"East Crestone" from Crestone Peak
Crestone Peak from "East Crestone"
| My previous visit to the Crestone massif with crampons and ice axe in June 2003 was quite exciting, though I neglected to pick up "East Crestone". Working on counties with much more fervor later on I regretted to some extent not tagging it the first time. I decided to put it off and save it for last in order to make the experience seem a little less repetitive. I was still able to enjoy 'The Peak' nearly as much as I did the first time. I drove the family down to the EconoLodge in Salida Friday night, and I set the alarm for 3:00 am. I got started on the Cottonwood Creek trail at 4:30, beginning a hike in darkness for the first time this year. The trail was very good for three miles or so before the boilerplate slabs. The sun was just starting to lighten things up a bit at 6:10, when I began navigating the slabs. I didn't spot cairns right away on the ascent, but the route is marked well and readily apparent on the way down. After crossing the creek over and back, a trail reappeared, and I followed it northeast along the left side of the creek. Soon, peaks were visible from a meadow below a waterfall (photo on right). | |
| The path was intermittent over more slab formations but well marked by cairns. A bit of thick brush and willows made the going a little slow for about 10 minutes, the only real bushwhacking I experienced yet. Then only clear tundra separated the Red Couloir from myself. I saw a couple climbers northwest of me approaching over talus (Bill Scherzinger and Chuck from NM). Unlike my first ascent which gained the couloir on the north side, I opted for the right side, which seemed much more developed than before. I entered the Couloir at 12,600, but didn't really need to yet. In fact, a cairned route with very little scrambling involved ascends all the way to 13,300', as I used on my descent. I discovered this option watching Bill and Chuck ascended this route behind me. I practiced slab smearing for a while on the smooth sections of the couloir, and eventually was forced onto the loose debris of the upper reaches of it. A snow climb has its benefits. At the saddle, I parted ways from the climbers below and headed up the east peak. At 9:20, I finished the counties of Colorado. Looking at the entries in the register, I spotted Kirk Mallory's finish of Colorado back in June. |
| Colony Baldy (photo on right) has its way of commanding attention from this summit, probably my next Custer County summit objective. I made my way over to the true summit up the easy ledges and met Bill, Chuck, and Joe Glass. I made my way down and enjoyed an apple in the couloir as I descended. The exit at 13,300' is probably used most for the Peak/Needle traverse. The climber's trail ends close to the saddle, where I turned west toward the drainage down grassy slopes. Soon I was back down by the creek and made better use of cairns back to the well-defined trail below the slabs. Most intriguing on the return to the trail down the boilerplate slabs was a blood colored pool next to Cottonwood Creek; the best semblance of Sangre de Cristo I've yet seen - in a heart shape no less. Back at the TH at 1:45, I was looking forward to a fajita dinner. The following day would be a little more low-key with an early morning ascent of Antora Peak. | |
"East Crestone" from Crestone Peak |
Crestone Peak from "East Crestone" |