Friday, September 6th, 2024, 0500-1200
CO 14ers: 27 & 28
Distance RT: 8 miles (not including the 5 miles I got a ride down…which I still later added on with my hike at Independence pass)
Elevation gain/loss: 4600′
Starting Elevation: 9,850′
Summits: 14,274′ & 14,037′
Rank: 10 & *45-46 of 53 *Conundrum doesn’t technically meet the 300′ prominence standard to be considered a separate peak, but I’ve included it in my count as its prominence is 225’…close enough!
Location: Elk Mountains, south of Aspen
Route: (Route #1 & COMBO), Difficult Class #2
After spending some time in Leadville and Aspen the day before, I car-camped along Castle creek, ready for an early start. Incidentally, this was the first time I drove all the way over Independence Pass and visited Aspen. That’s right, growing up in Colorado, I had never once been to Aspen before this adventure. The weather was quite unsettled all day Thursday: cold with numerous rain storms. By the time I settled into camp, it was very chilly. But the sun came out at the end of the day and it looked like the rain had finally passed. The forecast for the next day called for clear conditions all day.
I found a good pull-out along the dirt road, just before it got really rough. The dispersed campsites were free but also numbered, indicating some level of control and restriction. I took site #2, arriving by about 5 pm. Numerous vehicles passed by over the next few hours, presumably finding sites up to #9 further up the road. I considered hiking halfway up the road to camp for the night, but everything was wet and cold from the rain. The back of my car was warm and dry, so I figured I’d just get an earlier start the next morning.
I woke up by 5 am when I heard the usually early morning traffic passing by. I hit the road by 5:30 am, walking in the dark for about 45 minutes. I had to leave my car about 1 mile past where the pavement ended on the road, since after that, the 4WD conditions got pretty bad. As always, I hoped for a nice person in a 4WD to offer a ride, but none came by as I walked. It was about 5 miles to the Upper 4WD parking area, which entailed some seriously rough and rocky tread. I passed some vehicles and tents in the first 2 miles, but only 2 vehicles had managed to make it all the way to the trailhead…a Tacoma and an SUV. I was surprised that either of them had gotten that far, as rough and narrow as the old mining road was. I also passed 1 hiker on the road, and could see several others making their way up the headwall.
I wanted to head straight up a snowfield, but after going up about a quarter of the way, I realized it was too steep to do without the right equipment. So I sidled over to the steep scree and picked my way along on the loose and crumbly surface. The rocks on one particularly steep section began sliding…not good! Coming down, I realized that I should have stuck to the other side of the headwall (left if looking up towards the peaks), as there was actually a stable trail with a few switchbacks through the scree. Oh well. I made it up to the basin, where there was a glacial lake with big ice chunks still floating. I moved left to gain the standard route up the Northeast Ridge. Once on the ridge, there was a very fun route bypassing a few rock outcrops. It was just enough to keep me on my toes. I passed a few people, but overall this was a very quiet day.
I chatted with some young guys near the top of Castle, then ended up hop-scotching them the rest of the way to Conundrum. The Castle summit was nice, with good views all around. I could just make out some of the San Juan peaks, plus all the 14ers in the Elk mountains and many of the Collegiates. A weird haze had moved in overnight, which I presumed to be wildfire smoke. At 14k’, I was just above it. It created a neat phenomenon in which only the other surrounding 14ers poked above as well, looking like islands in the their dominance over the ‘lesser’ terrain. It was like the wildfire smoke was highlighting the 14ers. I could easily pick out Mt Massive, Elbert, La Plata, Huron, Belford/Missouri/Oxford, and Harvard…all ones I’d been to the top of or planned to do in the upcoming days.
These were my first 2 summits in the Elk mountains, and would be my only ones this trip. The rest (2 Maroon Bells, Pyramid, Capitol and Snowmass) called for a more serious commitment, as they were all rated as Class 3 and 4. Capitol was reported to be the hardest 14er of all 53. For now, I was very content hiking just these 2, especially since they came as a package.
Doing the extra distance to Conundrum peak was pretty easy, even if I disliked losing so much elevation descending Castle to the saddle, then having to regain it all over again. Look how much it rises behind me, from where I’m standing on Conundrum’s Summit. Also, technically the rise to Conundrum (225′) wasn’t enough to qualify it as a separate peak, but I’m going to count it anyway. It didn’t feel like much of a peak, but going up to the top of Castle twice certainly made me feel like I earned 2 summits this day.
I briefly considered going down the couloir route from the saddle to the basin, bypassing the climb to Castle again, but the scree and gravel slope looked treacherously steep. The 2 young guys did it, while I watched them from Castle’s ridge. It looked like they got stuck for awhile, which they later confirmed. Was it faster? Well, I caught up to them right as we got to the trailhead, so I would say no. But then again, I’m a pretty fast hiker.
My timing was perfect, as the guys offered me a ride down in their Tacoma. But after about 5 minutes, I began to regret my decision to take the ride. While they and their truck were all more than capable, the road was just so rocky and narrow, I was worried we were going to slide off a few times. The driver went very slow while his copilot was constantly leaning out the window to guide him past rocks. I was actually quite impressed with their skill, especially considering that they’d driven all the way up in the dark. In the end, I was very grateful for the ride. I got back to my car hours earlier than expected, allowing me plenty of time to explore Aspen some more (and charge my electric rental car), then later go for another hike at the top of Independence pass. It was a very great and productive day!
