Capitol Peak Trip Report 08/10/2014

Peak(s):	Capitol Peak - 14,138 feet
Date Posted:	08/10/2014
Date Climbed:	08/08/2014
Author:	claybonnyman

Capitol Peak - Dispelling fear of exposure
I climbed my first 14er, Longs Peak, at age 12 with my Boy Scout troop. As an adult, I began casually climbing the obvious ones - Grays and Torreys, the Collegiates - at age 30. It was never a goal to climb them all until 3 or 4 years ago when I realized I might get within striking distance. So I got more systematic about climbing a 3-5 new peaks every summer. But I had more or less studiously avoided the more challenging peaks, mostly sticking to Class 2. But as my "to climb" list grew shorter, it was inevitable that I had to start attempting more difficult peaks. Last summer I did Kit Carson. This summer I climbed Wetterhorn-Uncompaghre in a day. Still.... no "most difficult" peaks yet. I kept thinking about my sensitivity to exposure, which I trace to freezing on a top-rope route in Boulder at age 12, as a snowstorm was blowing in. But enough is enough, and Aug. 8 after consulting with friends I picked Capitol Peak. And what an incredible trip it was. I had planned to go the week before, but weather kept me on the other side of the divide. The day I chose looked perfect, with just a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunrise on Capitol Peak. I drove from Niwot over to Glenwood " I strongly advise avoiding Glenwood Canyon; took an hour and a half to go 18 miles due to construction " and stopped at the Red Rock Diner in Carbondale before heading to the trailhead. I ordered then picked up a copy of the Aspen Daily News " "Climber's body found near Capitol Peak." Uh-oh. My confidence level had been flipping back and forth between exhilaration and apprehension and this wasn't helping. (This is the second summer in a row I've climbed a peak just a day or two after someone was killed there; last summer on Kit Carson.) Nonetheless, I made it to the Capitol Creek Trailhead by 8. I put my gear together " I like to travel light, so I can run/jog suitable parts of the trail; I love my Ultimate Direction trail-running hydration pack " and went to bed. Alas, I didn't fall asleep until after midnight for a 3 a.m. start. These days, the Capitol Creek Ditch has supplanted the Capitol Creek Trail, which necessitates a 400 foot drop (and subsequent, post-Capitol climb) from the parking area. Three other hikers headed off that way ahead of me before I left at 4 a.m. It was, needless to say, dark " the moon had already set " and I wore a Petzl headlamp as I tramped along the winding, eventually descending trail, which contours around the hillside on the west side of the creek. Although the route description on 14ers.com is great, I didn't take time to really peruse the photos/directions and got turned around in the dark, costing me a half hour of time. This was, as I say, my fault, but it is a little tricky with all the cow trails in the dark. I am usually very good at natural orientation, so I felt pretty stupid. Then I chatted with the three others ahead of me and learned that they, too, had taken wrong turns in the same general area " not far from where the ditch trail approaches the creek/Capitol Creek Trail 1961. Looking east from the Capitol-Daly saddle. I had hoped to make the Capitol Lake basin by 6 a.m., but due to my detour didn't make it until 6:40. The climb from the basin to the saddle is a crank, no doubt about it, but straightforward, and I was on the saddle between Mount Daly and Capitol by 7:05. Here again, because I did not pay close enough attention, I ended up taking a detour " and once again found that the three others did the same. To be clear: From the saddle, you must descend gradually, first following a well-trodden trail, then picking your way toward a snowfield whose upper edge I could just see down and to the left. But the directions I'd read emphasized that you should try not to lose too much elevation ... so I went straight up the first gully I came across; I wound up too high and once I could see the tracks across the snowfield below, had to descend. Two of the others continued to contour much higher, ran into a ledge system and had to backtrack. My advice: follow the trail from the saddle to the first gully, ascend on the left side perhaps 50-75 feet and look for a way to climb over the rib to your left. Once up there, you'll see the snowfield traverse (at about 12,500 feet, I think) and can orient yourself accordingly. From the top of the small snowfield, you are headed more or less straight southwest up the Moon Lake basin, hopping across talus and occasional stretches of snow (which are pretty thin and fragile near the rock, so step carefully). Before hitting the prominent ridge to the south, I turned west at around 13,300 feet and saw the point of K2 almost directly up to the west. The lower part of this ascent across long, solid, dome-y slabs is a lot of fun and fast going. Higher up it turns into talus, but you have K2 in your sights the whole time. I summited K2 for grins and took a few deep breaths before making my way down, around the right side of the peak and up to a small knob " and there it was: the dreaded Knife Edge and steep remaining ascent to Capitol. However, I'm glad " or sorry? " to report that the difficulty here is overstated, IMO. Yes, there are sheer drops to either side of the Knife Edge, but I felt not the slightest temptation to "scoot" across it as you see many climbers doing in photos. The edge itself provides incredibly solid handholds and I found it very easy to just work my feet along the south side of the edge. Obligatory selfie at the knife edge. What's more, on a scale of 1 to 10, my exposure hinkiness was 1.5. There was not one moment, even looking down on either side, where I felt anything other than calm confidence. Take that for what's it's worth from a guy who thought he had more exposure sensitivity than that. From there, I continued along the ridge, mostly walking upright, until I could see the benefits of dropping down to the south side and beginning to work my way toward and across the steep southwest-facing gully beneath the summit. Here the footing is considerably more sketchy. There are cairns galore, generally useful though pointing to all kinds of options. I decided to try to avoid the sketchier, looser parts by traversing slightly uphill, then working my way up on the solid rock to the left side. Once I crossed over the ridge that descends from the summit, I continued to work along toward the top. I made the mistake several times of trying to make the "summit," only to descend back to the fairly evident route plotted out by many boots. That ascends gradually and sensibly to the summit itself. And there I was. All told, it took me 1:10 from K2 to the summit. I had hoped to be up by 9, but 9:45 worked out just fine. Not a cloud to the west, surprisingly warm and just the lightest kiss of a breeze. Downclimbing, particularly through that gully, wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Cairns, though again pointing in all directions, were somewhat helpful. More than anything, I just took my time and made careful choices for footing. I angled to the left across the looser slope and working my way down mostly on solid rock . All those who have written about this peak are right: Descending to K2 takes almost as much time and patience as climbing up " 1:02 for me. In all honesty, I felt more nervous trying to traverse below K2 than anything on Capitol itself. It's loose and there is no obvious route; a fall could be just as fatal as from above. I honestly think the best way to get past this little peak is to just return to summit. Just my opinion. Descending from K2 was really fun and fast. I moved quickly, popping along friendly, giant slabs once below the talus, then sliding down some small snowfields on my boots. I was back on the Daly saddle 50 minutes after leaving K2. I made it. It is, as on Longs Peak, a very long haul back once you hit the hiking trails. But with a few clouds beginning to scoot across the sun " they never really threatened to storm " it was a pretty nice downhill jog to the creek. I was very glad I didn't have to face a 400-foot ascent on 1961, but the ditch trail is long and winding. I was back at the trailhead at 1:45. Minus top time, chatting time with other climbers "just 4 altogether; this ain't Bierstadt, thank goodness! " and my two detours (my Garmin battery died just below Capitol Lake, but I later plotted out that I had gone more than 19 miles) I estimate my RT, moving time, would have been 8:45. This is the most difficult 14er I've done, and now my favorite. It's got a little bit of everything: pleasant hiking, a strenuous ascent, plenty of thrills and stunning scenery. I doubt it is the "hardest" 14er, as some believe " I have a feeling that misleading rep is due almost entirely to the Knife Edge. Still, it's a challenging mountain and one you don't want to take lightly. I feel great about it and ready to climb some others on the "most difficult" list soon. NOTE: I learned after returning home that the climber who was killed was Jim Nelson, a well-known ultra-runner and six-time Hardrock finisher from Salt Lake City. It's not clear what happened, but his body was found in the Mount Daly basin above Moon Lake. He was very fit and experienced. My condolences to his family. Some final thoughts: Study the photos and maps well, especially if you are planning to start in the dark. It is pretty easy to get turned around in places. Ascend and descend K2 via the summit. I didn't think about how much I would be using my arms and upper body on Capitol " massive handholds, very secure, but the mountain requires a lot of arm and hand work. I think it's a good idea to have some basic climbing skills in your back pocket for this mountain " smears, laybacks and chimneying all came in handy here and there. The trip from the Capitol Creek Trailhead is a haul, even without a detour (17 miles RT). More than any other mountain I've been on, I think fitness matters on this peak. Starting from the lake seems like a sensible option; I was surprised that everyone I met on the way up and down had started from the trailhead far below. And as for my fear of exposure? I understand it a lot better now: So long as I have solid hand- and footholds, I guess I'm not that susceptible. Maybe I've kicked my 12-year-old fear, 40 years later. So long. Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Capitol Peak - Dispelling fear of exposure

I climbed my first 14er, Longs Peak, at age 12 with my Boy Scout troop. As an adult, I began casually climbing the obvious ones - Grays and Torreys, the Collegiates - at age 30. It was never a goal to climb them all until 3 or 4 years ago when I realized I might get within striking distance. So I got more systematic about climbing a 3-5 new peaks every summer.

But I had more or less studiously avoided the more challenging peaks, mostly sticking to Class 2. But as my "to climb" list grew shorter, it was inevitable that I had to start attempting more difficult peaks. Last summer I did Kit Carson. This summer I climbed Wetterhorn-Uncompaghre in a day. Still.... no "most difficult" peaks yet. I kept thinking about my sensitivity to exposure, which I trace to freezing on a top-rope route in Boulder at age 12, as a snowstorm was blowing in.

But enough is enough, and Aug. 8 after consulting with friends I picked Capitol Peak. And what an incredible trip it was. I had planned to go the week before, but weather kept me on the other side of the divide. The day I chose looked perfect, with just a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

I drove from Niwot over to Glenwood " I strongly advise avoiding Glenwood Canyon; took an hour and a half to go 18 miles due to construction " and stopped at the Red Rock Diner in Carbondale before heading to the trailhead. I ordered then picked up a copy of the Aspen Daily News " "Climber's body found near Capitol Peak." Uh-oh. My confidence level had been flipping back and forth between exhilaration and apprehension and this wasn't helping. (This is the second summer in a row I've climbed a peak just a day or two after someone was killed there; last summer on Kit Carson.)

Nonetheless, I made it to the Capitol Creek Trailhead by 8. I put my gear together " I like to travel light, so I can run/jog suitable parts of the trail; I love my Ultimate Direction trail-running hydration pack " and went to bed. Alas, I didn't fall asleep until after midnight for a 3 a.m. start.

These days, the Capitol Creek Ditch has supplanted the Capitol Creek Trail, which necessitates a 400 foot drop (and subsequent, post-Capitol climb) from the parking area. Three other hikers headed off that way ahead of me before I left at 4 a.m.

It was, needless to say, dark " the moon had already set " and I wore a Petzl headlamp as I tramped along the winding, eventually descending trail, which contours around the hillside on the west side of the creek. Although the route description on 14ers.com is great, I didn't take time to really peruse the photos/directions and got turned around in the dark, costing me a half hour of time. This was, as I say, my fault, but it is a little tricky with all the cow trails in the dark. I am usually very good at natural orientation, so I felt pretty stupid. Then I chatted with the three others ahead of me and learned that they, too, had taken wrong turns in the same general area " not far from where the ditch trail approaches the creek/Capitol Creek Trail 1961.

Looking east from the Capitol-Daly saddle.

I had hoped to make the Capitol Lake basin by 6 a.m., but due to my detour didn't make it until 6:40. The climb from the basin to the saddle is a crank, no doubt about it, but straightforward, and I was on the saddle between Mount Daly and Capitol by 7:05.

Here again, because I did not pay close enough attention, I ended up taking a detour " and once again found that the three others did the same. To be clear: From the saddle, you must descend gradually, first following a well-trodden trail, then picking your way toward a snowfield whose upper edge I could just see down and to the left. But the directions I'd read emphasized that you should try not to lose too much elevation ... so I went straight up the first gully I came across; I wound up too high and once I could see the tracks across the snowfield below, had to descend. Two of the others continued to contour much higher, ran into a ledge system and had to backtrack.

My advice: follow the trail from the saddle to the first gully, ascend on the left side perhaps 50-75 feet and look for a way to climb over the rib to your left. Once up there, you'll see the snowfield traverse (at about 12,500 feet, I think) and can orient yourself accordingly.

From the top of the small snowfield, you are headed more or less straight southwest up the Moon Lake basin, hopping across talus and occasional stretches of snow (which are pretty thin and fragile near the rock, so step carefully). Before hitting the prominent ridge to the south, I turned west at around 13,300 feet and saw the point of K2 almost directly up to the west. The lower part of this ascent across long, solid, dome-y slabs is a lot of fun and fast going. Higher up it turns into talus, but you have K2 in your sights the whole time.

I summited K2 for grins and took a few deep breaths before making my way down, around the right side of the peak and up to a small knob " and there it was: the dreaded Knife Edge and steep remaining ascent to Capitol.

However, I'm glad " or sorry? " to report that the difficulty here is overstated, IMO. Yes, there are sheer drops to either side of the Knife Edge, but I felt not the slightest temptation to "scoot" across it as you see many climbers doing in photos. The edge itself provides incredibly solid handholds and I found it very easy to just work my feet along the south side of the edge.

What's more, on a scale of 1 to 10, my exposure hinkiness was 1.5. There was not one moment, even looking down on either side, where I felt anything other than calm confidence. Take that for what's it's worth from a guy who thought he had more exposure sensitivity than that.

From there, I continued along the ridge, mostly walking upright, until I could see the benefits of dropping down to the south side and beginning to work my way toward and across the steep southwest-facing gully beneath the summit. Here the footing is considerably more sketchy. There are cairns galore, generally useful though pointing to all kinds of options. I decided to try to avoid the sketchier, looser parts by traversing slightly uphill, then working my way up on the solid rock to the left side.

Once I crossed over the ridge that descends from the summit, I continued to work along toward the top. I made the mistake several times of trying to make the "summit," only to descend back to the fairly evident route plotted out by many boots. That ascends gradually and sensibly to the summit itself.

And there I was. All told, it took me 1:10 from K2 to the summit. I had hoped to be up by 9, but 9:45 worked out just fine. Not a cloud to the west, surprisingly warm and just the lightest kiss of a breeze.

Downclimbing, particularly through that gully, wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Cairns, though again pointing in all directions, were somewhat helpful. More than anything, I just took my time and made careful choices for footing. I angled to the left across the looser slope and working my way down mostly on solid rock . All those who have written about this peak are right: Descending to K2 takes almost as much time and patience as climbing up " 1:02 for me.

In all honesty, I felt more nervous trying to traverse below K2 than anything on Capitol itself. It's loose and there is no obvious route; a fall could be just as fatal as from above. I honestly think the best way to get past this little peak is to just return to summit. Just my opinion.

Descending from K2 was really fun and fast. I moved quickly, popping along friendly, giant slabs once below the talus, then sliding down some small snowfields on my boots. I was back on the Daly saddle 50 minutes after leaving K2.

It is, as on Longs Peak, a very long haul back once you hit the hiking trails. But with a few clouds beginning to scoot across the sun " they never really threatened to storm " it was a pretty nice downhill jog to the creek. I was very glad I didn't have to face a 400-foot ascent on 1961, but the ditch trail is long and winding.

I was back at the trailhead at 1:45. Minus top time, chatting time with other climbers "just 4 altogether; this ain't Bierstadt, thank goodness! " and my two detours (my Garmin battery died just below Capitol Lake, but I later plotted out that I had gone more than 19 miles) I estimate my RT, moving time, would have been 8:45.

This is the most difficult 14er I've done, and now my favorite. It's got a little bit of everything: pleasant hiking, a strenuous ascent, plenty of thrills and stunning scenery. I doubt it is the "hardest" 14er, as some believe " I have a feeling that misleading rep is due almost entirely to the Knife Edge. Still, it's a challenging mountain and one you don't want to take lightly. I feel great about it and ready to climb some others on the "most difficult" list soon.

NOTE: I learned after returning home that the climber who was killed was Jim Nelson, a well-known ultra-runner and six-time Hardrock finisher from Salt Lake City. It's not clear what happened, but his body was found in the Mount Daly basin above Moon Lake. He was very fit and experienced. My condolences to his family.

Some final thoughts:

Study the photos and maps well, especially if you are planning to start in the dark. It is pretty easy to get turned around in places.

Ascend and descend K2 via the summit.

I didn't think about how much I would be using my arms and upper body on Capitol " massive handholds, very secure, but the mountain requires a lot of arm and hand work.

I think it's a good idea to have some basic climbing skills in your back pocket for this mountain " smears, laybacks and chimneying all came in handy here and there.

The trip from the Capitol Creek Trailhead is a haul, even without a detour (17 miles RT). More than any other mountain I've been on, I think fitness matters on this peak. Starting from the lake seems like a sensible option; I was surprised that everyone I met on the way up and down had started from the trailhead far below.

And as for my fear of exposure? I understand it a lot better now: So long as I have solid hand- and footholds, I guess I'm not that susceptible. Maybe I've kicked my 12-year-old fear, 40 years later.

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

workmanflock	You left 8/10/2014 4:41pm Your filtration bottle on the saddle with Daly. I can mail it to you in a week when I get back to town if you pm me your address.
claybonnyman	Water bottle! 8/10/2014 4:48pm Yes, I did! I was halfway back to the creek by the time I noticed. That bottle is like 15 years old and as you can see the strap isn't much. So a) thank you so much for cleaning up after my inadvertant litter and b) don't go to the trouble of mailing unless you really want to. I must have met you up there, since I only remember 4 people on/going up to Capitol and two folks with a big dog, Wolfgang, who reported the smoldering fire to me on the saddle. May I ask who you are? Thanks!
claybonnyman	Bummer! 8/10/2014 5:00pm So you're Jared and Jen, then, right? I'm sorry to hear about her ankle. Did that make it a difficult descent? Sure, if you'd like to send it back with your friends we can try to work out an exchange. Alternatively, if you want a ”classic” filter bottle from 1998 ... go for it! It's a fun mountain, for sure. I'm really surprised that I wasn't bothered by the exposure.
workmanflock	My wife and 8/10/2014 5:00pm I were up there the same day, we camped across from you. My wife injured her ankle which aborted out attempt about 300 feet from the top. I've got friends from Denver visiting the 23rd and 24th so I could just send it back with them. You were really hauling that day. The fire thing? I had local fire crews asking me for info on that, apparently someone reported it to the local authorities and they took it quite seriously.
workmanflock	Slow descent 8/10/2014 5:03pm Yup, we sort of hobbled out of there at a slow pace with lots of ibuprofren. It's an awesome mountain, I hadn't been there for a decade. I'll send it back in two weeks and give you their contact info. It's funny how not upset I was at turning around. I tend to just enjoy getting out these days with summiting being way less of a priority to enjoying scenery.
claybonnyman	Bottle 8/10/2014 6:12pm Thanks for doing that. I'm still working on my ”list” so I'm always glad not to have to turn around. Weather was about as perfect as it could be that day. Tell Jen I hope she's better soon.
claybonnyman	Fire 8/10/2014 6:22pm Sorry, I forgot to respond to the comment about the fire. Yeah, at the saddle a couple with a German shepherd asked if I had a cell phone because they thought they should report this strange, smoldering fire down near campsite 5. It had been working for a couple of days, they said, scorching tree trunks. They had tossed dirt on it and poured water on it, but still couldn't snuff it out. I checked it out and it was pretty strange. A deep hole, smoldering and smoking lightly, about 5 feet across, clearly burning ”underground” on roots and such. The trunks around it were scorched. I did end up calling it in. I was a wildland firefighter a billion years ago and I thought someone with a Pulaski and plenty of water should come root it out for good. I was glad that they took it seriously and I talked to them again in Snowmass and they'd sent somebody to check it out.
bdloftin77	Exposure and Route 8/10/2014 6:25pm I was wondering if you could tell me more about the exposure and how bad it was. Also, do you have any more tips about the route after the Knife's Edge? Some people say it's best to stay within ten feet of the ridge the whole time. Others say to just do what seems best, or to follow the cairns. You said there seems to be a general route/path where cairns are? What other advice would you have about climbing Capitol? Oh, and if the weather forecast is 40, 50, or 60% chance of rain, mainly after noon (as usual), do you think that would be much of a problem, as long as we started early? I'm thinking about camping near Capitol Lake, and starting at 4. Hopefully that'd be early enough to avoid any weather. I hope that the route finding from there in the dark isn't too bad until the sun rises.
claybonnyman	Re exposure and route 8/10/2014 6:42pm Howdy. After the Knife Edge, I stayed on top of the ridge for the most part at first, dipping down occasionally on the south (left) side. After the long straightaway, I worked mostly below the ridge, but not far. It's pretty ”self explanatory,” I thought ” and you can see pretty well where others have gone before you to the left. Once I got to the trough below the summit I just sort of scoped it out. There were a couple of pink-ribboned cairns that pointed a way across the slope, up and to the left. For me it was sort of a mix of using cairns as a reference, but really just eyeballing it and making sure of my footing and handholds. As I say, I chose to get off the more slippery stuff and climbed the more vertical, more solid rock to the left up to the notch in the ridge where I crossed over before hitting the summit. If you start from Capitol Lake, and you are confident climbers and fit, you should have no problem at all coming off the summit before noon. As everyone says, be advised that once you are across the Knife Edge, it may not look far but it takes time and there really is no hurrying it. I consider myself reasonably fast and it took me 1:10 from K2 to summit, then 1:02 back to K2. In other words, I'd give myself a 3-hour window from K2 to get up and down. If it were me, I'd want to be at K2 by 8 a.m. or earlier. Route finding from the lake: Up to the saddle is no problem, but if it's really dark it might be a pain getting from there down into the basin before starting up. In my report note the advice about how best to do this. In short: don't go high! I think once down in the basin you should be fine until K2, but I wouldn't personally want to go past there without good light. Have fun. When are you planning to go?
bdloftin77	Advice 8/10/2014 9:29pm Thanks for the help! I'm glad the route finding doesn't sound horribly difficult. We'll bring route pictures, and probably print some people's route descriptions. http://www.14ers.com/routemain.php?route=capi1&peak=Capitol+Peak For the basin: So in pictures 11 and 12, you descend, then turn right and see K2 in photo 15? For near the top: In photo 27, I'm thinking you took the solid line to the SW, and not the dotted one? Would you recommend doing that? The plan right now is to drive out and camp on the 21st, and hike on the 22nd of August. Thanks!
claybonnyman	Advice back atcha 8/10/2014 10:21pm Yes, the photos fail between #11-12, which is why, I think, all four of us on Capitol that day (I caught the fifth guy on the way back down and advised him) went too high. So in 11, over that hump, you'll hit the first gully. My recommendation is to work up that gully, holding onto solid rock on the left side, maybe 50 feet or so, then find a convenient way up over that rib. Once there, you should see the snowfield below and to your left; it will be tracked. You won't miss K2. Just head up from the Moon Lake basin toward the obvious ridge and once you are above the snowfields start looking right (west). K2 is super obvious up on the ridgeline; bouncing up and down those slabby things was fun. I did not take the dotted line up the ridge, but rather the solid line across the gully and to the south ridge. Not sure about going straight up, though you would certainly avoid the looser bits. I crossed pretty directly over the gully and hit the south ridge as soon as I could. It's steep, but incredibly solid with hand/food holds and elephant could love. Have fun up there. It's quite an adventure. Feel free to ask any other questions you may have.
bdloftin77	Weather 8/10/2014 11:10pm Ah, that's a bummer. Yeah it didn't even show gullies in the photos. Oh, I forgot. So for the weather... So would 40, 50, or 60% mainly after noon be okay, if we got an early start and watch the weather as we go? Or do you think we should reschedule if the weather is forecasted for over 30%? Do you remember how long it took you to get from the camping areas to the Daly-Capitol saddle? I think people have said around 2 hours. If we leave at 4 from camping, maybe the sun will rise by the time we get to the saddle. We're decently fast hikers. For the few snow patches, should we bring cramp ons or micro spikes, or are they avoidable/okay to walk on? For parking, we'll only have a 2wd car I think. Would it be best to not risk it up to the 4wd TH, or do you think we might be okay with good driving? Thanks!
claybonnyman	Weather reply 8/10/2014 11:44pm From the sign for campsites 5-8, where the trail to the summit starts right below the lake, it took me 25 minutes to the saddle; that's if you are camping in the lake basin. If you mean the main trailhead down below (not really a camping area; more parking lot), it took 3:00 to the saddle, but I lost almost half an hour when I headed down the wrong cow trail near the creek below, so maybe 2:30 with no mishaps. I'm no speedster, but I like to move pretty quickly, so I'm guessing it might take many climbers longer. I think from the lake basin you should be fine if weather isn't expected until after noon. Remember, I started at the Capitol Creek Trailhead at 4 a.m., and even with two ”detours” was on top before 10 a.m. From the lake at 6:40 it was close to 3 hours to the top, for me. You don't need spikes or anything for the snowfields. They are short, easy and pretty solid (except near the rock, where you can posthole down a long way). Still, might be fun to have an axe if you feel up for some glissading. There were several 2WD cars at the trailhead above the first parking area (where people park horse trailers). It's not crazy steep, but you'll have to work your way over some big humps. Must be doable!
bdloftin77	Camping, Snow, Weather, 4wd 8/11/2014 1:00am I was thinking from the lake basin, but both are good to know. We'll be wearing backpacks, so it's probably at least a 3 hour hike to the camping area. 25 minutes is fast from camping to the saddle! Maybe getting up at 4 and leaving at 4:30 might be okay. We'll have to see. Looking at a different trip report, it looks like there might be two ways after the saddle. http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=14378&parmpeak=Capitol+Peak&cpgm=tripmain&ski=Include Between the 5th and 6th picture, he says that there's also an option of going way down around the first gully. I guess we'll have to see when we get there! Thanks for the snow report. And I guess we'll have to see when we drive up! If my friend is adventurous and his car isn't brand new, we might try driving up a bit. 2 miles is a decent amount to add to hiking, one way. I'll probably post a trip report when we go up. Thanks!
CORed	Glenwood Canyon 8/11/2014 10:20pm Since my Mom lived in Rifle for several years, I have all too much experience driving Glenwood Canyon. It seems that ”under construction” with only two lanes open is the usual state of it. It's kind of sad when you realize that there was a perfectly good two lane road through it before all that money was spent on an interstate that usually only has two lanes open. If going to the Aspen area in the summer, Independence Pass is probably the better option. More adventurous (but surely more time consuming) alternatives would be Hagerman Pass (easy 4wd road) from Leadville to Basalt, Crooked Creek Pass, from Eagle to Basalt (gravel, passable by car) or Cottonwood Pass from Gypsum to about half way between Glenwood Springs and Carbondale (a mix of gravel and paved cunty roads, passable by car).
claybonnyman	Glenwood traffic 8/11/2014 10:58pm Yeah, I should have checked before leaving. I went through the canyon because I was going to do a driving loop through Aspen, which I did on the way home. Hadn't been over Independence Pass for a long time, so it was fun to see and remember. And all the tourists taking pictures at the Divide sign....
BoulderGiraffe	Capitol 8/12/2014 8:52pm Thanks for your note on my trip report - I just read yours and it's funny how we seem to have had similar experiences! I was amazed how tired my arms were after getting back to the saddle. Sounds like you made good time as well...congrats on getting one peak closer to bagging them all. How many more do you have?
claybonnyman	Senor Girafa! 8/12/2014 9:11pm Talk about fast, man! I like to go fast because ... I don't know, just because. Well, of course it all depends on which 14er list you are using, but at 14ers.com I've climbed 39 out of the 58 official and unofficial peaks. And you?

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