I haven't been climbing many Colorado peaks lately, so I crammed one into this last weekend, sandwiched between an obligatory "Dining Out" on Peterson AFB and a forecasted spring snowstorm. Following the Dining Out, we raced home, changed quickly, grabbed our already packed bags, and hit the road for a room I had reserved in Dillon--a 2+hour drive. We finlaly pulled in to the Super 8 just before 2 A.M., exhausted.
Next morning we were refreshed and ready to tackle 13,841' Atlantic Peak. The sun was shining, but the air frigid. We parked at the Mayflower Gulch Trailhead, 6.1 miles up highway 91 from the junction of 91 and I-70. On the left side of the highway we found a cleared parking area. At 0830 we were the only ones there.
We started up the snowpacked 4-W drive road, the road solid enough to allow us to strap our snowshoes to our packs to begin with. After about one mile we looked left and espied the Pacific Creek cleft that divides Pacific Peak from 'Atlantic Peak'. Now we donned our snowshoes and trekked across the pristine, untrammeled snow. This was Rebekka's first time on snowshoes. Initially it was easy as there was no slope. Once we crossed the valley though we turned up the Pacific Creek bed, where the going got a bit steep. Still, it was easy enough until we broke out and gazed on our next objective--the west ridge of our destination peak--Atlantic....
To gain the ridge we had to press upwards and onwards over a steep rounded snowcovered ridge. Not an easy task...yet Rebekka made it up with some prodding. Now that we were on the ridge proper it was easier, but not yet a "piece of cake".
As we made our way along the ridge, at times it was wide and easy, at other times it was narrow and scary--with the sides dropping off a thousand or more feet to either side. I told Rebekka that she simply had to decide that she would not fall.
I reached the summit nearly half an hour before Rebekka, relaxing and enjoying the views. Following her arrival atop the peak, we indulged in our peanutbutter and jelly sandwiches, took pictures and revelled in the sensation of dwelling atop the world...
Then to retreat we retraced our steps on down the ridge. At first Rebekka went sans snowshoes...they can get in the way on the solid snow mixed with rock, so at first anyway it was easier for her to make her way down in boots only.
Snow began to fall lightly,
so we had to hurry. Down, down, down we went, soon reaching the Pacific Creek
bed, we kept on till we crossed the next creek. Of course all these creeks
were well buried beneath snow and ice so we didn't really "cross"
them...just walked across the snowbridges.
To make it back to the packed road we had to crosscountry a bit through the woods and deep snow. Once on the road proper it was just a few short minutes and we were back to the parking lot. Now there were several cars in the lot. We had to hightail it out of there for Colorado Springs to avoid the coming blizzard!