This one is definitely out of the "1 day range" for us Denverites, so I actually spent the night of Friday the 8th in Montrose. My climbing partner Chris and I spent a fairly quiet night in the Montrose Comfort Inn (not exactly 'roughing it', I know). On the 9th we headed out of Montrose at around 5:30am to Ouray and the trailhead (see 'Getting to the Trailhead' above). We parked about a half-mile from the roads' end, just before a series of switchbacks up the right side of the basin. It was a clear, cool morning, with the mercury hovering right around 40 and a stiff breeze whipping around the basin. We checked our gear and headed up the road at about 7:20. The guides all mention that there tends to be snowfields late into the summer, so we both made sure to pack our ice axes in case of steep snow.

Yankee Boy basin is a spectacular area to be in. To the left, Gilpin Peak dominates the view and to the right sit Potosi, Teakettle, and Cirque Mountains, all of which are rugged and foreboding to us casual climbers. Several of these peaks had a dusting of snow, remnants of a storm that had blown through the area on the day before. As you hike west on the trail, the ridge comprising Blue Lakes Pass is right in front of you, and the extremely spiky southwest ridge of Sneffels rises up the right side. You don't actually see Sneffels' summit until about 12,600 ft. The summit is the high point along that southwest ridge. Just before the main trail begins a series of switchbacks to the top of Blue Lakes Pass, there's a small sign indicating the secondary trail to Sneffels (at about 12,700 ft.). Turn right here and start climbing the steep north slope to the saddle at 13,500 ft. There is a faint trail leading up the middle of the slope, but loose gravel and scree can make it difficult. Some folks may want to tend to the left side of the slope and rock-hop their way up. On this cool morning, the gravelly trail was still frozen from the previous day's precipitation, and was actually not too difficult to climb.

After topping out at 13,500 ft. (and giving your burning calves a rest), the next push is the Lavender (or Scree) Col, directly to the west (climber's left). Although this steep and narrow gulley retains a good deal of snow late into the year, it was barren (except for the fresh dusting) on this day. I'd brought an ice axe, just in case. It's steep enough that a snow climb would certainly require it. As it was, Chris and I were able to simply pick our way up the middling-sized rocks all the way to the 14,020 ft. top. The whipping winds were somewhat subdued due to the deepness of the gulley, which was a welcome change. It was still rather cold though, and I had donned pants, jacket, and skullcap a while back. Climbing all the way to the top of the gulley actually puts you off-route a bit, but the views down Sneffels north side from here are not to be missed!

The crux of the route lies about 20~30 feet below the top of the gulley. On the left is a prominent V-shaped notch that is the crux of the route, and the only move that requires a Class 2+ scramble. After hoisting yourself through the crack, the summit is a 100-yard walk up easy ledges and shelves. Make sure to look back once you get through the crack and make note of what it looks like for the trip down! Oddly, the guidebooks vary wildly on this part of the route. Roach's guide was closest to being accurate, while Crestone's software said it was 100 feet down, and Dawson's didn't even mention it. Whatever you do, pick your route wisely and don't get in a situation you can't get out of!

The summit of Sneffels is actually pretty small - I'd say a couple square yards before it starts to drop off. The drop on the north side is especially dramatic. Surrounding views of the nearby 13ers is incredible, as are the views on the horizon of other 14ers. Uncompahgre and Wetterhorn stick out to the east, and the Wilsons, Eolus, and other southwest San Juan 14ers can all be picked out as well. Chris and I arrived right at 9:30, and didn't linger very long...the winds were whipping in excess of 30~35 mph, making the wind chill near to zero if not lower. We paused long enough to sign the register (#35 for me!!) and click a couple pictures before heading down a short distance where we were out of the wind. We hung out and ate and enjoyed the neck-turning scenery for about a half hour. Within that time, a pair of two-person parties came through the crack and summitted as well. One couple had a very vocal dog - some sort of a husky mix, who was alternately barking happily, growling low, or whining...clearly, he had a lot to say. His owners had to physically hoist him through the crack, which I don't think he was thrilled about.

We started down around 10am, and encountered about two dozen people who were on the way up. We made it down to the saddle with no problem, and then scree-surfed our way down the north slope - the gravel had melted out a bit by this time, and most of the folks climbing up had opted for the stable rocks on the (climber's) left side. I had one embarrassing fall, and slid down about 50 feel on my butt. Wouldn't have been so bad, but it caught the tube of my Camelbak and ripped it apart, and I got soaked in the process. Ah, well.

Back on the main trail, we half-jogged back to our parking spot just for fun. This was one of the shorter trips we'd made recently, and we both still had a bit of energy left! The journey ended back at my Blazer right at 11:15. What a great morning! We packed up (I changed into some dry clothes) and we headed back to Ouray. Unfortunately, we were hindered by a procession of backcountry morons who decided that they wanted to drive at 4 mph down the well-maintained road. Every time we got around one, we came upon another within minutes! For those of you novice 4x4 drivers, pay attention: please use a little common courtesy and be aware if you're hindering traffic! Aargh!

We hit Ouray and began the 5-hour journey home. Sneffels was prominent in the rear-view mirror from Ridgeway through Montrose to the Black Canyon National Park. I highly recommend this climb! It's a little harder than, say, your average Sawatch 14er, but not so hard that you'll have to worry about overstepping your abilities. Just remember to come prepared for the conditions, especially late summer snow at high altitudes!