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Base Camp
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- Statistics:
- Date Hiked: June 27,
2008
- Miles Hiked: 7.5
- Elevation Gain: 3,280'
- Hiking Partner(s): Jeff
Shafer
- Description:
- The Savage Couloir on Savage Mountain looked like a fun climb to try
from Dave Cooper's snow climb book. Jeff and I left Highlands
Ranch (CO) at 3:15 am and started the approach at 6:00 am. Neither
one of us had been to the area, and we both agreed that just the hike to
Missouri Lakes was well worth the trip. It was nice to be in a new
area that was unfamiliar to us. The hike in on the trail went
quickly and the snow held our weight for the most part. We decided
to leave the trail around 11,200' when snow made it impossible to follow
the trail. After crossing the creek on a meager snow bridge, we
quickly traversed to the basin below Savage Mountain above tree line.
We took a break here to refuel, apply sunscreen, and pull out our
crampons and axes.
- Although straightforward, the snow climb was very pleasing and
seemed to go on for quite some time. With the exception of one
rock that managed to pass the two of us, the climb was uneventful.
The scenery was great, and kicking steps was very easy. Jeff was
in good form and ended up ahead of me by a couple hundred feet, so I
even pulled my iPod out for part of the climb. We followed the
couloir to the summit where we talked, ate, and enjoyed the morning for
30 minutes before heading down. As described in Cooper's book, the
descent was a lot of fun and went quickly back to tree line. Jeff
took a waypoint at our snow bridge crossing, so after a long glissade
and some fun boot skiing back through the trees, we were on the trail
and hiking out. Several other people were out hiking by mid
morning. I think we hiked Savage Mountain car-to-car in 6 hours.
- Maps:
-
Click here to view a
2D map of
the area where this hike is located.
- Photographs:
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www.
just
hiking
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