CHICAGO STYLE

 

 

We were up early the next morning.  We still had to get over Columbine Pass.  At this point, retreating wasn’t really an option.  We figured that the earlier we got there, the better.  Although we now knew that thunderstorms can happen well before noon in southwestern Colorado, we also realized that the chance of bad weather would increase as the day went on.

 

We woke at first light to partly cloudy skies.  We enjoyed a lovely sunrise with great views back down Johnson Canyon while eating breakfast.  We hit the trail at 7:45, which was a considerable improvement over the previous day.  Of course, observant readers could point out that if we had started Wednesday’s hike 2 hours earlier, we would’ve been near the top of Columbine Pass when the worst of the storms hit.  That would’ve put us in serious danger.

 

We climbed back up to the clump of stunted spruce trees where we had huddled the previous afternoon.  From there we climbed above tree line.  First we hiked through willows, but eventually even they disappeared.  Soon it was just rocks and grass covered with fresh snow. 

 

We followed Johnson Creek up to a bench.  Beyond the crest of the bench we gazed down on Columbine Lake.  The lake was surrounded by snowy peaks in every direction.  We walked down to the lakeshore, but it was too cold and windy to linger long.  After a couple of minutes we began the final push to Columbine Pass.

 

The final climb was steep but quicker than I expected.  There were several inches of snow on the trail, but the footing was fine.  The views back down to Columbine Lake were spectacular despite the glare from the brilliant sunshine.  After several days of stormy weather, the sun was a pleasant change.

 

The view west from the pass was nice, too.  It encompassed the Needle Creek drainage, but the high peaks above Chicago Basin were still lost in the clouds.  Apparently the wet weather wasn’t quite ready to release its grasp.

 

The conditions on the west side of the pass were sketchy.  The west side is steeper, and the snow was hard and icy.  We had carried our Yaktrax ice cleats for seven days, so we figured we might as well use them.  I went first, moving cautiously as I descended.  The footing was a bit marginal, so I was glad I had the extra protection.  We all made it down safely, and stopped when we reached rocks and mud to take our Yaktrax off.

 

A couple of switchbacks latter we stumbled upon a nest of ptarmigans.  We only saw them because one of them moved.  Even then, we thought it was a single bird.  After a couple of minutes our eyes adjusted, and we realized that there were actually several ptarmigans there huddled in the snow.  They were perfectly camouflaged – their feathers were a combination of white and grey.  The white blended in with the snow, and the grey exactly matched the shade of the surrounding rocks.  Before we left I counted ten ptarmigans.  I imagine if we had stayed longer we would’ve spotted even more.

 

We descended more switchbacks, and then some pleasant alpine terrain.  We reached a small stream at tree line, and found a nice campsite on the far side.  We were in a lovely unnamed basin above Chicago Basin, but well below the pass.  Since it was noon we stopped there for lunch before resuming the hike.

 

That afternoon we continued down the trail through another beautiful spruce forest.  We passed two more mines along the way.  The entrance to one was blocked, but the other was open.  It still had railroad tracks running out of it, and the remains of a cabin were adjacent to the entrance.  I went in a few feet to get some photos, but that was as far as I dared to go.

 

A short hike from the mines brought us to the sprawling meadows of Chicago Basin.  A pleasant stream runs down through the meadows, which are periodically broken by small spruce groves.  Chicago Basin is a vast area, so Bob J and I scouted while J Bob watched our packs.  There were many campsites to choose from, but Bob found the winner a couple hundred yards downstream.  It was a lovely site between the trail and the creek, with a few scattered spruce to provide shelter.  Chicago Basin is one of the most popular backcountry camping areas in Colorado.  Incredibly, we had the whole place to ourselves.

 

We returned to find J Bob napping in the sun.  We hiked back down to the site and set up camp.  Since it was still early afternoon, I was determined to explore.  I didn’t have enough time to climb a 14’er, so I went for the consolation prize.  I decided to hike up to Twin Lakes, which is nestled in a rocky basin below three 14’ers – Mount Eolus (14,083’), Windom Peak (14,082’), and Sunlight Peak (14,059’).  The Bobs decided to pass, as they were content to relax in the sun at our campsite, which featured a great view of Windom, Jupiter Mountain (13,830’), Grizzly Peak, and Hope Mountain.

 

The climb to Twin Lakes was a bit of a grind.  I followed the official trail from Chicago Basin, which climbs above a cascading waterfall on Needle Creek.  I actually passed a couple of backpacks sitting beside the trail along here.  I didn’t see any actual people though.  I’m guessing they were down at the creek checking out the waterfall or getting water.

 

I reached a bench above the top of the falls and the grade eased.  There are a couple of campsites here, but camping isn’t allowed beyond this point.  Later, when I returned, one of the campsites was occupied.  Presumably it was the same people whose packs I had passed.  As far as I know, they were the only other people in the greater Chicago Basin area that night.

 

The hike was gentle for a few minutes before I began climbing an impressive headwall on switchbacks.  I passed a couple of waterfalls along here – one on the main creek and another on a tributary. 

 

The sun had been shining back at camp, but the clouds had thickened as I had hiked.  I was almost at the top when another snow squall hit.  This one featured lots of ice pellets, but at least there wasn’t any thunder and lightning.  Feeling stubborn, I pressed on.

 

The storm cleared as I crested another bench.  I scrambled over rocks and boulders until I reached a viewpoint of Twin Lakes immediately below.  Mighty mountains surrounded me on all sides.  The view of the 14’ers was compelling, but the jagged ridgeline immediately ahead of me was even more impressive.

 

I circled the lower lake until I reached a vantage point that included Sunlight Peak.  Coincidentally, although the sky was almost completely cloudy, a single beam of light was shining through a narrow opening directly onto the summit of Sunlight Peak. 

 

I crossed the narrow spit of land between the lakes, hopping across the connecting stream.  I then circled around the east side of the lower lake before heading back down.  My descent was much faster than my climb, even though I made a brief diversion to check out the waterfall I had passed earlier.  While I was there I spooked a pika, which didn’t stick around long enough for a photo.

 

I was almost back at camp when I stumbled upon a small herd of deer.  They were grazing in the meadow on the opposite side of the trail.  They ended up grazing near our campsite through the rest of the evening. 

 

The weather cleared that evening.  Later we were treated to spectacular alpenglow on the peaks above.  J Bob had already gone to sleep, but we managed to wake him in time to allow him to catch it from his tent door.  Afterwards a full moon rose.  This seemed pretty neat at first, but the moon was so bright I actually had trouble sleeping.



Continue reading about our trip as we finish our trip with a hike down Needle Canyon, and a train ride back to Durango.


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