|
.:Getting to the trailhead:. The most common trailhead used for climbing San Luis is from Stewart Creek, which can be reached from either Gunnison or Creede, depending on where you're coming from. The approach can be confusion, as numerous dirt roads crisscross the area. I generally followed Dawson's directions and didn't have much of a problem. To put you in the mood, go put Talking Heads' "Road to Nowhere" on the stereo as you read on...
Whew! And that puts you at the Stewart Creek Trailhead! Give yourself a couple hours from Gunnison to make it to the trailhead. The roads were in surprisingly good shape - a normal passenger car could've made it without any trouble at all. .:The trail:. The route here couldn't be easier. Just strike out from the trailhead, heading generally west and south up the valley next to Stewart Creek. The first 3 miles or so are a wonderful hike...a very gentle incline as you hike upvalley, next to several small, picturesque beaver ponds. The trail then rises a bit more steeply out of the valley near treeline, and crosses a few small knolls until you find yourself below the ridge that separates San Luis Peak from Organ Mountain (a high 13er). Climb the well-cairned trail to the top of the ridge, and keep following the obvious trail as it does an ascending traverse of San Luis' northeast shoulder and following the ridge for a final ½ mile to the summit.
.:Trip Report:. San Luis is often referred to as the loneliest 14er. South of Gunnison, east of Lake City, and north of Creede, San Luis peak stands as a lone 14er, and frankly, there's not much else around, unless you're a rancher or a hunter! On this frosty October morning (my thermometer read 8 degrees when I started out at 8am), the first few snows of winter had taken hold in the San Juans, making the trek a little more arduous. The trail started bare, and gave way to patches of snow after a couple miles. As I approached treeline, the snow became pretty much a constant, and I soon found myself breaking trail through ever-deepening soft snow. There had been no-one on the trail in a few days at least, and no tracks to follow. Conditions were fairly typical for mid-fall...I would be walking on a couple inches of snow and plunging down to my knees within a few paces, and then back again. By the time I reached treeline and began climbing towards the top of the ridgeline, I was definitely feeling the effort in my aching legs. Luckily, the trail was a bit more windscoured atop the ridge, and not too bad for the rest of the ascent. I hit the summit right about 11:45, just under four hours from the trailhead. The most impressive view from the summit was directly west, where the unmistakable mass of Uncompahgre rears up on the horizon. The southwest was a jumble of San Juan ranges, and to the east, the Sangre de Cristo range is barely visible - the Crestones and Sierra Blanca were easy to pick out. I didn't stay too long on the chilly summit...all the effort to reach the top meant my clothes were fairly well sweat-soaked, and I didn't want to cool down. So, after a few quick pictures and a futile hunt for the summit register, I packed up and headed back down. The trip down was much more enjoyable - enough snow above treeline for a couple short glissades and snow-surfing runs! I reached treeline fairly quickly and kept a brisk pace all the way back to the trailhead. Even at 2:15, it was still fairly cool...not quite 40 degrees. Nonetheless, I was happy to strip off my sweaty gear and exchange it for a dry pair of sweats and t-shirt! Just a couple quick final notes. First of all, for those of you (like me) living on the Front Range (Denver or C. Springs), I'd suggest that trying to climb San Juan 14ers in a day-trip might not be a good idea. I left my house in Littleton at 2am and didn't get home until after 7pm! The effort of a 6 hour drive, 6 hour hike, 6 hour drive is just a killer! Consider making trips to the San Juans (and the Elks, for that matter) overnight trips at least. |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
