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Base Camp
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- Statistics:
- Date Hiked: June 8, 2008
- Miles Hiked: 2.2
- Elevation Gain: 1,000'
- Hiking Partner(s): Jeff Shafer
- Description:
- Jeff and I had big plans of climbing Shooting Star Couloir on James
Peak this particular day. Mother Nature had different plans.
Friends had reported soft snow when reaching the climb by 7:30 am the
previous weekend, so we thought we'd move up the time and try and hit
the couloir when it was firm. We left Highlands Ranch (CO) shortly
after 2:00 am and were at the trailhead by 3:15 am. We made our
way to St. Mary's Glacier when the wind and snow increased in volume and
intensity. We quickly added a layer of clothing (our only) and
proceeded up the glacier assuming conditions would let up. As long
as we were moving, we stayed warm, but neither one of us had additional
clothes as we assumed a fairly warm day. It was June 8th anyway.
- Well, we hiked the glacier and started across the flats towards
James Peak when visibility decreased and the weather remained
poor. It was basically a ground blizzard we were hiking into.
Occasionally, we could pick up some ridge outlines to confirm our
position. I had read about people getting disoriented on these
high flats and didn't want to be one of them. We didn't have a GPS,
compass/map, or extra clothes to sustain the conditions. As a
result, we bailed and started back towards St. Mary's Glacier.
Approximately one third of the way back down the glacier we ran into a
group of three skiers who were also calling it a day. On the way
back down to the lake, I slipped and sprained my thumb which only
aggravated the morning. However, we recovered quickly. (See next
trip report.)
- Maps:
-
Click here
to view a
2D
map of the area where this hike is located. (The map is from my
James Peak hike a couple of years ago.)
- Photographs:
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