Colorado 2008

Colorado 2008 | atlantaclimber.com

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Colorado 2008

In August 2008, Chad Cross and I climbed two 14,000-ft peaks in Colorado, Blanca Peak (14,345ft) and Ellingwood Point (14,042ft) via the Blanca/Ellingwood Combination Route - Ascend Blanca's Northwest Face (Grade III, Class 2) then descend Ellingwood's South Face Route (Grade III, Class 2). This was my 7th and 8th 14ers and my 3rd and 4th with Chad. We also did some sightseeing in Colorado Springs.

001 South of Pueblo	002 Thunderstorm near Walsenburg	003 Mountain clouds near Walsenburg	004 Clouds over Blanca Massif or Group - Blanca Peak, Ellingwood Point and Little Bear Peak
005 Summits of Blanca Group	010 Blanca Group	011 Sun starting to set off Colorado 150 near Blanca	012 Blanca Group
013 Lake Como Road (we parked at the top of the prairie, just before heading into the trees)	014 Chad at tent on Lake Como Road	015 Our rental	020 Sunset from Lake Como Road
021 Morning on Lake Como Road - notice long shadow from Blanca Peak (it's blocking the sun)	022 Looking back at the car (third car - dark dot - near trees on right side of road)	023 Gaining altitude fast	024 Can still make out road where we parked
025 Views are getting impressive	057 First little obstacle of hike to Lake Como	059 First glimps of Little Bear Peak (to the left)	060 Looking back at valley below
061 Trail from valley - rockiest trail I've ever been on	062 Little Bear Peak - WOW	063 Chad on Trail to Lake Como	064 Lake Como with Litte Bear Peak - WOW
065 Lake Como and Little Bear	067 Looking across Lake Como at treeline where we made camp	068 Jason at Lake Como	069 Chad at Lake Como
070 Little Bear over Lake Como	071 Lake Como	072 Our tent at Lake Como	073 The bridge to our tent
074 Storm clouds brewing over Blanca and Little Bear	075 Our tent below Little Bear Peak	076 Storm on Little Bear Peak	077 Other tents around Lake Como
078 Sunrise over Ellingwood Point	080 Early start for Blanca Peak and Ellingwood Point - Ellingwood Point behind me	082 Ellingwood Point	084 Chad at the top of the first steep section - one of several alpine lakes below
086 The saddle between Blanca and Ellingwood - our route is right of center	088 The first bit of technical scrambling	090 Chad surveying the approach - getting a little sketchy	092 Looking back down the valley where we'd started
094 Some of the more technical scrambling ahead	096 Chad on possibly the crux of our route - no rope needed as long as you don't fall	098 Level with the saddle between Blanca and Ellingwood (Ellingwood to the left)	100 Looking north from the saddle
101 Summit ridge - stay to the right	102 Summit ridge	103 Summit of Blanca Peak looking down to valley and Lake Como (on left) where we started	104 Mount Lindsey from Blanca Peak
106 Alphine lakes in valley to the east of Blanca	108 Chad (left) on summit	110 Summit ridge we just climbed from saddle between Blanca and Ellingwood	112 Above the clouds
114 Chad on summit	116 Jason on summit	122 Headed down to the saddle and up to Ellingwood Point	124 Chad (in black) taking a break on the descent to the saddle
126 Climbers ahead of us on Ellingwood Point	127 Blanca Peak from saddle	128 Chad climbing up to Ellingwood Point	129 Ellingwood Point Summit (Mount Lindsey in background)
130 Blanca Peak from the summit of Ellingwood Point	131 On the descent looking back up to Ellingwood Point summit	132 Headed back to camp	133 Looking back up to the saddle
134 Deer in alpine meadow above Lake Como	136 Sun rising over Lake Como from the Gully on Little Bear Peak	137 Sun rising on Ellingwood Point from the Gully on Little Bear.JPG	138 Sun rising on Ellingwood Point from the Gully on Little Bear
140 Ellingwood Point from The Gully on Little Bear	141 Chad starting up the Gully	142 Chad halfway up the Gully	143 Looking down to the prairie where we started
144 Chad almost to the top	146 Chad at the top of the Gully at the beginning of the climb up Little Bear	148 Almost to the car - cursing rocks more with every step then too tired to curse	150 Looking back up the ridges we'd descended
152 Back at the car and done with 45lb packs	154 Colorado 150 west of Blanca	156 Lake Como Road	158 Blanca Group wtih Lake Como Road bottom left
160 Blanca Group from town of Blanca	162 Blanca Group from Town of Blanca	163 Me with a four day beard	164 Blanca Group from town of Blanca
166 Blanca Group from near town of Blanca	168 Blanca Group from near town of Blanca	170 Blanca Group from near town of Blanca	172 One of the Spanish Peaks from near Walsenburg
174 Pikes Peak Group near Colorado Springs	176 Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs	178 Pikes Peak from Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs	180 Garden of the Gods
182 Garden of the Gods (notice climber)	184 This would be awesome rock climbing (on road to Pikes Peak)	186 Road to Pikes Peak - sometimes guard rails, sometimes no	188 Colorado Springs from Pikes Peak
190 Jason at the top of Pikes Peak (we drove this 14er)	192 Jason on Pikes Peak

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