Mt Meeker, 13,911'

15 Jan 2000

Steve Bremner, and Sam the Wolfdog

Prelude, 1 Jan 2000

On New Year's Day I made my first attempt on Mount Meeker with a friend, Laila Hughes and *of course* the ever present Sam the Wolfdog. Though we left from a friend's house in Denver early on New Year's morning weLaila at the start didn't start hiking until 8:00 A.M., starting up the Lookout Mountain Trail from Meeker Park. To reach the trailhead we took road 113N west, directly across from the handsome log structure, Meeker Park Lodge.

According to the Trails Illustrated map of Rocky Mountain National Park, after one trail broke left up towards Lookout Mountain, located on the lower end of Meeker Ridge, another trail broke left half a mile further up, making for a more direct route further up the ridge to the west. Our plan was to go up and over Meeker, dropping into "The Loft", a high flat area between Meeker and Longs, then to ascend Longs via "The Notch". I didn't know then and didn't learn until my second attempt that a daunting knife ridge separates Meeker's east summit, the culmination of the route up Meeker Ridge, from the west summit of Meeker. "The Loft" is most easily reached from the west summit.

Unfortunately with the trail snowcovered and no sign to mark it we missed that second left turn. Soon realizing that we had missed the turn we left the trail, turning left and aiming for Meeker Ridge, plunging through deep snow and steep forested terrain and picking our way through deadfall. Buried in the forest we trudged ever higher until finally reaching a rock outcropping where I succeeded in clambering up for a view of our best course. The ridge was still quite a bit higher, but the route was clear. Laila had put on her snowshoes by now. I continued in boots.

Once on the ridge the summit loomed far in the distance, occasionally revealing itself through clouds. The wind gusted to 40-50 MPH, the temperature held steady at a chilly 15 degrees Fahrenheit, and it started to lightly snow. Laila near our turn around pointWhen Laila's toes began to go numb we stopped and inserted "toe warmers", a very useful accessory in winter. They did the job.

Meeker Ridge is a jumble of large and small granite boulders, with no trail to follow. I have not seen this route in any guide books--it just looked like a logical route. Keeping an eye on the clock we gained elevation steadily until finally at 2:15 P.M. with the summit in clear sight, maybe 400 vertical feet further on, we had to turn around. As it was we barely made it through the scree and into the forest before the lights went out around 5 P.M. This time we aimed for the Lookout Mountain Trail, which proved much easier going once we reached it. With headlamps we were back at my truck by 6:30 P.M.

Round 2, 15 Jan 00

Friday, January 14th after work I threw together my gear and drove the two and half hours to Meeker Park. I was confident that with an early start I could successfully reach my original goal of ascending Longs via Meeker Ridge and Meeker Mountain.Meeker from road in Meeker Park Sleeping fitfully in the front seat of my truck, I listened to the wind howl in the trees overhead. I woke in time to start up the trail with headlamp just before 5 A.M.

This time I turned left on the Lookout Mountain Trail. 1-2 feet of new snow had fallen since New Year's Day and I wore my snowshoes from the start. For the first two hours until the sun began slowly lighting up the wintery scene, the trail was obvious. Following the trail to its end left me far down Meeker Ridge to the east, with Lookout Mountain and Horsetooth Peak to my left. In the saddle I looked east where the sun glowed orange rising above Lookout Mountain. The wind swept the snow clear from the ridge.

Turning west and up the ridge, there was more forest to go through, meaning deep snow--I plunged sometimes three feet as more snow had fallen at this elevation, now over 10,000 feet. Once above timberline the wind scoured the snow off much of the terrain and I removed my snowshoes to begin the boulder dancing game for the next 3,000 feet of elevation. The final ridge to summitThe wind gusted to 50 MPH and the temperature held steady at 19F. Finally reaching the summit at 11:00 A.M. the wind was now steady and sustained at 50MPH and the temperature had dropped to a frigid 11F.

Looking across to the west summit of Meeker I was less than enthused about negotiating the knife ridge lying between my present position on the east summit. Hovered behind a rock as the wind screamed I marveled at the prominent prow of Longs Peak across "The Loft". To reach "The Loft" I would first have to traverse the knife ridge.The Kni\fe Ridge

 

 

Certainly feasible, but not with 50 MPH winds to contend with. I espied one solo climber as he trekked across "The Loft". As he began descending what looked to be a treacherous icy cliff I began my own descent--reversing my tracks back down the ridge.

 

 

 

Sam on Meeker's SummitThe Loft and Longs from Meeker's east summit

Rather than go all the way down to the saddle between Meeker Ridge and Lookout Mountain, I followed our course from New Year's, leaving the ridge a little earlier and intersecting the Lookout Mountain Trail further down.My new truck! Soon I met my tracks and reached the truck around 3 P.M.

Ascent time: 6 1/2 hours

Descent time: 3 1/2 hours

Elevation gain: 5500 feet

fourteeners