Mount Massive, 14,427 (4397 m)

Yesterday I summited Mount Massive (14,421 ft), Colorado's second-highest peak, with Tom and Fred - both fellow Taoseños. We hit the trail at 7:30 a.m. via the East Slopes route.

This is officially considered the "easiest" route, but that's only true if by easy you mean you never encounter really steep terrain. In fact, the trail is so gentle for the first hour that it almost feels like you're walking downhill. Of course, what you save in steepness, you pay back in mileage. This route is nearly 14 miles round trip compared to about 8 miles on the steeper Southwest Slopes. So, pick your poison. Personally, I'm still not sure which route I'd call easier!

Whatever the route, yesterday was one of those magical mountain days when every star aligned. Cool morning temperatures, deep blue skies, and absolutely no wind. What more could you ask for? Maybe slightly cooler temperatures on the hike down - but that might be getting greedy.

And none of those conditions should be taken for granted. Tonight's NOAA forecast for 14,199 feet calls for snow showers, patchy smoke, and even a chance of thunderstorms. We missed all of that thanks to Tom's excellent planning and his knack for picking the perfect weather window.

From the Mount Massive trailhead, about 20 minutes outside Leadville, the hike begins in dense forest and keeps you there for an hour and a half or so before finally opening up above treeline. You follow the Colorado Trail northeast for roughly a mile before it turns northwest for another couple of miles. Along the way you cross South Willow Creek and then Willow Creek, where you leave the Colorado Trail and continue on the Mount Massive Trail.

Even then, you're not quite out of the woods. There's still nearly another mile before you finally break above tree line. But once you do, the scenery starts rewarding you long before you reach the summit.

The alpine tundra was simply spectacular. Wildflowers were in full bloom, painting the landscape with nearly every color imaginable, including some stunning electric-blue blossoms that seemed to glow against the green. The mosses carpeting both the soil and the rocks added subtle shades of green, gold, and brown that completed the picture. Altogether, it reminded me remarkably of the tundra landscapes of Lapland in Arctic Scandinavia.

As if that weren't enough, the panoramic views across the Sawatch Range just kept getting better with every step. You spend a wonderfully long time hiking through this alpine paradise before finally reaching the rocky summit ridge. From there it's about 20 to 30 minutes of enjoyable Class 2 scrambling over solid rock to the top.

Our ascent took 4 hours and 19 minutes. After soaking in the views, and taking the obligatory summit photos, we headed back down, reaching the car 3 hours and 37 minutes later.

Another Colorado fourteener in the books, and one that reminded me why some of the "easier" peaks can still make you earn every single step.

On the summit: Tom, Fred, and Loki.

North Halfmoon lakes as seen from the summit.

These expansive views of the Sawatch range include Twin Lakes.

Another view of the Halfmoon lakes from a bit further down on the summit ridge.

Fred and Tom embarking on the long slog down.

"Infinite" views including Turquoise lake.

Loki the Magnificient taking it all in...

Mount Walter, 13,141 ft

 It was a great outing that began earlyish, with a 6:30 a.m. start from the Williams Lake trailhead, where the temp was 24F. I followed the trail most of the way until I was roughly 800–1,000 feet below the ridge north of Mt. Walter’s North Peak. From there, I turned upward into a steep couloir—one I can’t wait to ski once the snow finally fills in.

The climb through the couloir was slow and demanding. Soft snow, up to two feet deep in places, made for plenty of post-holing. Loose scree slid constantly underfoot, and patches of ice required full attention (and crampons) to avoid an unwanted—and potentially memorable—ride downhill. To say the conditions were variable, and not in a good way, would be an understatement.

Once I reached the ridge, the wind—already building—became ferocious. Gusts were strong enough to knock a person off balance. In any case, I reached the summit of Mt. Walter North Peak, initially mistaking it for Mt. Walter itself. After realizing the error, I walked the short distance to the true summit and topped out just before 10 a.m. The descent back to the TH was completed in just about 2 hours.

Here are the pictures:

One of my favorite viewpoints on the way up.

Mount Wheeler as seen on the way up.

Horseshoe Lake. Picture taken from Mt Walter N Peak...

...and a zoom in.

Looking north from Mt Walter is Colorado.

The Mt Walter greeting sign.

From Mt Walter, looking south is Wheler Peak and to its right
the Wheler Wilderness cirque. 

Starts to feel a lot like winter

Today I squeezed in a quick hike up to Kachina Peak, racing the rain in the forecast — and I won hands down! Mostly because the rain came quite a bit later than forecasted, but I'll take it! The weather ended up perfect: sunshine, calm air, and not a drop of rain. Even better, there was some snow! Just a light dusting near the Bavarian, but up on Kachina, there were a few inches in the shadier spots. It felt amazing to get a little taste of winter — and we’re still more than a month out from Thanksgiving! A sign of things to come, surly, right? Anyway, here are some pics!

The sun rises on Gold Hill, 12,700'. Hence the name?

Three siblings keeping each other warm - There's
nothing like family

Lake Fork Peak, 12,891', as seen from Kachina Peak.

Gold Hill a couple of hours later.

Fairchild Peak, 12,833', as seen from Kachina Peak.

Gold Hill

 Yesterday was one of those end-of-Fall early-winter-type days that lend themselves exceptionally well to longish hikes. Loki the Magnificent (my four-legged friend) and I went to a different type of objective, Gold Hill at 12,717’ (per USGS) in the Columbine Hondo wilderness in northern New Mexico, not too far from Taos Ski Valley.

It’s the end of fall because the beautiful, colored leaves are now starting to fall en masse, while temperatures are dropping noticeably. It was 22 degrees at the trail head at about 9,400’ and just a little over 12 degrees, and some very strong western winds on top, the kind of wind that will knock you over.

This feels like a “different type of objective” because it’s less jagged and more of a hill, while still a respectable effort. According to AllTrails, it’s 10 miles and a bit over 3,300 elevation gain, while my Garmin says I did 15.4 miles, the mysteries of technology…

In any case, Gold Hill to me is a brilliant example of the great Western beauty so characteristic of the intermountain west at its best. Here are some pictures, all taken above the tree line.

On top Gold Hill and below is Goose Lake.

Looking north towards Colorado.

Coyote in the distance...

...and zooming in.

From a wind shelter on top of Gold Hill, looking South at 
Wheeler Peak (the highest point in New Mexico at 13.166')

A no-name knob at about 12,100' on the way back.

Fall puts on its show in Taos

 “’Tis too the season to be merry! 🍁✨ The trees are in their grand finale gowns, twirling in gold and crimson as if the forest itself were preparing for a grand ball. Sure, winter is winter—the one and only, the shimmering King of seasons—but even he must smile at fall’s colorful curtain call.

These photos were gathered on a little outing through the resort and along the trail to Lake Williams. Each bend in the road whispered a different shade of wonder. And that lake photo—ah, that one was taken just before dawn, from the old glacial moraine west of the water, when the first light tiptoed over the horizon and the world seemed to hold its breath. 🌅

But here’s the real magic—take a close look at that last picture. Captured just yesterday, it wears the first snow of the season! ❄️ A silvery promise that the great winter tale is about to begin again—quiet, bright, and utterly irreplaceable.”

Bellevue to La Gruvaz via Col de Tricot and Plateau de Truc

 This is the kind of fun end-to-end hike that, when leaving from St Gervais, requires no car. You start at Bellevue, where you get using the cog train, and end up 15 miles away at the La Gruvaz village, where you get on the St Gervais shuttle.

The total distance is a little under 15 miles, and the net elevation gain is approximately 3,500 ft. I got on the Tramway du Mt Blanc (TMB), which is the ski train that in winter gets you to the top of Les Houches, one of the Chamonix Valley resorts. It's France's highest cog train and also serves as the approach for any mountaineers wanting to use the "Royal trail" to the summit of Mt Blanc, 4,807 m (15,770 feet). I only needed it to the Bellevue stop, one of the Les Houches ski lift top stations.

From Bellevue, 1,796 m ( 5,900 feet), you hike down to the "Passerelle des Glaciers," 1,700 m (5,500 feet), which is a hanging bridge crossing some thundering whitewater. That is deeply disturbing to Loki, my Australian Kelpie. He will only cross it if I belay him... From there, you hike up to the Col de Tricot, 2,120 m (7,000 feet), down to Chalets de Miage (a cluster of mountain huts), 1,720 m (5,650 feet), then up to Plateau de Truc, 1,800 m (5,900 feet), and then all the way down to La Gruvaz, 1150 m (3,800 feet).

This is the Tramway du Mt Blanc after dropping us off at
Bellevue above Les Houches, Chamonix,

Sunrise over the Aiguille de Bionnassay.

Arriving at Col de Tricot looking towards the
Arrette de Tricot, the trail going up the ridge
or towards Plan de Glacier, the lower trail
to the right, Chemin des Contrebandiers.

Still at Col de Tricot, looking down the trail and 
the Chalets de Miage.

Loki inspecting a container dropped by
chopper in support of the UTMB.

This picture was taken during a hike to the Refuge de Plan
Glacier. In the center, you see the Miage hut cluster, and
above them to the left, Plateau de Truc, that's our next stop.

First light on Dome de Miage as seen walking down 
from Col de Tricot.

Col de Tricot and Chalets de Miage as seen while 
hiking up to Plateau de Truc.

Arriving on Plateau de Truc.

The Auberge de Truc is a restaurant on the plateau.

Pointe d'Orny

 Yesterday, I indulged in a reconnaissance tour of what I am told is an exceptional backcountry ski area around the Trient hut and Pointe d'Orny, at 10,732 feet (3272 m), the culminating point around the hut. I figured I'd go and see for myself and get some exercise while at it. This is in the Valais canton of the Swiss Alps. The views of the Mt Blanc massif are exceptional, and you get to two of the most famous mountain huts in Switzerland. The mountain huts of Orny, 9,288 feet (2831m), and Trient, 10,406 feet (3170m), are accessed a bit more easily thanks to the La Breya chairlift that starts at the Champex ski mountain, a tiny (with only four lifts) but very charming resort. Although tiny in quantity of lifts, the Breya old school double chair gains a bit over 2,200 feet of very steep terrain in about 10 minutes, so not by any means hapless...

Regarding the ski lines, they start from Pointe d'Orny or its ridge and drop down into the Val d'Arpette. The lines look sweet, and here is an example of that.

After about an hour's walk, you get a first glimpse of 
the snow and the high Alpine terrain.

After another hour, the Cabane d'Orny is in sight as well as
the first glacier.

Looks like Loki beat me to the hut.

Leaving the Orny hut and its lake behind.

The more dramatic features prompt climbers in the Alps to
talk a bout a mineral or a vertical world. This picture
demonstrates how both can apply at the same time. 

Full glacier environment...

...and arrival to the very beautiful and recently (2023)
renovated Cabane de Trient that sits over the glaciers.

This picture was taken while on the way to Pointe d'Orny...

...and this one on the way back down. After this, there was 
a three hour walk back to the ski lift.