2006-02-26 Quandary Peak (selected) (tagged)

Don Johnson's photo

nobody@smugmug.com (Don Johnson) — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 19:59:07 -0800

Don Johnson

Don Johnson's photo

nobody@smugmug.com (Don Johnson) — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 19:59:02 -0800

Don Johnson

Don Johnson's photo

nobody@smugmug.com (Don Johnson) — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 07:00:26 -0800

Don Johnson

Don Johnson's photo

nobody@smugmug.com (Don Johnson) — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 07:00:25 -0800

Don Johnson

Here is a picture of North Star Mountain (elevation 13,420 feet) in the bright morning sunlight directly south of Quandary Peak. "What were we thinking?" -- these were the words we asked our ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Don Johnson) — Sun, 26 Feb 2006 18:22:56 -0800

Don Johnson
Here is a picture of North Star Mountain (elevation 13,420 feet) in the bright morning sunlight directly south of Quandary Peak. "What were we thinking?" -- these were the words we asked our ...

This is Bob treking across the hard packed ice and snow trail. The air is thin.

nobody@smugmug.com (Don Johnson) — Sun, 26 Feb 2006 18:28:21 -0800

Don Johnson
This is Bob treking across the hard packed ice and snow trail. The air is thin.

This is a closer shot of North Star Mountain to the south.

nobody@smugmug.com (Don Johnson) — Sun, 26 Feb 2006 18:36:23 -0800

Don Johnson
This is a closer shot of North Star Mountain to the south.

The wind blew about 30 mph at times, whipping up the snow into mini-tornadoes and stinging our faces.

nobody@smugmug.com (Don Johnson) — Sun, 26 Feb 2006 18:47:23 -0800

Don Johnson
The wind blew about 30 mph at times, whipping up the snow into mini-tornadoes and stinging our faces.

The peak in this picture is Wheeler Mountain (elevation 13,690 feet). The melting snow from this bowl forms the Blue lakes and is the source of the Blue River that flows through Breckenridg ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Don Johnson) — Sun, 26 Feb 2006 18:52:44 -0800

Don Johnson
The peak in this picture is Wheeler Mountain (elevation 13,690 feet). The melting snow from this bowl forms the Blue lakes and is the source of the Blue River that flows through Breckenridg ...

The climb to the top of Quandary Peak is a long trudge up this ridgeline. You can't see the actual summit in this picture. What seems to be the top is just a false summit, the real summit ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Don Johnson) — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 05:18:40 -0800

Don Johnson
The climb to the top of Quandary Peak is a long trudge up this ridgeline. You can't see the actual summit in this picture. What seems to be the top is just a false summit, the real summit ...

Here is Bob at about the half way point. Perhaps we were already pondering the question, "What were we thinking?"

nobody@smugmug.com (Don Johnson) — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 05:20:43 -0800

Don Johnson
Here is Bob at about the half way point. Perhaps we were already pondering the question, "What were we thinking?"

Each step was a challenge.

nobody@smugmug.com (Don Johnson) — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 05:22:31 -0800

Don Johnson
Each step was a challenge.

Half way up the ridge I turned around to take some pictures of the way we had come up. Some fellow hikers stopped to put on their parkas because the wind had picked up.

nobody@smugmug.com (Don Johnson) — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 05:24:44 -0800

Don Johnson
Half way up the ridge I turned around to take some pictures of the way we had come up. Some fellow hikers stopped to put on their parkas because the wind had picked up.

Zooming in on the ridge below you can see other hikers and begin to sense the majesty of this enormous mountain.

nobody@smugmug.com (Don Johnson) — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 05:26:53 -0800

Don Johnson
Zooming in on the ridge below you can see other hikers and begin to sense the majesty of this enormous mountain.

I had no idea there were so many mountains in Colorado! The view and the hike were both breathtaking (but in different ways).

nobody@smugmug.com (Don Johnson) — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 05:28:44 -0800

Don Johnson
I had no idea there were so many mountains in Colorado! The view and the hike were both breathtaking (but in different ways).

On the left side of this south-looking picture you can see Hoosier Pass.

nobody@smugmug.com (Don Johnson) — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 05:30:40 -0800

Don Johnson
On the left side of this south-looking picture you can see Hoosier Pass.

Bob got to the summit before I did and took these pictures of me getting to the top of a 14er for the first time in the winter!

nobody@smugmug.com (Don Johnson) — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 06:45:53 -0800

Don Johnson
Bob got to the summit before I did and took these pictures of me getting to the top of a 14er for the first time in the winter!

Yeah!! AT the top, I had just enough energy to lift my treking poles in triumph and smile for a moment.

nobody@smugmug.com (Don Johnson) — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 06:46:34 -0800

Don Johnson
Yeah!! AT the top, I had just enough energy to lift my treking poles in triumph and smile for a moment.

Wow... There sure is a lot of snow in them mountains!

nobody@smugmug.com (Don Johnson) — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 05:04:53 -0800

Don Johnson
Wow... There sure is a lot of snow in them mountains!

The mountain in the distance is Pikes Peak to the east.

nobody@smugmug.com (Don Johnson) — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 05:06:55 -0800

Don Johnson
The mountain in the distance is Pikes Peak to the east.

I set up the tripod and got one picture of both of us together. If it looks like we're popping our heads out of a foxhole... we are!

nobody@smugmug.com (Don Johnson) — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 05:08:25 -0800

Don Johnson
I set up the tripod and got one picture of both of us together. If it looks like we're popping our heads out of a foxhole... we are!

This is the view to the north.

nobody@smugmug.com (Don Johnson) — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 05:10:26 -0800

Don Johnson
This is the view to the north.

I thought going down would be much easier than going up, but my legs were so fatigued that I still had to stop often to rest.

nobody@smugmug.com (Don Johnson) — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 05:12:39 -0800

Don Johnson
I thought going down would be much easier than going up, but my legs were so fatigued that I still had to stop often to rest.

There were several feet of snow in most places. The trail, however, was hard packed ice and snow on top. Occasionally, I would break through and sink up to my hips. But, it wasn't soft en ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Don Johnson) — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 05:14:43 -0800

Don Johnson
There were several feet of snow in most places. The trail, however, was hard packed ice and snow on top. Occasionally, I would break through and sink up to my hips. But, it wasn't soft en ...

This is the trail near the trailhead on the way back to the car. I can't remember another activity in my life as physically taxing as that hike!

nobody@smugmug.com (Don Johnson) — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 05:16:49 -0800

Don Johnson
This is the trail near the trailhead on the way back to the car. I can't remember another activity in my life as physically taxing as that hike!