Although we got some snow last week, I tried one of my usual running/rock scrambling loops of starting at NCAR and working my way north towards the Second Flatiron. It was a really nice day.
This is looking up about halfway on Sunnyside Two on Der Zerkle. It's a ramp on the south side with about a 50° slope. The holds are there, but you do have to think about them.
Looking back down:
After that, it was back down to the Mesa Trail and north to The Regency. This shot is taken sitting on the summit rock of The Regency, looking east/downwards towards The Mesa Trail, which is in those trees somewhere. Royal Arch is behind me.
Looking back at my perch from Royal Arch. What you can't see is that there is a 45° slab on the other side with good holds, which is how I got up there:
The bottom of the Second Flatiron, below. This is about 1/3? of the climb. My usual ascent route is that ice and snow-caked mess on the left. I tried that two weeks ago and almost ate it, so today I took an easier route near the trees on the right, and conditions were good.
All the descents today were awful, snowy and icy. The other lesson I learned recently is to bring my spikes because these are steep mountains and it's winter. Thank goodness I had them.
OMG the lack of preparedness of hikers today. It was a total s**tshow. As I've said before, one of the big problems here is visitors are totally unprepared for what they are going to encounter in the Flatirons. winter or summer. Imagine you transported a bunch of shoppers at a California mall into the mountains. In winter, the trails are steep, snowy and icy. Visitors are wearing shoes with no tread at all, and they're all slipping and sliding, leaving the actual trail and crashing through the woods, totally destroying the hillside in an attempt to get down safely.
I get that people are at different levels of experience and we all have to learn things. But would you look up at 45° mountains in the winter and think "Hey, I think I'm going to hike a rugged mountain today in my mall clothes with no preparation at all. Next week I think I'll climb Everest"
Maybe Boulder Opens Space and Mountain Parks is out of funds, but I would post a big sign at Chautauqua showing what shoes are appropriate here, and asking people to wear proper gear or go home and sit on their sofa and eat Cheetos. /rant over
Dude, if you are ever looking for company on these scrambles hit me up. I need to learn these routes. Shad (shadmika@gmail.com)
ReplyDeleteI'm up for it, but it would be good to wait until it's a bit drier. Some spots are a bit tricky right now. I'll drop you a line
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