Uncompahgre Peak

Uncompahgre Peak

Date Climbed: August 10-11, 2015

Climbing Partners: none

Elevation: 14,309

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            drweiss2
            Daniel Weiss

    I pulled off my helmet and checked the sky. The weather was turning sour and I still had five and a half miles to go to my campsite. At least I had a week of nothing but backpacking and climbing ahead of me, so this little setback wouldn't do much to my trip. After a grueling couple of weeks putting together a VBS and a Youth Retreat back to back, I was ready for this vacation.

    The trailhead I had just stopped at was for San Luis Peak, one of the most remote and most beautiful 14er trails in Colorado. It would be an 11 mile round trip over multiple passes and across several smaller peaks; all of it above timberline. With the weather turning bad and thunderstorms on the way, I knew I had no hope of making it to my campsite before the storms came. After the terrible lightening storm on Bierstadt, I had no wish to take my chances with lightning. So I reluctantly put my helmet back on and drove my four-wheeler back down the rough road.

    I had already driven four hours from Denver to Creede and it was the early afternoon. After a quick trip back to the truck, I loaded the four-wheeler, packed up my gear and set off for my backup plan: Uncompahgre Peak. It took an hour to reach Lake City, a small town similar to Ouray before it became such a tourist trap. After stopping in the local sports shop for directions to the trailhead, I was on the dirt road leading out of town. It took 15 minutes before the turnoff came up and I was forced to unload the four-wheeler. Once I was unloaded, in came the rain and wind. I had known for some time that this would be a very rainy week, but my schedule did not allow for a different week. So I threw on my rain jacket and rain pants, covered up my backpack, and went up the road.

    It was a rough three and a half miles to the trailhead. The rain quickly moved on, and by the time I had parked my four-wheeler and geared up, it was a warm sunny afternoon. I signed in on the register  and hiked in. After 30 short minutes, I had reached timberline and had a clear view of Uncompahgre. Because of the storms in the area, I had to stay below timberline, so I set up camp, cooked dinner and enjoyed the nice weather until it was time for bed.

    5 AM the next morning, my alarm went off and I was wide awake. The forecast called for an early lightning storm, so it was now or never. I could hear the rain as it continued to pour down on the tent. I set my alarm for thirty more minutes and decided to wait for the weather to clear (if it ever would). After two hours of waking up and reseting the alarm, the weather cleared and I could hear voices coming from the trail. I quickly threw on my boots, put on my rain jacket and set out for Uncompahgre.

    After spending a night alone at a high camp, it was reassuring to know I would not be alone climbing the peak today. Even though I knew there would be nothing anyone could do if a storm did move in, for some reason there is a feeling of comfort that won't have to go through an ordeal like that alone. Once on the trail, I saw that there were eight other people on the trail, most of them a mile or so ahead. I set my eyes on the farthest one up the trail and made it my goal to beat them to the top. The quicker I got off the summit, the less chance I had of getting stuck in the storm.

    The clouds were eerily low. It looked more like a hike through the rolling hills of scotland than the high country of Colorado. There were clouds in every direction, and the occasional sprinkle of rain, but none of the clouds look threatening.

    Uncompahgre is one of Colorado's most beautiful looking 14ers. it is a giant block of rock on top of a mountain. Almost like a mountain on a mountain. From my vantage point, I saw no way up that would not require a vertical climb, but from the reports I knew there was an "easy" way up. The approach was one of the most beautiful scenes I had ever enjoyed on a 14er. Problem was, I was so worried about storms that I was not able to stop and take in the beauty.

    In no time at all I had passed everyone but the lone hiker at the front. A few switchbacks later and we were close enough to talk to each other. Just as we began the scramble up the summit block, he went out of sight around a corner and I stopped to give him a chance to get ahead so I didn't have to dodge any rocks he might kick loose. From my vantage point, I had a perfect view of the Matterhorn and behind it, an obscured view of Wetterhorn Peak, my next 14er. The clouds were getting thicker and I was slowly losing sight of the valley far below. I knew we would have to be quick, as the weather seemed like it could go either way.

    A few minutes later, I had surmounted the loose rock guarding the summit block and was trekking across some relatively flat ground. I couldn't see more than a hundred feet at this point because of the thick fog covering the mountain. Ahead I could see the silhouette of the lone hiker ahead of me. He had stopped and was standing next to the cliff at the edge of the summit. When I reached him, we congratulated each other and I checked my watch. I had gone from my high camp to the summit in just an hour and forty minutes. It was a great time, unfortunately, I had paid for it. My heels were bleeding and every step felt like my heels were being stabbed with a knife. After some quick pictures through the gaps in the clouds, quickly descended.

    After a few quick chats with hikers on their way up, I was out of the clouds and in the Nellie Creek drainage on my way down to my high camp. The weather looked a little better than it had earlier so I was able to take my time on the way down. It wasn't even close to noon and since I was so close to Lake City, I could stop for some lunch. Unfortunately, my heels were in terrible shape and with a week of backpacking ahead of me, I needed to find a way to clean and dress them. I quickly packed up camp, and made it back into town just after noon. Since there was no reception in town, I had to find the shops that had wifi so I could contact my family and let them know I had made it out.

    Later that night I was standing in front of a cabin I had managed to get for the night. just over the mountains I could see the flashes of light and the loud booms of the thunder off in the distance over Wetterhorn Peak. There had been a flash flood warning issued for the night along with a severe thunderstorm warning. With my heels in such bad shape, I had opted to spend the night in a place I could take care of my heels and rest them, rather than go through the misery of unpacking in a storm and packing up soaking wet gear. From what I could see, I had made the right decision on taking a day to rest. Early the next morning I would be preparing for Wetterhorn Peak and that evening I would be at my high camp in one of the prettiest basins in Colorado. But for now, I was just glad to have a bed and good food.