Cathedral Spires

Yesterday, I climbed to the top of Cathedral Spires above the Platte River in the foothills east of the Lost Creek area with a CMC group. The climb started with a short but very steep hike to the saddle below the spires. From there, we scrambled to the top, over and under boulders and through tight places. From the top there were views to Mount Evans and Pikes Peak and to the closer granite domes and spires.

Mount Evans

It snowed a great deal this week, and yesterday, Buddy and I snow shoed up the Mount Evans road that runs to the top of the 14,240 foot mountain. The road is closed to vehicles for the winter. High on the road the snow was mostly melted, and the wind had blown the snow off some of the alpine meadows. We climbed to above the tree line where the ancient Rocky Mountain Bristlecone Pines are located.

Flat Top Mountain

Yesterday, I was the substitute leader for a hike up Flat Top Mountain in the Rocky Mountain National Park. The day was bright with a brilliant blue sky. High on the mountain there was a great deal of snow. We achieved the viewpoints that were our destinations. We could see down to Emerald Lake far below on the south side. Majestic Longs Peak dominated the scenery throughout the hike.

Forest Lakes

Today, Buddy and I hiked to Forest Lakes in the James Peak Wilderness. We had skied on this trail last winter. It is very different in September. A cold front is coming in and it grew increasingly overcast as we hiked.

The Grand Teton

Five days of hiking were haunted by the looming presence of the Grand Teton.

Jackson Lake

While we waited for our late day airplane flights on Monday, three of us hiked from Colter Bay Village to Hermitage Point along the shore of Jackson Lake.

Cascade Canyon

On the other side of the pass, we descended into the Canyons of Cascade Creek. This terrain was completely different from the western side. It was a steep sided, V-shaped canyon with towering, metamorphic walls. The Grand Tetons are thrust-fault mountains, where the fault has caused the eastern face of the mountains to tower above the Jackson Hole valley below. This wall was carved by glaciers, forming deep canyons. Water cascades down the Canyon walls from above, and the clear, clean water of the creek flows down the canyon in a series of falls. Our campsite had views up and down the canyon, the walls of which changed color in the changing light of the evening and morning. On Sunday, most of the group continued down the Canyon to Jenny Lake while five of us hiked up to serene Solitude Lake. The scenery down from the lake was dominated by the Grand Teton in front of us. We spotted a moose in the willows by the Creek. The trail was increasingly crowded as we approached Jenny Lake which was shocking after four days in the wilderness. The hike ended with a scenic boat ride across Jenny Lake.