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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Jan 20, 2008 - 06:58am PT
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hey there chiloe... wow, say, you got the ol' BELLS up... i had been waiting and hoping for to see this... :)
now it is so cold in here, though and my computer is a mite slow... so i will wait til the the heat kicks in a bit here..
seems it is like, 10 out, or something...
wellllllllll, i will be back to check this out...
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 20, 2008 - 09:32am PT
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Jaybro:
When I woke up the next morning,it was to a view very much like the op's photo that started this thread;
Here's that amazing view in reverse, back down towards Maroon Lake.
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 20, 2008 - 10:24am PT
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philo:
The north face of North Maroon was first skied in 1957 by Fritz Stammberger. Amoung many other
amazing accomplishments Stammberger founded Climbing magazine. If you think of the gear available in
1957 his is a most remarkable feat.
I had been impressed reading about that, perhaps in an early issue of Climbing? So as I hiked,
I was looking towards the north face, trying to pick out a good ski route. Snow would have covered
up some rubble, but the cliff bands must have kept things exciting.
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 20, 2008 - 10:43am PT
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TwistedCrank:
Here's a Pyramid climb I did with Fillmore around 1985. One of my fave shorts-and-tshirt summits of all time.
I was hoping we'd see Pyramid on this thread. I hiked that one with my (then) kid brother a few years
before doing the Bells, but stupidly did not bring my camera. Those are all photogenic peaks.
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 20, 2008 - 10:45am PT
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neebee:
hey there chiloe... wow, say, you got the ol' BELLS up... i had been waiting and hoping for to see this... :)
Hey there neebee, this thread's for you. Sorry there are so many pixels, but the story needs them all!
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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Jan 20, 2008 - 10:47am PT
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Chiloe,
Interesting to be sure. The only thing I can figure is he made continuous jump turns snow patch to snow patch over the rubble bands. Too extreme!
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 20, 2008 - 10:58am PT
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Found this crisp image of the north face ski route, along with a story, on Chris Davenport's "Ski the Fourteeners" website.
Looks like it works past the lower cliff bands by going to the right side of the face.
I think the cliff band in my summer photo above is probably the one right where the arete narrows, at about
1/3 height in this ski picture.
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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Jan 20, 2008 - 11:42am PT
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In 1976 or 77 I did a backpacking/peak bagging trip from Crested Butte to Aspen culminating in a spectacular ascent up Pyramid Peak. Our route started from the prominent cirque and went straight up the imposing north face involving snow and rock and mixed climbing near the summit ridge up to 5.9 AI3. Mostly the climbing consisted of numerous short steep rock walls with mantels on to dangerously rubbly ledges. Due to the dangers and lack of protection potential we simul-climbed the first 2/3rds un roped.
Rock fall was constantly shedding off the north face like fleas off a cur dog. One of us would keep vigilant watch while the other would scurry to the next potential shelter. Every minute or less we would hear the tell tale clatter of impending doom approaching. Close calls were the norm. Once my partner Bob got creamed by a toaster sized former chunck of the north face. Fortunately I yelled in time for him to duck his head and take the impact on his backpack. It still amazes me that Bob was strong enough to not get shoved off the rubble he was perched on at the time. By the time we were finishing the summit ridge the weather was deteriorating which was worrisome as the night before had been a tremendously violent thunder storm. We topped out into a swirling cap cloud beginning to develope. A very trippy experience was seeing our shadows cast upon the cloud face and wreathed in rainbow aura. We rapidly descended the east ridge where the only further excitment was when the snow patch I was descending caved off and I had to self arrest with my adze in slushy scree. That was a really cool climb certainly not for the faint of heart but spectacular none the less.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Jan 20, 2008 - 03:30pm PT
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Nice thread! I had a lot of time to check out the Bells from the North Face of Capitol Peak back in 74 or so. Always my favorite shot of Maroon Bells is this Ansel Adams (cropped to fit the scanner). Skiing is the perfect approach!
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TwistedCrank
climber
Ideeho
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Jan 20, 2008 - 06:28pm PT
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Did somebody say Capitol Peak? Another trip with Fillmore ca 1984.
About that north face of Capitol... I watched some major rockfall on it from Cap Lake under a moonless night. The roaring woke us - being granite the sparkshow was nature's own firefall. Now I know where all that rubble comes from at the bottom of mountains. (sic)
The last one is a "Look at out tent. It's tiny" shot. It's a VE-24. Remember those?
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 20, 2008 - 08:32pm PT
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Did somebody say Capitol Peak?
Six years before the Maroon Bells hike I've been writing about, back when my technical climbs could be
counted on one hand, I had an adventure on Capitol Peak. My partner, equally inexperienced, decided
to stop here. Not encouraged by my unanchored belay with our 120 foot, 3/8" goldline rope.
But the peak was calling so I went on alone.
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the museum
Trad climber
Rapid City, SD
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Jan 20, 2008 - 11:50pm PT
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From N Maroon Summit
Maroon- N Maroon behind- UV was kinda high that day.
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the museum
Trad climber
Rapid City, SD
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Jan 20, 2008 - 11:51pm PT
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All from Maroon..
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the museum
Trad climber
Rapid City, SD
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Jan 21, 2008 - 12:07am PT
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From Pyramid
Capitol
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the museum
Trad climber
Rapid City, SD
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Jan 21, 2008 - 12:09am PT
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check it out- the same spot as TwistedCrank "trail in the sky"..
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the museum
Trad climber
Rapid City, SD
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Jan 21, 2008 - 12:17am PT
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Pyramid from the Saddle- Pyramid is a good scramble for Colorado. You gotta enjoy that sort of thing though..
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the museum
Trad climber
Rapid City, SD
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Jan 21, 2008 - 12:20am PT
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One of my favorite pics of all.. Snowmass from Capitol.
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the museum
Trad climber
Rapid City, SD
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Jan 21, 2008 - 12:22am PT
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the museum
Trad climber
Rapid City, SD
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Jan 21, 2008 - 12:25am PT
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Previously posted in Summit Photos- I think. See that thread for other Bells pics. Actually the back side of the Bells are visible to the left in the distance.
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the museum
Trad climber
Rapid City, SD
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Jan 21, 2008 - 12:43am PT
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View S from S Ridge saddle on Maroon?
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