Quandary Peak, June 10, 1995

From: bbroekin@nyx10.cs.du.edu (Bob Broeking)
Newsgroups: rec.backcountry
Subject: Snow Conditions - CO - Quandary Peak - Trip Report
Date: 11 Jun 1995 18:29:21 -0600

Quandary Peak, 14,265', Near Alma, Colorado, June 10, 95

Unusual snow conditions to say the least... NOW some Colorado officials are saying that the snowpack is 300% of the normal currently. It made for some "winter" climbing in June under a warm and sunny sky.

Denise Snow asked me to co-lead a Colorado Mountain Club trip with her to Grays and Torreys Peaks, but a check with the Forest Service determined the road to the trailhead was sitting under 3 feet of snow making the approach more difficult than usual. She still had two new members who were eager to go so she opted for Quandary Peak and I opted along. Between Friday afternoon and our departure on Saturday morning we lost two members, one to a sprain ankle and one to the flu. We were whittled down to three, Denise, Paul (who I had instructed in the Basic Mountaineering Course just two weeks ago)and I. So we made it unofficial and took off for points west , arriving at the trailhead at 7:00am. We started up the bushwhack through the trees aiming for the start of the ridge. I had suggested crampons based upon my climb of Pikes Peak last Wednesday, but Denise said snowshoes were more important. I argued that she needed crampon practice prior to Mt Ranier on July 4th, but I lost... but I got to laugh later.

Here is the unusual part -- there was snow from the time we left our car until we returned. The snowpack showed no sign of melting, but was frozen rock solid early in the morning. Our snowshoes stayed strapped on our packs as we simply walked on top of 5-10' of snow. If you have ever spent the entire winter struggling through waist deep snow even on snowshoes or skis you understand our joy as the hard snow made it an easy shuffle. Reaching treeline, we approached a sharp rise marking the beginning of the ridge. As we ascended the slope we found icy hard conditions, but kept enough friction to keep our boots in forward progress. This is when I started to give Denise a hard time about our lack of crampons. She blew me off until we met another party on the ridge who were making great time walking up the hard snow -- WITH THEIR CRAMPONS.

We continued up in the sun watching puffy white clouds form in the west. As we got to about 13,000' where the clouds parted each way around Quandary, I thought our chances on reaching the top were 50-50. I was waiting for some of the darker clouds to our north to go boom and see everyone scurry down, but instead as we reached the final 500' of little bit of steep snow, snow showers moved in providing welcome relief from the hot sun.

I was feeling good so I was up ahead a bit as we approached the short narrow level ridge that lands you on the summit. There was a guy ahead of me who I had been watching (come) up - he did not seem to be enjoying himself. (My) opinion was further solidified when he bent over on the narrow ridge and promptly vomited on the snow. Hmmm ; that certainly added to my mountain experience! I asked him if he was alright; he mumbled yes, so I told him to sit down and drink some water. As I walked by him, he ignored my advice and followed behind me on the ridge. On the summit it was warm and snowing with the views blocked by clouds. The ill hiker came up, stayed for 5 seconds and departed back down the ridge.

Denise and Paul arrived within a few minutes and we congratulated Paul on his second peak over 14,000'. I departed back down the ridge to eat a snack and Denise and Paul lingered on the summit in time for the clouds to break and open a magnificent view for 360 degrees.

I was exploring the possibilities of a glissade down the couloir directly to the lake dropping 2500'. Unfortunately the conditions were rock hard, and the possibility of self arrest if we got going to fast were slim. Instead I glissaded down to the first step on the ridge with two guys from Denver. One had brought his camprest chair to slide on and it worked great. I waited for Denise and Paul to get down as they were not excited about glissading without putting their shell pants on! We then headed down the ridge where we had another couple of 300' glissades to get us down in the trees and lunch. Some of the folks who were also going up with our group skied the east face even in the icy conditions in good style.

Editor's Note: Unless you know exactly which couloir to go down to the the lake, DON'T! A CMC member died in the early eighties when she went down the wrong couloir on Quandary and slid off of a cliff. The general mountaineering rule that applies here is: Don't go down something that you didn't come up. KAJ

After lunch, we headed down through the trees. I was now trying my hardest to make a point about snowshoes with Denise and she and I opted not to put them on and had no problem. We reached the car around noon, five hours after we started changing to shorts in a snow shower. The mountains in Colorado are beautiful right now with snow covered vistas wherever you look. And if you climb early in the day, snow conditions are perfect for walking on top of the drifts. We have some hot weather forecasted for this coming week, it will be interesting to see if conditions change. I am planning another 14er this week so I will let you know! Bob

Beta: 5.5 miles, 3400" elevation gain, 5 hours rt

       Bob Broeking in Colorado Springs // "bbroekin@nyx.cs.du.edu
     " I'll get the rope..." Anderl Hinterstoisser, North Face of the
     Eiger, , July 19th, 1936....           

Used with permission of the author.