. There was a heavy mist but the rain had stopped. I turned left at the saddle and followed the ridge top to the summit. There was some tricky bouldering right at the top and it was hard to find the summit register in the clouds. I signed in, scattered some of Richard's ashes (I signed him in too), took a picture of my wife's pet elephant Hooty on the peak, and then descended via a chute to the northwest, still considering the possibility of going up Sunlight. But it was starting to rain on and off, I was climbing alone for the first time, and Sunlight was not one of the easier climbs, so I decided against it.
I followed a line of snowfields back to camp and then huddled in the tent as another hailstorm hit. When it had passed, I packed camp and started heading back down to Chicago Basin around noon. I ran into Kit & Mike who were on their way up with full packs planning to spend a night at Twin Lakes - I discouraged that idea due to the weather, and they dropped their packs and headed up to the lakes with just a light lunch and their cameras as I continued descending. I set up my camp at the base of the headwall and a few hours later Kit & Mike arrived just in time to set up their tent in a monster hailstorm. Afterwards the sun came out and dried things out a little and we had dinner and slept.
The next three days it poured steadily and we slogged over Columbine Pass and up Vallecito Creek through mud and slop with some perilous log bridge stream crossings (one of which Mike fell off but was fortunately only bruised and a little wetter). Then we headed up and over Hunchback Pass to the Continental Divide where finally the weather cleared and we were able to dry out (lots of clothes tied to our packs and flapping in the wind). On the seventh day we arrived in Howardsville, couldn't find a decent camp, and so continued on toward Silverton. We got a lift in a pickup truck for the last mile or so into town and found a hostel where we could spend the night.
We cleaned up as much as possible (the showers were behind ragged curtains in the hallway) and then went to Romero's Mexican restaurant for a pitcher of incredible margaritas and a jukebox singalong with the locals. Highly recommended. Then we slept and the next day took the tourist train back to Durango.
Mountain........Windom Peak
Elevation.........14,082
Rank...............34th
Range..............San Juan
Trail length......8 miles
Elevation gain..5,900'
Difficulty..........**
Comments........First backpack climb; Train ride
TRIP REPORT
8/15/88
I had planned and trained for a one-week backpack and climb with two friends (Mike and Kit) in the Needles section of the San Juan mountains, so about a month after Richard's death (see Missouri Mountain) we flew out to Durango and spent a pleasant night at the General Palmer Hotel by the trainyard. We were very well cared for by the staff (Thanks, Steffi!), who had picked up our camp stove fuel for us prior to our arrival, fed us snacks & coffee in the lobby, and were very helpful with directions, information, and the all-important wake-up call. We had a big dinner and arranged our packs & provisions for the trek.
We got up early and took the 7:30 Rockwood train (not the regularly scheduled tourist train which leaves much later) to Needleton bridge (about 8:40), where they slowed enough to allow us to toss our packs and then jump out. We took off pretty quickly for Chicago Basin. Kit and Mike had no major climbing ambitions and so were headed for the lower basin; I planned to climb a bit so I took off at a faster pace headed for the Twin Lakes basin about 1300' higher up.
I had a pleasant lunch in the lower basin, then headed up the steep headwall to Twin Lakes in absolutely gorgeous weather, enchanted by the flowers and waterfalls. At 3:15 I got to the lakes and set up camp and collected water for cooking & climbing. I snacked on pepperoni before having a dinner of freeze-dried Shrimp Alfredo. Mmmmmm. Some surprisingly yellow marmots and curious mountain goats herded around to watch. I was hoping to go for multiple summits in the morning before descending to meet Kit & Mike in the afternoon, so I dove in the tent early to rest.
There were about 15 other people camped in the area. I played solitaire and listened to the crunchy sound of goats wandering around the tent. Around 8:00 I tried to sleep but couldn't. I was somewhat nauseous (could have been nerves, the altitude, or the shrimp) and the weather was turning rough - windy, colder, and big clouds. I wound up spending a sleepless night listening to rain & hail pounding the tent.
I crawled out of my bag at 7:00 a.m., threw on my pack, and started up Windom, following a cairned trail to a saddle at about 13,600'. There was a heavy mist but the rain had stopped. I turned left at the saddle and followed the ridge top to the summit. There was some tricky bouldering right at the top and it was hard to find the summit register in the clouds. I signed in, scattered some of Richard's ashes (I signed him in too), took a picture of my wife's pet elephant Hooty on the peak, and then descended via a chute to the northwest, still considering the possibility of going up Sunlight. But it was starting to rain on and off, I was climbing alone for the first time, and Sunlight was not one of the easier climbs, so I decided against it.
I followed a line of snowfields back to camp and then huddled in the tent as another hailstorm hit. When it had passed, I packed camp and started heading back down to Chicago Basin around noon. I ran into Kit & Mike who were on their way up with full packs planning to spend a night at Twin Lakes - I discouraged that idea due to the weather, and they dropped their packs and headed up to the lakes with just a light lunch and their cameras as I continued descending. I set up my camp at the base of the headwall and a few hours later Kit & Mike arrived just in time to set up their tent in a monster hailstorm. Afterwards the sun came out and dried things out a little and we had dinner and slept.
The next three days it poured steadily and we slogged over Columbine Pass and up Vallecito Creek through mud and slop with some perilous log bridge stream crossings (one of which Mike fell off but was fortunately only bruised and a little wetter). Then we headed up and over Hunchback Pass to the Continental Divide where finally the weather cleared and we were able to dry out (lots of clothes tied to our packs and flapping in the wind). On the seventh day we arrived in Howardsville, couldn't find a decent camp, and so continued on toward Silverton. We got a lift in a pickup truck for the last mile or so into town and found a hostel where we could spend the night.
We cleaned up as much as possible (the showers were behind ragged curtains in the hallway) and then went to Romero's Mexican restaurant for a pitcher of incredible margaritas and a jukebox singalong with the locals. Highly recommended. Then we slept and the next day took the tourist train back to Durango.
posted by JansStores at 6:32 AM
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