8-18-15

Me: Recap of Sunlight Peak (8/15)…

Walking across a snow patch in the upper basin between Windom & Sunlight Pk.

We made it to the summit!! :-)

I don't have any photos from our climb up Sunlight Peak because:

1) It started out steep & loose (needed both hands).

2) Later there was technical boulder climbing (needed both hands).

3) Rain & small hail came (urging us to quickly touch the summit & get back down)!

Some clouds did roll in but it seemed they would clear quickly.

Even so...here's my concerned face.

From the official survey marker (which is where I'm taking this photo from) there are a few more large boulders higher that some hikers climb to stand on the tippy-top. It is considered pretty difficult & many don't attempt it. On a dry day Bob would likely have gotten to that tippy-top. But today, because the rocks were slick from rain, he turned around when he reached that middle standing point. Not worth the risk.

Sunlight Peak

14,059 ft.

My happy face and then we headed back down.

Stopped to point out Windom Peak where we had been earlier with John & Jenn.

It's still Bob's birthday! August 15th.

This is one of my favorite photos. Handsome husband! Happy 46th!

At Sunlight Peak saddle. Sunlight Spire is behind me; a rock climbers destination. BTW: We love our rock climbing helmets that we use often (we put them on for the last stretch to the summits or any place rock fall is a risk).

There really wasn't that much snow left but we thought it was cool.

It makes our hike look a little more epic. ;-)

Really, ANOTHER mountain goat! I'm definitely gonna make a coffee table book of just mountain goat pics!! :-)

Making good progress heading down. There's sun shining on Blue Lakes. Ahhhh! 

Another pretty day in Alpine paradise! Bob & I will camp tonight & hike out tomorrow to catch the train to Durango.

"Where are you headed? The trail you are on determines where you will end up."