Took a hike yesterday

[bigbcustom]

Thought you guys might like some pictures. Hiked up the Abyss trail about forty miles or so outside of Denver metro. Had to turn around just short of the lake due to lightening storm, but still a nice hike. There is no air over 12000 feet!!!! The hike was about 13 miles round trip topping out around 12,500 feet. The lake sits at 12,750 or so. The first two pics are two views from the trail head, then a few shots along the trail. The next few pics below are more shots along the trail. You can see the observatory on top of Mt Evans which is at 14,250 feet, and the Mountain on the left of that is Bierstadt at 14,040 feet. The lake sits right in between them there...you can see where it is but not the surface as I had to turn around a little short. Lightening hitting around me when I am at treeline scares the heck out of me.

 

[bigbcustom]

More pics for your perusal. Third pic over if you look closely, you can see the observatory on top of Mt. Evans.

 

[bigbcustom]

Thought since I mentioned Bierstadt, I should post a pic of it. So here is the back side, I thought I had a pic of another side, but they just show the back side of Evans.

 

[B Finnigan]

Great pics! I have never hiked CO yet but hope to someday. 12000' is certainly high enough to notice the lack of air pressure. I notice it at 7-8000'.

 

[aceofblades]

no gear pics?

 

[bigbcustom]

7-8000 doesn't bother me at all (I live at 6000), I seem to start noticing around 9500 then it starts to get bad around 11000. It makes a big difference how much exertion you have done prior to that altitude as well. If I drive up to Evans and hike around, I am fine for awhile until I build up some oxygen debt, but, if I have been hiking hard for a couple hours prior to hitting the heights, it starts to take its toll pretty quickly. Glad you like the pics. Pisses me off that there aren't any clouds over the mtns today, and I am stuck in town. I really wanted to make it to the lake shore, and I was so damn close yesterday that I could almost spit in it lol.

 

[bigbcustom]

no gear pics?

oops!!!! got called on the carpet. Well, I didn't take any pics of my gear while I was up there, and didn't have time while I was running away from the storm, but I will take a snapshot of what I was carrying yesterday, and post it here.

 

[tknife]

Great pics, looks like some beautiful country.

 

[bigbcustom]

Okay, here is what I had on me minus my 2 gallons of water in hydration bladders, and my edc grip, sac, and native....and my Tilley mesh hat.

Kelty Redwing 3100, 4 misc carabiners, Asolo 520's size 12w, boonie hat, black diamond trekking poles, black bundle is rain pants and jacket, mre, first aid kit, Rei mistral jacket, princeton tec 3w headlamp, tp, extra socks, extra batteries for gps, Garmin 60csx gps, (map not pictured), waterproof matches, waterproof pack cover, wet ones wipes, leatherman wave, mini maglight, firesteel, colibri lighter, vic sac hiker model, 50 ft paracord, Fallkniven F1 in chest sheath, Scrapper six with diamond paddle hone in sheath pocket, and (barely discernable at end of black bundle in mesh bag) 6' wide by 12' long ruberized poncho (makes a great emergency tent). I am sure there is more stuff I could add, and I do carry more stuff when I am going farther, but I was comfortable with what I had for the short length of this hike.

 

[hollowdweller]

Is that a Pyr?

 

[bigbcustom]

Is that a Pyr?

Yes, that is his majesty the almighty Bear. I am but his humble servant at the whim of "the paw" if you have one then you know what I mean by "the paw" He is kind of small for a Pyr. 28.5" at the shoulder and 135lbs. My avatar is him being attacked by my late elkhound girl Ginger. She died a year ago from an aortic aneurism.

 

[OldPhysics]

Looks exactly the same as I remember it. Last time I was there it was 1987, I think.

Just beautiful.

At that time, I lived at 7000 feet -- much like BigBCustom, I noticed the air pressure drop at around 10,000 feet. Don't think I'd do nearly as well today!

 

[lambertiana]

Nothing like some time in the high country to refresh your batteries.

That lake is pretty high. Do you know of any higher than that (besides small tarns)? The highest lake in the US, by most standards, is Tulainyo Lake, just north of Mt Whitney, at 12,802'. So this one is pretty close. There must be a minimum size requirement for this standard, since there are smaller bodies of water higher than that near Tulainyo Lake.

You think you have issues above 12,000' - at least you live at elevation. I live at 300' above sea level, and hike over 14,000' on occasion. I really feel the thin air, and usually need a few days of acclimation or I will get altitude sickness. Last year I went with some friends on a trans-Sierra trip that ended on the summit of Whitney (14,505'). Two in our group were relatives of one of my friends, and they live at 6000' in Colorado. Needless to say, they found the trip much easier than I did.

 

[longbow50]

Great country. Used to hunt an area in the Sierra Nevadas that was very similar, but not near as high.

 

[bigbcustom]

There is a lake up on Mt. Evans that is definitely over 13,000, and it might even be 14,000. http://www.denvergov.org/Mountain_Parks/MountainParks/MountainParks22/tabid/391214/Default.aspx there is a pic and description.

 

[Bob W]

7-8000 doesn't bother me at all (I live at 6000), I seem to start noticing around 9500 then it starts to get bad around 11000.

Even if you live and work for months at 9500', you still run out of air going to 11,000 or 12,000.

 

[Peak_Oil]

I live at sea level and climb Mt Baldy from about 5000ft to 10069 at least once a week. Well, I did until the 100 degree heat bodyslammed me. I figure next month I'll get going on it again. That ten thousand foot mark is no joke. On the last 1000ft I usually have to rest 10 minutes for every 5 minutes of climbing. It's hard. Then again, I'm fat and usually hung over when I'm doing the climb. A fifth of vodka the night before a baldy run is NOT recommended. Also, I'm told that you should bring water on a hike. Next time for sure.

One time I saw this totally hot chick running (just so you don't skip over that word, I said "running") Baldy. Spandex shorts and a sports bra, and the second my eyes hit her outline I was spelunking her innards in my mind. Yum. She was RUNNING the trail up Baldy and back. I love redheads. Meeee yow. Trekking poles be DAMNED!

What were we talking about again?

 

[Diamond Dog]

How do you like the newly paved roads driving up there? Definately seeing more traffic now I think. Great pics I think Mt. Evans is the highest paved road in the United States. Did you see any yellow bellied marmots up there?

 

[bigbcustom]

Diamond Dog,

You must be thinking of the I70 side, or the front side of Mt. Evans, there is no new paving that I saw coming up through Grant on the 285 side. No yellow bellied marmots. Though I did hear a bird call I had never heard before. It sounded just like a woman screaming at the top of her lungs. I never got to see the bird/animal screaming at me, but I did localize it to a tree. I take it you live in the Denver area? If you are interested in taking a hike or three, send me a pm. I am going to make it to the shore of that lake this year if it kills me.

 

[Salamander42]

Hey Big B, I don't mean to hijack your thread, but how's that Kelty Redwing work for ya? I've been thinking about ditching my external frame Yukon and saw that Sierra Trading Post has some good deals on the Redwings. I know it's a bit of a risk buying a pack without being able to try it on first, but I hear STP's return policy is pretty good, so I may take the chance and go ahead and order one.

Thanks for the pics!