Our 33rd month in a row. With great intel from some friends in Boulder, we headed up to the Indian Peaks Wilderness to get some mellow summer turns in on/near Isabelle Glacier. We found success and did a little product testing of the new SCARPA wading shoe, set to release Spring 2018.
TEAM ATTEMPT OF THE MUMMY KILL MARATHON 8/20/2016 /
So there is a place. This place is recognized as Rocky Mountain National Park. RMNP can be a crowded, noisy, busy place in the summer months, and with this year being the 100th anniversary of the National Parks, it has been especially busy. However, if one was to gaze North from Bear Lake Trailhead or from Trail Ridge Road, there is a series of mountains that dominate the sky line: the Mummy's.
So with last weekend being the best weather and scheduling option for us to get out and celebrate Jen P's birthday with an adventure, we took to the Mummy's to try and hike the peaks and log some big miles in a generally under-utilized portion of RMNP.
We were able to battle 30 mph freezing winds, starting at 430 am (leaving the house at 2 am), knocking out 20 miles and 4 summits. Great times with great friends.
The route ended up being Fall Creek road to Chapin Peak to Chiquita Peak to Ypsilon Peak to Fairchild Peak then down to the Lawn Lake Trailhead. Un-pictured: Dani eyes swollen shut and tearing for a few hours from some gnarly sunscreen.
After work scrambly times on the 2nd /
A D&D weekend in the Sangres /
Had THE BEST WEEKEND down south.
Fri night: left after work, decided to do the hike on Sunday and stay in Salida and be lazy on Saturday. Slept cozily at the Woodland Motel.
Sat: slept in, breakfast at the Patio Pancake Place, visited Great Sand Dunes National Park (AMAZING), soaked in some semi-gnar mineral springs pools and bailed on camping in the sage brush with the snakes, camped instead at the South Crestone trailhead, experienced INTENSE lightning storm in the middle of the night.
Sun: got up at 3:40, left car at 4:15, hiked up in the dark to Willow Lake, began climb up Challenger (a 14er) at 7 AM, topped out on Challenger at 9 AM, traversed over to Kit Carson (another 14er) via Kit Carson Avenue, topped out on Kit Carson at 10 AM, reversed the route back to Challenger and re-topped out just before 11 AM, slid/scrambled/pieced our way back down to Willow Lake and then booked it back to the car, making it back at 2:30, then driving home in time to do some much needed grocery shopping while getting in a FaceTime reunion with Dill, Ursy, and Kimmy.
WOW! Packed weekend. Lucky humans, we are.
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
MatchyMatchy /
White Coat Ceremony /
Dani here-- I went home a few weekends ago for Rosie's white coat ceremony inception to medical school! So proud of you sissie. A few (ok, a ton of) photos below to commemorate the weekend.
XOXO DanDan
