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I hadn't worked on the prominence list for a while and Bison was on my short list. A good weekend weather window contributed to making this one a go in 2004. I started out late, arriving at the trailhead at 8:30. The wind was biting cold, and I was glad I brought full-on winter gear (minus snowshoes which were sorely missed later on). I was able to move quickly for the first 2.5 miles, though little elevation had yet been conquered. On the right, the southwest flank of the Bison Massif is visible through the thinning trees. Getting to the pass had been easy, and I was feeling good about my chances of getting home early in the afternoon. As soon as I made the turn east from the pass, things became more difficult. The knee-deep postholing that we have all come to know and love was making its resurgence from the previous year. Needless to say I hadn't been out much in Colorado's high country of late.
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After the grueling and sloppy haul through the trees, my pace was hampered considerably. I arrived at the turn north below Point 11,963' a little less energetic than I had hoped to be. The trail was indistinguishable, so a northbound ascending bushwhack was in order. The rewarding part of the hike was finally within reach once I arrived on flatter terrain above treeline. The temperature was decreasing incrementally with each step toward Bison, whereas I had hitherto layered down to a single longsleeve capilene. The pillars and spires abounding here are really something to behold. I made my way slowly in the stiff wind toward my objective, appreciating the wind for the work it spared me by scouring the treeless terrain.
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I passed the monolith, appreciating the skill and effort Dan Mottinger and John Prater put forth to stand atop this wondrous structure (featured in photo on right). The snow again thickened a bit past there, though it was much more manageable than previously. Tilting my balaclava so as to cover the left side of my face made the wind more endurable, and the hood of my shell was a precious commodity. I paused several times to take in the unique surroundings, and to catch my breath (out of shape these days). This scene was especially enthralling. The path to the summit was very straight-forward, with the only diversion from a direct hike being a traverse on the east side of the summit blocks to spiral around to the highest point.
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I made my way back down with more haste in an effort to warm up a bit. I made the acquaintances of Srs. Gibson, Hale, and Hatfield who had more forethought than I as they plodded up the slopes in snowshoes. Further down, cottoneers were found at 3 miles into the hike with tennis shoes at 2:00 p.m. with hopes of attaining Bison's summit, undaunted by my display of trekking poles, gaiters, and boots. It was nice to get out for a longer hike and experience a little more winter than slow traffic en route to work.
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