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The Essentials
Peaks: Shavano and Tabegauche
Route: Standard
Driving Conditions: Clear
Roundtrip Time: 10ish hours, stops included
The Report:
This was the second climb on my mom and I's climbing trip and what a great climb it was! Mom and I added a third to our group, Grant Gavin. We met him at the Redcloud/Sunshine trailhead and invited him to tag along.
We began our climb at around 4 a.m. which was a fun first for Grant. The trail was well marked so it was hard to get on the wrong trail even in the dark. The climb was easy and clear all through the trees. At a deeper spot, the stream must be crossed but there was a log for passage.
We made great time and were fortunate enough to get into the upper and more sparsely treed area to watch the sunrise.
The rest of the path to the Angel of Shavano was easy except for a few areas where we had to cross snowdrifts. Fortunately, the snow was very stable in the morning and we had no troubles. The snow of the Angel was on a very steep slope and had no visible trail through so we skirted the edges as best we could. Then it was a short jaunt to the ridge.
The ridge was extremely windy and I had troubles just moving forward at times. Not pleasant. The last push to the summit from the ridge is also much more difficult. It's a steep climb made even more difficult by the wind. The path is somewhat clear but can be difficult to find. The only way is up though!
At around 8:00 (I think, we weren't paying close attention) we summitted Shavano and looked on towards Tabeguache.
The trail from Shavano to the adjoining ridge was rocky but easy and not too steep. The trail up to Tabeguache from the ridge was much more difficult and steep. We were intimidated at first but ventured forth. The trail seemed to disappear so we just cut our own path making sure to skirt the snow.
Once climbing, we found it less challenging than it looked from the ridge. The last push though was pretty steep and rocky so we climbed one at a time.
The view from the top was great though and we were able to see Shavano.
On our descent from Tabeguache, we stopped a long while to relax and talk. The day was absolutely beautiful and clear and we felt no rush. We also saw some sheep (we think) on the ridge below us.
Our wildlife viewing didn't end there and unfortunately we encountered several marmots on the trail back to Shavano. Marmots and I have had a grudge ever since they chased me down Mt. Massive. Needless to say, I am slightly terrified of them, especially when they jump out at me. Mom and Grant were very amused.
The top of Shavano was glorious and so we decided to take a long time to enjoy the amazing views.
We finally began our descent around 12:30 after an hour or two of chilling. We found the entire descent to be pretty easy except for crossing the snow. The sun had melted it so it was rather slick.
As we approached tree line, we saw some people glissading down the Angel snowfield. All three of us were a bit shocked and I would not recommend it as it is very steep and the snow is slick.
The rest of the hike back was lovely. We made it back to the trailhead around 2 giving us a roundtrip time of 10 hours. Not bad considering our long stops. We were happy to have such a beautiful and successful day.
Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):
Nice report. I went down the Angel snowfield a day or two before you - the snow is so wet in the afternoon that downward progress is slow to impossible. As for RNpeakseeker, there are tons of camping spots near the TH, and a huge amount of dispersed, pack-in camping 1-2 miles up the Shavano Trail.
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