| In my unfailing absentmindedness, I realized I left my boots at the front door at home in Arvada when I met my friend Clay at Sheep Gulch Trailhead at 7:00 a.m. for a planned climb of Mt. Hope. We had met up the previous week and attempted Huerfano Peak, but turned as the day wore on a little to quickly before we broke treeline. With no possibility of climbing snow in nikes, we headed back into town and I threw Mount Evans out as an alternative for the day, with an overnight stay above treeline. Arriving at the Mount Evans Road closure at 12:30 p.m., We put on snowshoes and heavy packs in hope of bagging a fourteener in winter. The snow was unbelievably shallow, and made for easy snowshoeing. On the right is a view up Mount Evans Road. |
|
| We encountered quite a few people on the way up, and the weather was very promising. We were moving at a good pace, and our first day objective of Summit Lake was looking reasonable before dark. We ran into a group of Bighorn Sheep after 4.5 miles a little above treeline (photo below left). The temperature was steadily decreasing, and we stopped to put some fleece on before continuing up the road, which was now winding up the Eastern side in the shade. The road was well scoured, and there was no longer a need for snowshoes. On the right below is Clay walking up the road. There were several long sections which contoured West and back towards the East, each giving us a closer view of Mount Evans. | |
 |
 |
| Just before getting near Summit Lake at 5:30 p.m. we agreed to set up camp and pitched the tent. Wind had been developing and getting slightly stronger every minute. Below left is a picture of Evans from two miles and 1,200 feet below. I was convinced nothing could stop us from bagging Evans the following morning. At 13,000' it was difficult to rest properly, requiring more frequent breathing. It was plenty cold, and quite windy. A stove kept us warm for a good portion of the evening and helped considerably in the morning to heat up our frozen gear and garb. The morning was a heartbreaking event - peering outside revealed whiteout conditions. We had no choice but to retreat down in the painful cold. The bottom right photo shows the conditions on the road towards Mount Evans. Two consecutive failures never feels that great. | |
 |
 |