Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
| Messages 1 - 80 of total 80 in this topic |
Pennsylenvy
Gym climber
Fannie's Crack, AZ
|
|
|
Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 3, 2008 - 07:20am PT
|
So September 16th a friend, Mike calls and asks if I want to go up to Crestone Needle CO in his small plane. The week before him and the Doctor flew out to Toulmne, landing in Lee Vining. The Facelift was knocking on my door, I was supposed to leave that Saturday but what the hey.....O.K. Mike lets go. I had a good deal, my cost would be to provide the food for the trip, and Mike likes mac and cheese.So we were off
We flew out of Flagstaff airport on a beautiful morning
The captain by law must show you how to use your seatbelts and inform you what to do in case of a unexpected landing, sound familiar?
en route we peeped at Canyon de Chelley
Landing at Crestville airstrip(I think that's the name) I informed the captain we had a little company on the runway
Mike had arrange for a local to pick us up and be jeeped up the pretty darn heinous road where we would base. Night one
political smolitical, when I'm in Colorado I drink Coors, Idaho Budweiser, Mexico Pacifico/Corona All other times something good
Our route up the skyline
Some of the easy fifth class. Right about here I heard someone below whisper "can you here me up there?" Thinking it was some touron I decided not to answer. A couple minutes later the gun went off, apparently dispatching a big horn sheep ewe we had seen earlier. Hikers later told us the guy was trying to warn us he was going to fire so we wouldn't fall off the rock. Go figure
The climbing consisted of mostly easy fifth and fourth class with a couple of steps and two pitches on the summit block. We were surprised at the amount of snow nearing the summit block. The 5.5-5.7 climbing felt a lot harder with little gear and snow and ice for hands and feet. You had to clear snow off holds and grind your feet around to paste to the rock. One particular pitch I led consisted of going up an unprotected snowy/icy block 15-20 feet out from the belay (one good nut, one so-so cam)to a snowy ramp. I had to chip hand holds in the hard snow and paste my feet on the slopey top of the block. Next kick steps, find some marginal gear and pull awkward snow, climbing moves up chimney. We weren't expecting this. Mike's leads were no bargain either!.....anyways a thunderstorm really threatened as we neared the summit, but good fortune prevailed
we were amply rewarded with beauty..
We got knocked down a bit by the storm, it snowed on us for a bit but we picked our way down .
A day and a half later I was on Moby Dick
And... helping teach Lynne the finer points of poker at the face lift
Thanks Mike
|
|
Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
|
|
Outstanding TR to start the day. What with a single-engine approach, beer in the creek,
hunters, and late-season conditions on the mountain.
I've been thinking for awhile that ST needed a Crestones/Blanca area thread. There must be
a few other rocky mountaineers out there with slides and stories to share.
|
|
SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
|
|
Tim
Great stuff! Isn't it a fun route? Looks like you hadn't
good weather for the most part. Thanks for the report!
|
|
drljefe
climber
Calizona
|
|
Wow. And here I thought being able to drive to 11,500 was cush, but the plane approach?!I guess membership has its privileges. Cobbles and anti cobbles. Early snow. We had wine instead of Coors, but with Humboldt nearby...
What a beautiful place. Thanks for bringing back some memories.
|
|
bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
|
|
Pretty cool.
And Coors ain't so bad.
|
|
Crimpergirl
Social climber
Boulder, Colorado!
|
|
Very cool! Thanks for posting the photos and TR. These are the best!
|
|
cowpoke
climber
|
|
very cool! I need a friend with a plane.
|
|
MisterE
Trad climber
My Inner Nut
|
|
Man, I really need to give my vet friend/ex-roommate Mike a call...
:-)
Nice TR, Tim. I got the pictures from The Doctors trip on my computer, just waiting for him to come over and write a TR.
MrE
|
|
philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
|
|
"And Coors ain't so bad".
As what?
|
|
Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
|
|
Kelty pack, ensolite and goldine -- Crestone Needle in 1968.
|
|
TKingsbury
Trad climber
MT
|
|
The Canyon de Chelley is really cool. As are alot of the shots.
Nice TR, thanks for posting up!
|
|
ydpl8s
Trad climber
Denver, Colorado
|
|
"Coors ain't so bad"
What do Coors and sex in a canoe have in common?
They're both f*&king close to water.
I went to Golden High School, I know of what I speak.
|
|
Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
|
|
how far is the hike in then? TR made it sound like a walk from the jeep.
|
|
steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
|
|
Nice report PE! Airplane approach... very cool. Nearly got to go up and do Lizard Head that way a few years back, but it fell through.
Really enjoyed going in to do the Needle.
Drew this after climbing it in '98:
|
|
drljefe
climber
Calizona
|
|
Nice topo! In the 50 Classics isn't the route called Ellingwood Arete?
The hike in varies depending on the clearance of your vehicle, we drove way up in a beater 2wd truck to 11.5. which left an easy approach.
After searching this region online recently I understand access is changing...
I love the Sangres!
|
|
Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
|
|
On the day of that Kelty-pack photo, we made a 7-mile hike to the lake.
|
|
steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
|
|
Thought you had me there drjefe... but no dice. Listed as Ellingwood Ledges in 50 CCoNA. Whew! Thought I blew it there.
I think maybe the modern name for the route has become Ellingwood Arete because there's another "Ellingwood Ledges" route on another peak somewhere in Colorado.
|
|
Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
|
|
There's an Ellingwood Ridge on La Plata, which I haven't done but it looks like Tarbuster-
style fun. Maybe the Ellingwood Ledges name is meant to avoid confusion with that?
|
|
steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
|
|
A few shots from a climb in the early fall of 1998 that I did with George Bell. Some aren't great because my scanner at the time was on it's last leg.
|
|
drljefe
climber
Calizona
|
|
I'm semi-ashamed to mention my ascent of Humboldt while I was there, mainly because the guidebook author dissed it so bad. It WAS my dog's only 14er.
Research this region for a harrowing epic/rescue that took place a few years back. No bueno.
NICE PICS!!!
|
|
Zander
Trad climber
Berkeley
|
|
Nice TRs and pics!
Thanks all.
Zander
|
|
Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
|
|
My Crestone photos are not as good as Pennsylenvy's or Steelmonkey's but they're certainly older.
Anyone recall the Karrimor Whillans rucksack?
|
|
the museum
Trad climber
Rapid City, SD
|
|
the route is on the left side....awesome!
|
|
Prod
Big Wall climber
A place w/o Avitars apparently
|
|
Great post. Awesome.
Prod.
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
Chiloe said:
"Anyone recall the Karrimor Whillans rucksack?
Buddy, I lust after that rucksack...You still got it?
|
|
MisterE
Trad climber
My Inner Nut
|
|
I don't think the Doctor would mind if I posted a couple from his trip, do you?
Loading...
Dave didn't care for this one, but it was one of my favorite. The shuttered thing just works, and Mike's got his 'Cessna Smile' on!
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
Museum,
Your photo looks to be either of Crestone Peak's North Butress, 4th class, or the North Pillar, 5.8.
Without recourse to four-wheel-drive, I ran most of that portion of the initial trail, hiked past Crestone Needle and climbed the North Butress of Crestone Peak, including a direct ascent of the final tower to reach the Red Notch. Round-trip consumed 14 hours, solo.
Little did I now at the time when faced with these final difficulties, Roach says of that final tower, "A direct climb from the tower to the East summit would be very difficult".
It might have been grade IV D, or 5.6++, or maybe 5.7 climbing in light weight gloves...
(from the summit of Crestone Peak, Crestone Needle over my left shoulder)
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
Crestone Needle, Ellingwood Arete on the right:
The outstanding butresses of Crestone Peak massif.
(Maybe including a weird view of Crestone Needle's summit, first peak on the left -not sure),
With the east side of the North Butress, in full sun jutting above the top of the lineup:
Crestone Needle, seen from the south flank of Humboldt, during the approach to Crestone Peak's North Butress by way of Bear's Playground:
|
|
MisterE
Trad climber
My Inner Nut
|
|
Great pics and reporting, Guys!
Continuing with one more pic from Dave's collection -
Flyby:
|
|
Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
|
|
Fun TR. Especially the part about suddenly finding yourselves on an alpine climb with snow on the handholds and ice on the foot smears.
And airplane approaches are great. Helicopter approaches are even greater. You guys down south probably thought that when us Northern folk talked about belonging to the ACC we meant Alpine Club of Canada, when in fact it really stands for Airborne Climbers of Canada.
|
|
Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
|
|
Tarbuster, Museum, the odd angles are cool. The Crestones north sides are nicely complex.
A few shots along the Needle-to-Peak ridge (1968).
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
Nice close-up of the unique conglomerate nature of the rock there Chiloe!
The beautiful non-technical Mount Humboldt:
A view along the drainage to the south of Crestone Needle,
During a circumnavigation of the peaks after an ascent of Crestone Peak's North Butress:
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
Mister E:
Those boats provide nice rhythm in that flyby shot.
|
|
MisterE
Trad climber
My Inner Nut
|
|
WoW!!! That traverse shot is absolutely spectacular!
|
|
dlintz
Trad climber
Neebraskee
|
|
Most of those knobs are good but they still come out occasionally. Several years (before I started climbing) my friend and I sat on Crestone Peak's west summit watching a group of three 50-something Englishmen come up the North side of the Crestone Peak's East summit. Connected by one rope using Swiss seats or bowlines they casually simulclimbed up stopping to offer a hip belay when needed. The poise and unconcerned manner of their ascent astonished me.
|
|
Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
|
|
Broken Hand Peak
|
|
Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
|
|
Great Sand Dunes National Monument (now, National Park) from the summit of Crestone Needle.
|
|
Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
|
|
Crestone Needle and Peak visible behind Humboldt, the "larger" mountain left of center.
|
|
Trippel40
Social climber
CO
|
|
Nice thread! Im assuming some of you have climbed the Prow as well? I always thought it to be a much more *classic* climb both in quality and position not to mention the lack of people. Anyone else think so?
As for Ellingwood, the direct start sure adds some value. I seem to remember it being rated 5.4 and feeling a tad harder?
Tarbuster: Thanks for the info on the N Buttress direct finish! I hope it becomes useful to me some day soon!
|
|
MisterE
Trad climber
My Inner Nut
|
|
Oh, snap! Now we gotta get Mike to make another flight? Damn the bad luck!
|
|
the museum
Trad climber
Rapid City, SD
|
|
So Tar in the pic I posted the Ellingwood Route is around the corner a bit farther? Sorry my bad.
|
|
steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
|
|
Nice shots Larry! (and everyone else)
|
|
Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
|
|
Tarbuster:
Chiloe said:
"Anyone recall the Karrimor Whillans rucksack?"
Buddy, I lust after that rucksack...You still got it?
Sadly, it went the way of well-used rucksacks many years ago. My pals and I all had them,
for a while.
|
|
ydpl8s
Trad climber
Denver, Colorado
|
|
Picture taken from the top of the Ellingwood Arete (climbing the Ellingwood Ledges) in winter, late 70's. Picture given to me by Bob Dickerson after doing the winter ascent with John Rosholt (The Gambler, great climber that is sadly missing). They had some great stories of using the old spit-on-the-wool-mitten and let it freeze to the rock handholds. Bob did the whole thing in fingerless wool gloves and got a little frostbite to remember the climb by.
|
|
k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
|
|
So good, so very good...
|
|
neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
|
|
hey there all.. say... bump for great stuff!...
|
|
Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
|
|
Anyone got pics or stories from the Blanca group? I never got farther than Mt. Lindsey,
but the north side of Blanca/Little Bear looks cool.
Seen distantly here from the Crestones:
|
|
nature
climber
Santa Fe, NM
|
|
bump - great thread!
|
|
Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
|
|
|
Nov 15, 2008 - 08:47am PT
|
Found a few more Crestone photos -- from a 1971 summer romp up the Ellingwood. Bob Wright climbing:
|
|
Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
|
|
|
Nov 16, 2008 - 02:16pm PT
|
|
|
drljefe
climber
Old Pueblo, AZ
|
|
|
Feb 24, 2009 - 01:38pm PT
|
SANGRE BUMP
|
|
SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
|
|
|
Feb 24, 2009 - 01:45pm PT
|
I had a couple of those Karrimor sacs. . .
no suspension, but great sacs just the same. . .
Too many miles on them . . .
If I ever get the chance, I'll dig out some slides and
scan them . . .
|
|
boognish
Trad climber
SF
|
|
|
Feb 24, 2009 - 02:57pm PT
|
If you include Ellingwood Peak in the Blanca group I can recommend the SW ridge. Fun 3rd class scramble that stays on the ridge proper for most of the way, and the rock was reasonably solid. Unfortunately the weather crapped out before I could get over to Blanca and Little Bear. That would be a great circumnavigation.
La Plata’s Ellingwood Ridge is fun for getting off the beaten path for a more popular 14er, but the climbing and rock are not all that classic. I remember is as a pretty loose route and spending more time following Mtn Goat trails close to the ridge than actually up on the ridge itself. The class 3 was traversing around gendarmes.
The pictures are all buried who knows where and I haven’t been to CO in 10 years, so take the memories with a grain of salt.
|
|
SGropp
Mountain climber
Eastsound, Wa
|
|
|
Feb 24, 2009 - 04:16pm PT
|
I still have a dent in my skull from getting hit with a rock near the top of the Ellingwood Arete in 1973. I remember lots of blood.
About that time I realized my partner had some kind of lung condition and every breath he took at that altitude gurgled like he was drowning. We had to get down by going over the top. I remember we could see sand dunes in the sunset distance from the summit.
In our reduced condition and falling dark we almost glissaded down the wrong gully on the descent. By the time we got sorted out and back to camp it was pitch dark.
|
|
drljefe
climber
Old Pueblo, AZ
|
|
|
Feb 25, 2009 - 02:25am PT
|
bumpday begins
|
|
Pennsylenvy
Gym climber
A dingy corner in your refrigerator
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Sep 3, 2009 - 02:50am PT
|
Mike and I are going to set off again. I wanted to restore some pictures to this thread.......so
bump
|
|
Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
|
|
Always happy to see a Colorado thread come back.
Approaching the steeper part of the Ellingwood, 1971:
|
|
BrianH
Trad climber
santa fe
|
|
chiloe, awesome shot of the 4th class pitch leading to the traverse!
"Nice thread! Im assuming some of you have climbed the Prow as well? I always thought it to be a much more *classic* climb both in quality and position not to mention the lack of people. Anyone else think so? "
The first move to get on the Prow is very committing, much more so than the Ellingwood Arete. Then the easy 5th class last a lot longer. Hmmm it might be time to go do a comparison climb. Both are excellent good fun.
|
|
Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
|
|
chiloe, awesome shot of the 4th class pitch leading to the traverse!
Thanks! Below, a much younger Chiloe leading the crux.
Gear notes: nothing but a set of Colorado Nut Company hexes on an over-the-shoulder white
sling (1" tubular webbing) and shorter yellow slings (9/16" tubular webbing) on the rack.
And Galibier guide boots of course.
|
|
Buggs
Trad climber
Eagle River, Alaska
|
|
Hey Blues Harp Master et al,
Nice TR! Awesome shots and not too far from me now. I have completed the move from Alaska to New Mexico. Currently livin' at Survival's place with my new dog Sheaffer. Look forward to meetin' up and playin' some music.
Buggs
|
|
Pennsylenvy
Gym climber
A dingy corner in your refrigerator
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - May 14, 2010 - 02:22am PT
|
Another shameless bump
|
|
Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
|
|
|
May 14, 2010 - 10:26am PT
|
all the time I lived in Colorado and wyo I never managed to get on that thing, d'oh!
|
|
Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
|
|
|
May 14, 2010 - 11:55am PT
|
Who's got pics from Kit Carson?
I never climbed that back in the day, and now that it's too late wish I had.
Or the Blanca N Face?
|
|
drljefe
climber
Old Pueblo, AZ
|
|
|
May 14, 2010 - 03:19pm PT
|
to answer your question, pate, NO.
even I know this.
|
|
ydpl8s
Trad climber
Santa Monica, California
|
|
|
May 14, 2010 - 03:39pm PT
|
This photo (courtesy of 14ers.com) shows the standard ways of finishing the headwall. If you notice to the left of all of these lines, there is a straight-up right facing dihedral that continues on to several dihedral/alcove thingy's to the big ledge at the start of the 2nd pitch. All 3 times I've done this thing (twice in big boots(Galibiers))I've taken that route. The first time in 1976 with Jim Nigro, we were lured up that by an old pin about 30 feet up. Come to find out just a few months ago, that pitch is 5.9 and I've drug all my partner's up it moaning about how hard "5.7" is at altitude. It makes for a nice long pitch, but when we first did it with 150 foot ropes (yes,that's right) the belayer had to unclip and simulclimb the first 15 feet until the leader reached a belayable position. Just goes to show ya, you don't always know where you are, but that's where the fun is!
|
|
Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
|
|
|
May 14, 2010 - 03:45pm PT
|
Pate, I think the Crestones are 150 miles or so E of Windom!
|
|
Brokedownclimber
Trad climber
Douglas, WY
|
|
|
Oct 25, 2010 - 11:07am PT
|
Wow! A very nice thread needing a BUMP!
|
|
Pennsylenvy
Gym climber
A dingy corner in your refrigerator
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 15, 2011 - 12:51am PT
|
once again 'el strango' bump. At least Walling's name is in it so this thread may get to a couple hundred......
|
|
Pennsylenvy
Gym climber
A dingy corner in your refrigerator
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Feb 22, 2018 - 08:04pm PT
|
bump
|
|
Reeotch
climber
4 Corners Area
|
|
|
Feb 23, 2018 - 04:33am PT
|
Nice one, Tim.
I went up a couple Septembers ago. It snowed all night, so we settled for the dog route. Going to have to go back up there.
Dude, I can't believe you are still wearing that helmet!
|
|
justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
|
|
|
Feb 23, 2018 - 05:23am PT
|
Nice Tim- missed this the first time around.
|
|
Gimp
Trad climber
Missoula, MT & "Pourland", OR
|
|
|
Jul 31, 2018 - 10:24am PT
|
Still remember long ago when we finished the Ellingwood Arete and my partner got his brand new goretex jacket out of his pack and foolishly sat it dowon to fiddle with his pack before putting it on and it took off like a paraglider in the direction of kit carson never to be seen again.
|
|
Pennsylenvy
Gym climber
A dingy corner in your refrigerator
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - May 31, 2019 - 10:27pm PT
|
Last night bump......
|
|
| Messages 1 - 80 of total 80 in this topic |
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!