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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 7, 2010 - 12:49pm PT
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Indian Peaks Wilderness boundary, heading up toward Mitchell Lake:
Goat Boy doing the skinny ski thing:
Mitchell Lake, set below Mount Audubon, often quite windy,
From there, after contouring along the lake, the tour slips into the trees and wilder snows:
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 7, 2010 - 12:51pm PT
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Little Pawnee Pk 12,466 feet:
Little Pawnee Pk has lots of rock along its northern flank.
A close-up of a particular buttress on Little Pawnee:
Jeff Lowe commented on some routes he had done; the offwidth is likely a first acsent, while it may be unclear about the other lines, as I was reminded recently that climbers have entertained ascents of portions of that escarpment for a few generations now.
"The orange and yellow line were alpine solo cruises. The red line is a two-pitch route up into a big, leaning corner with an offwidth cux [done with Mark Wilford]"
Jeff's comments pulled from this thread:
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=325486&tn=0
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 7, 2010 - 01:04pm PT
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Stich, hanging at the chilly destination:
Blue Lake:
Toll & Paiute:
Mt Toll, 12,979 feet:
Paiute Pk, 13,088 feet:
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 7, 2010 - 04:07pm PT
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Jenny now goes by "Jennifer".
She's a lawyer last we spoke ... lost contact a while back ... going to have to entertain that facebook jungle and reconnect.
I think you and I did meet back in the day; just didn't often cross paths.
I keep in pretty good touch with Messick.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 7, 2010 - 05:06pm PT
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There are not many vantage points where you can see the north face of Paiute.
Here it is peaking up on the far horizon:
A nice open meadow where good views begin to happen, Elk Tooth in the distance:
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Bobcat tracks? I believe that is the spoor of the elusive canada Lynx known for encrouching on the expansion of cultural centers like Vail....
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 7, 2010 - 05:09pm PT
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Entering the upper reaches of Middle St Vrain Creek, things get even more visual:
A closer view of Elk Tooth, at a typical turnaround point, about four or five hours into it:
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 7, 2010 - 05:12pm PT
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Maybe so Jay.
Bob D'Antonio identified those prints as bobcat when I first posted that photo.
What does he know though.
I was hoping for Puma.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 7, 2010 - 05:13pm PT
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At the end of our tour, where a hook left and south under a steep & well loaded slope, or a big drop down into a bottomless gorge demarcated our turnaround.
Gibraltar Lake out of view, on the left behind Eric’s right shoulder,
And the upper St. Vrain glaciers due west, sitting above that cliff behind him:
Swinging to the north at that same stance, looking up into the convoluted ramparts of Elk Tooth:
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 7, 2010 - 05:16pm PT
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Turning around for the long ski home:
Getting colder, but time for a last look up to the north.
Favorable light on one of the many complex faces bordering Rocky Mountain National Park’s southern border:
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 7, 2010 - 08:04pm PT
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From another trip in there toward St Vrain Glaciers,
Big cliffs at the open meadow halfway, harboring potential ice climbs.
I'm never quite sure how interesting that might be...
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 7, 2010 - 08:06pm PT
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And all kinds of rock along the way....
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 7, 2010 - 08:12pm PT
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Looking into wild basin,
Tanima Pk dead ahead, and the tip of Mount Alice East face on the right.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 7, 2010 - 08:15pm PT
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Bridges lead through and out of the lower valley:
Around Ouzel Falls, a view to the north looking at the backside of Longs and Meeker:
On a clear day, the early views of Mount Alice, about halfway through the tour, are quite good:
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 7, 2010 - 08:17pm PT
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Photos from another trip,
Heading straight for Thunder Lake,
The sun setting beneath Tanima Peak, to the right an obscure formation called Schist Wall, then Mount Alice:
Thunder Lake patrol cabin in full conditions:
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 7, 2010 - 08:21pm PT
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On this particular day however, we stayed higher,
Splitting the difference on the trail between Thunder Lake and Lion Lakes, heading straight for Alice:
Finally, after contouring above Thunder Lake and beneath the Lion Lakes headwall,
Our clean gradual line of ascent popped us out of the trees right in the flat cirque beneath Mount Alice:
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 7, 2010 - 08:23pm PT
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Quite a novel view of the backside of Long’s Peak,
With “The Notch” very nicely defined by blue sky and sharp granite:
The back or south side of Chiefshead:
Time to head down!
Alpenglow … soon to be headlamp-hour, looking up at Long’s & Meeker’s Southwest sides:
Some fun switchbacks led down into the darkness that night; Eric and I both enjoyed the company and solitude of nightfall,
Occasionally throwing sparks off of our edges as the trail thinned out amongst the snow and rocks.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 8, 2010 - 09:19pm PT
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Today I got out of the house, headed toward yonder cirque for a recon to Crater Lakes.
Middle Crater Lake, with Sprint Peak rising above the tree riddled headwall:
I plan to return for some spring mountaineering.
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