Mt. Harvard and Mt. Yale

Day 16

Miles hiked today: 18.7
Miles from Denver: 216.7
Elevation: 9,360 ft
Segments 12,13
Landmarks: San Isabel National Forest, Collegiate Peaks Wilderness, Mt. Harvard, Mt. Yale, Buena Vista

VIEW MAP

I woke up this morning with the goal in mind of getting to CR-306, nearly 19 miles away. If I got there, I would be able to hitch to Buena Vista, my next resupply stop and a much needed shower and laundry. My decision last night to stop before the second climb of Mt. Harvard would make this a difficult proposition. Just looking up the Pine Creek corridor of monster mountains made me feel small, much less thinking of climbing over them.

I got going about 8 am; I still can't get out of camp any faster than about an hour after I wake up. Segment 12 included climbing the shoulder of Mt. Harvard at 11,800 ft, again to the east of the 14,420 ft peak. After that the trail starts a long 9 mile descent to the North Cottonwood Creek. I hoped to complete this by noon or 1 pm, because the next section involved a 2,400 ft climb up Mt. Yale. This was to be a big day.

In the end I was glad that I didn't climb Mt Harvard yesterday, because I never saw the side trail I would have been looking for for the campsite. I could only get oblique views of Mt. Harvard; the problem with climbing a mountain is it is a poor way to take a picture of it. Looking back I thought I could see all the way to Twin Lakes.

The nine mile descent took me past stream after stream, and there was a vast valley to the east which contained Buena Vista and US 24. I truly was on the edge of the Sawatch range, looking down on a vast plain, with another mountain range growing up from the far side.

When I got down to the road it was decision time. I had lunch and got some water, and it was already past 2 pm. I was already tired, but a night in a hotel room and some town food sounded mighty good. So I started to climb. Mt. Yale is 14,196 ft, and the trail crosses at a saddle at 11,880. There is a 2 mile side trail that will take you to the top, but this is not the regular trail to the peak, which approaches from the south, and requires a lot of rock scrambling. I am still not in full thru-hiker shape. I remember hearing somewhere that after about 6 weeks of hiking, you'll be in the best shape possible. On the AT, that means once you get into Virginia. Here on the CT, that means once you're done. So I struggle up the climbs, stopping every 30 feet or so to catch my breath.

Climbing up Mt. Yale

From a distance it looks as if the trail might go over the saddle above tree line, however it didn't. So when I got to the top, I couldn't see the peaks that loomed right over my head. However, the vantage point did provide a great view of the next mountain to the south. The descent was very steep, and there were several spots where they had cut the trail right into the side of a gravel slope.

Mt. Princeton to the south

I got to the road before 6 pm, which was pretty good. I crossed the road, stuck out my thumb, and the very first vehicle pulled over. This is a personal record. The guy's name was Duane, and he hiked the CT a few years ago. More trail magic! He wasn't even planning on going into town, but he was willing to drive me in and drop me at the grocery store. Within a short amount of time I was clean, fed and watching Denver news, which seems so irrelevant to me on so many levels right now.

The climb down