Quicktrip to Ouray, Colorado

[ttora4runner]

Took a quick trip to Ouray, Colorado last weekend to get some hiking in at 14,xxx ' prior to my Mt Whitney trip in a few weeks. My goal was to attempt hiking Mt. Sneffels again since the first time I only made it part way since I wasn't feel well, summit Uncompahgre peak and attempt Handies Peak starting at the American Basin trail-head.

Quick shot heading up Yankee Boy Basin on Friday




The sign from Mt Sneffels a little way down the trail from the upper trailhead.


Looking at the hike up.


The view from midway


The 2nd half of the climb


The view after the second half. At this point there is av-notch off to the right that you have to climb though to make the final ascent but I couldn't quite figure out how to get though it so I just called it quits here which was still around 14k.


One final shot from Sneffels


Saturday I head back out to Lake City to drive up Nellie Creek trail to the trail-head for Uncompahgre peak. I did this trail around the same time I made my first attempt on Sneffels and being a fairly easy trail it was one I could bag easily.

Quick vehicle photo near the trail-head up Nellie Creek


Let the fun being


Quick photo of the valley and the mass of sheep down below.


View from the trail.


View from the summit - the most difficult of this hike is a short scramble up the talus right before the final push to the summit.

 

[ttora4runner]

After coming back down a grabbing a quick bit to eat I was off down Cinnamon Pass trail to reach American Basin and the trail-head for Handies peak but I got side-tracked and decided to visit the townsite of Carson which I hadn't been to since my first trip to the area 10 years ago.





After checking out the area again (was a little annoyed that some people decided to set up camp just outside of the frame in the one photo) I head back down Cinnamon to American Basin. I got to the area a little later than plan due to side tracking so I just grab a photo or two of the area.





It was probably a good thing I decided not to hike Handies Peak when I did since a storm started building in the area when I was up at the pass.



Final shot from Cinnamon Pass.


Even though this was a quick weekend trip it was nice to get out of the smokey air that has been plaguing the Wasatch Front for some blue skies and fresher air. I'm planning to revisit the area next year to final get Sneffels under my belt and to hike Handies Peak along with two other 14ers in the area.

 

[Mr. Snappy]

We just got home from the Ouray area yesterday. We didn’t hike (three small kiddos) but did drive Imogene pass on Friday. It’s a great area, was our second (but not last) time there.

 

[CalifOregonia]

I've been looking at climbing Uncompahgre peak on a trip in late September. How hard is the hike? I'm used to 8-12 miles with a few thousand feet of elevation gain, but do not have mountains that tall in my neck of the woods.

 

[ttora4runner]

I've been looking at climbing Uncompahgre peak on a trip in late September. How hard is the hike? I'm used to 8-12 miles with a few thousand feet of elevation gain, but do not have mountains that tall in my neck of the woods.

The hike is fairly easy. The upper section is the only difficult part but not that bad.