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With success on Horseshoe Mountain, I had confirmed some theories I had about
ascending with success in late season. I was ready to try them out again, wanting
to bag another peak in the Sangre de Cristos, which have not received proportionate
attention on my list. I was surprised to be able to drive all the way to the Zapata
trailhead. Judging from the snow depth, I decided to leave my snowshoes in the truck, and
forewent my ice axe as well. Hiking the trail to the meadow went by quickly, and then a
little postholing began. On the right is a view up to the saddle of California Peak's North
Ridge.
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The weather did not look very promising for the day, with the Sangres shrouded at the 13,000'
level. Trudging upward toward the saddle, I encountered a lot of loose snow, and a 10' cornice
was the final obstacle. I really could have used my ice axe at this point, but such as it was,
I kicked steps and dragged myself upward. On the left is a view South up the ridge from the saddle.
I was feeling a lot better about my chances for success after gaining the ridge. There was little snow
on the ridge, and while it was cold, a storm did not seem imminent. After about half a mile, the direction
of the route required a change in direction to the East to regain the ridge. It was hard to tell how far off
the actual summit was because of the cloud cover.
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After hiking up the ridge and passing several points along the way, I would reach a summit
and see a shrouded peak to the South again, each time appearing to be about the
same elevation. Not seeing a register or cairn, I kept on. I spotted several bighorn sheep on the
ridge ahead. Reaching a flat area, I
pulled out the topo and judged by the terrain of the Western slopes of California Peak
that I had a way to go yet. After passing three more false summits, I was becoming discouraged,
because my altimeter read about the same on each one. Finally, it appeared that I was below the
final crest, as shown in the photo on the right.
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The summit cairns and register finally appeared. I got to thinking that on a day such as this, without these markers,
I might not have ever known if I reached the summit or not, and might have continued all the way
to Ellingwood Point. The temperature was quite cold, and the wind started to pick up. The descent was uneventful
with the exception of descending the cornice, which required careful movement and patience. Another great day in the wilderness
without a soul around.
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