TRIP REPORT: Mt. Sneffels, CO 7/4/96
The promise of good weather over the holdiday weekend had me psyched for some time in the great outdoors. A change of scenery and an increase in climbing difficulty were on tap when we selected the San Juans as our destination.
The original plan was to get off work early on Wednesday and leave Colorado Springs around noon, so we could reach Ouray and Yankee Boy Basin before dark. Unfortunately, golf/lunch with some co-workers (team building ;) ) ran late, so me and the SO didn't get on the road til about 2:30 PM. We took the US24/US50 route through Monarch Pass and Gunnison. We arrived in Montrose around 7:00 PM and ate a quick dinner at the local Wendys.
Driving south on US550, Sneffels and its associated range rise majestically in front of you creating one the best mountain views in Colorado. The storm clouds over the range just seemed to add to the grandeur of this scene. We arrived in Ouray at dusk and quickly found the well marked Camp Bird Road. We followed this road about five miles climbing steeply. Sprinkles turned into a steady rain and twilight turned into darkness, so we pulled off to the side of the road and slept in the car.
By morning, the rain had gone. We drove a little bit further until the road started to get a little rough. Since I don't have a 4x4 (or even a high clearance 4x2), I'm always conservative when it comes to how far I drive up these mountain roads. This time, it was a mistake to not continue as the road is good up past the townsite of Sneffels. Oh well, that extra mile of hiking would be good exercise.
We entered Yankee Boy Basin around 7:00 AM. It was relatively quiet this early in the morning, but there were numerous tents and 4x4's in the Basin. If there is one place that truly represents Colorado to me, YBB is it. High peaks all around, numerous waterfalls, wild flowers, and lots o' mining activity. We continued to hike up the 4wd road leading through the basin until reaching the Blue Lake Trail. At this point, Sneffels is to the NW, but appears less prominent than some of the surrounding peaks. We continued hiking west up past Blue Lake crossing a few small patches of snow. Just before the trail starts switch backing up to Blue Lake Pass, there is a turn off leading north towards Sneffels. We took this and arrived at the base of a wide slope leading up to "Scree Col."
This slope should be called "Scree Slope" because its mostly loose dirt and gravel. There is some talus, but I was not having an easy time of it anywhere on this slope. Oh well, should provide for a rapid descent. Upon reaching "Scree Col" (the connecting saddle between Sneffels and Kismet), I got my first view of the incredible couloir running to the NW towards the summit. Unfortunately, it was still about half to a third full of snow. Three other climbers had now caught up with us (two nice guys from Grand Junction and an older gentleman from Broomfield) and after a short discussion, the concensus was to do Roach's YBB variation.
We exited the couloir about a third of the way up through a small crack and did some fun scrambling across the south side of Sneffels working our way toward the summit. We crossed a snow patch just below the summit that provided a little bit of excitement and made the extra weight of the ice axe worthwhile. (I noticed on the way down that this snow patch would shoot you down and over a long drop off if you weren't careful. It was probably good that I didn't know this while I was crossing it.) Fifty more feet of climbing and we were on top of the small and dramatic summit. Great view opened up all around, and the older gentleman we had met pointed out the Wilsons, Needles, and Uncompahgre/Wetterhorn. There were also great views of nearby Potosi and Teakettle peaks (This pair looks incredibly tough to climb). To the west, the Utah desert opens up and the La Sals could be clearly seen. (Can't wait to go back there when the weather cools a bit).
We didn't spend too much time at the summit as there was a steady stream of climbers behind us and we were in a bit of a hurry to get to our next destination. The descent was uneventful other than the tricky snow patch near the summit and some good boot skiing on the scree slope. Upon returning to Yankee Boy Basin, we were greeted by an army of 4x4s. It was more like being in the mall parking lot than the great outdoors, but oh well. Me and the SO were back at the car by 2:00 PM, and after a short rest, we were off to Durango and the Needle Mountains.
All in all, it was a very enjoyable climb. Beautiful scenery, some fun scrambling, and great views from the top. This was my first peak that was not just a walk up and I guess I was ready for it since I enjoyed it so much. Expect crowds on Sneffels, but I still highly recommend this climb.
Tom Stats from above townsite of Sneffels: RTD: 7 miles Altitude gain: 3,450 ft.