Two weeks ago, Sunday, I sat atop my final 14er of 2011, a 14er I had marveled at from afar for years. I can't help but stare at it's dynamic northern face as I drive over Dallas Divide on my way to Telluride. This past weekend, I had another chance to gawk at the mountain I had just sat on top of two weeks prior. I pulled off the highway and stood reminiscing in the freezing temps as little dust flakes of snow blew around me. I couldn't believe how much the mountain had changed in two weeks time. A week prior to climbing, it had snowed quite heavily on the peak, but when I was there it might as well had been a balmy summer day. Its apparent the the high peaks of Colorado don't get to experience certain seasons. Although I was up there the first weekend of fall, fall at 14,150' on Mt. Sneffels doesn't last. Ullr casts his wintery spell, takes hold and doesn't let go till summer.
10.9.11 Mt. Sneffels 14,150'
This weekend, another little get-a-way drive to the Telluride area, was not the typical summer adventure/workout that had been consuming my summer weekends. It turned into more of a relaxing trip to a tiny little town in SW Colorado where my Pops recently purchased a mountain home (his future retirement home). I am lucky kid that gets to stay and play and take care of the place till that day comes some many years from now. The drive to this town I know very well from my travels. I'd go back and forth from Grand Junction to Farmington, NM for the holidays, stopping and skiing at Telluride Mountain Resort along the way. I also had a season pass all through college...which I'll just say, placed me in the area quite frequently =) Though I had been through this tiny little town many times, it is so small that I never found a reason to stop and peruse around (except to grab some crappy snacks at the little Mountain Top gas station). Now I have a home that sits just above the only gas station in town!
The front
The back
Morning looking out from the front deck
Morning looking out from the front deck
From the deck looking West
Well now that I've yammered on about my new mountain home, I'll go back two weeks to September 25, 2011. To that climb to the top of Mt. Sneffels when fall was still fall.
Warming in the morning with the Peace Pit, at the lower parking area
Attempting to bike up to the main trailhead in the early morning light
Time to park the bikes at head on up, up, up!
The gates of hell, to heaven
The first major up
The Wilson Peaks coming into view
From the saddle between the two couloirs
Lizard Head in the distance
Looking up the next big climb from the saddle
Looking back down
At the top of the couloir, looking North
The "V Notch" you have to climb through to get to the top
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