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Peak(s):  Torreys Peak  -  14,272 feet
Date Posted:  12/15/2014
Date Climbed:   12/06/2014
Author:  katbiette
Additional Members:   Kevin Baker
 Torreys Peak Via Kelso Ridge   

Friday morning I got a text saying that I wouldn't have to work on Saturday. Sweet I think, I should go hiking. I already knew the weather was going to be beautiful and was bummed when I thought I wouldn't be able to spend it outside. I started contacting my usual hiking partners, including a group who were planning on climbing Bear Peak outside of Boulder. That sounded like a lovely way to spend my Saturday. Then I got an unexpected message from Kevin, asking if I was interested in joining him on Kelso Ridge.

Let's pause here and give a bit of my "mountaineering" background. I started hiking 14ers in June of this year, doing mostly simple Class 2 hikes but loving every single time I did class 3 or above. When I had expressed to someone early on in the summer that I'd had a lot of fun on the Sawtooth between Evans and Bierstadt, they suggested I climb Kelso Ridge. It'd been in the back of my mind ever since, a dull whisper of a temptation. Still, June-December didn't give me any "winter" condition experience. I may have climbed 24 14ers this summer, but at this point I'm definitely still a mountaineering novice.

When Kevin suggested Kelso Ridge, my excitement instantly fluttered. I've thought about Kelso for months now! Could I do it with snow? I don't know the first thing about winter hiking. I explained my Newbie status to Kevin, understanding if he didn't want to take someone with such little experience. But he was still willing, and I was STOKED. He mentioned an ice axe, and off I went that night to pick one up from REI.

We arrived at the trailhead around 6:45am, and drove up just to the first switchback. Around the corner were deep tire tracks where it was clear someone had a hard time getting their vehicle moving. Kevin helped me safely tether my axe to my pack, commenting on its light weight as he pulled on a large, heavy pack to train with. We strapped on our gaiters and extended our trekking poles, and off we went towards the trailhead.

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The road had a solid few inches of snow, but it was packed and easy to walk on


The hike up the road was pretty easy, and we paused for a snack break before continuing on. Once on the trail, the snow was a bit more difficult to walk on, but we rarely post-holed. Kevin taught me the new word "sastrugi" to describe the snow that the wind had blown into a hard surface.

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The snow cleared up as we entered into the basin, and when we arrived on the saddle between Torreys and Kelso around 10:30am there were only a few patches.

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Looking up at the ridge in front of me, and thinking back on what I'd remembered from my research prior to the hike, my impression of the hike was this: Climb up some steep steep steep grade to the White Wall, walk over some gentle grade to the knife's edge, get to the summit. Easy-peasy. Let's just say this was... a bit naive. The conditions looked good though, not too much snow on the side we'd spend most of the day on. After another snack to power up, we set off along the lustrous ridge.

At the lower elevation, the trail was mostly clear of snow and was basic ridge hiking with some gravel and talus. Kevin told me about a chimney coming up and I thought to myself Cool! Sounds fun! This may have been the most difficult part of the hike for me. I watched Kevin climb first, noting one area where the footing options were slim and there was just a small, slightly slippery ledge for the left foot. I followed behind, but could not confidently place my left foot on the rock without feeling like it would slip whenever I put weight on it. I was getting flustered, awkwardly tossing my axe from one hand to the other trying to decide what to do with this new piece of equipment. I couldn't go down, I couldn't go up, I couldn't go left. I looked around and maneuvered to my right, removed my gloves to get a better hold on the rocks, and managed to pull myself up. Alright, well that was a challenge...

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Photo credit Kevin Baker
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Photo credit Kevin Baker



We continued along, dipping up and down along the right side of the ridge. There seemed to be a good number of gullies with loose rocks, ice, and sugar snow to scamper up, and before long we decided it was time to pull on the microspikes. I was starting to wonder where this "White Wall" was. Did we pass it? Go around it some how without noticing? Surely we've gone farther than that...

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Photo credit Kevin Baker

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Nope. Finally it was in sight.

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Photo credit Kevin Baker
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Tilted part of the White Wall to climb through/over/around. Photo credit Kevin Baker


Again I watched Kevin go first, noting that the tricky part seemed to be where you had to wedge in at an angle. I followed behind Kevin, but opted to climb over these rocks more than through them. I commented to Kevin about the lack of grace in my climbing technique (and let's be real, in most areas of my life ).

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So that was the White Wall, now it's onto the flat grade to the knife's edge and then we're at the summit, right?! Notttt quite. The terrain does get a bit easier after the White Wall, but there are still a few towers to scamper around and/or over before getting to the knife edge. There were a few spots that we wondered if it'd be best to go this way or that way, and it's hard to say if we always made the best call. I usually opted for the route that stayed off the snow, trusting my footing on solid (but possibly iced over) rock rather than the sugar-snow that was still new to me.

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Last time, Kevin went around to the left. I wasn't sure about the snow, so we climbed up and around to the right. Photo


And finally, there it was! The long-awaited knife's edge.

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White rocks form a sort of fan after the knife's edge, but were snowed over and didn't look as cool as some of the pi


The day so far had been mostly windless, but here the wind started to pick up slightly. Kevin crossed first, keeping to the snow on the Dead Dog Couloir side of the rocks. I started to follow in the steps he'd made, but my knees were shaking a bit. I'd crossed the knife's edge on Capitol without much fear, but this pile of snow discomforted me. I couldn't tell what was under my feet, and I wasn't confident that the snow would stick. It seemed like such an unreliable source of grounding to place my life on! I calmed my wobbling legs and made my way to the cool white fan of rocks.

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Photo credit Kevin Baker


From there, it was a simple meander the rest of the way to the summit. It was later than either of us had anticipated (approx. 2:50pm), and the wind was more than we wanted to hang out in for long. We descended to a slight wind-break, just beneath the cairn that holds the canister below the summit, and munched on some noms. Kevin unpacked some wine to warm us up before we continued down, since we'd be in the shadow of the mountains the rest of the day. I was feeling exhausted, and a little defeated by the day's hike. As I descended and got to see the ridge from a different angle, I was reminded of the huge accomplishment I'd made. The ridge isn't "really steep then flat" as I thought it would be, it's a sustained grade the entire way from the saddle at 12,400' to the summit at 14,267'.

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Looking up at the Northeast side of the ridge, I was proud of myself for doing this Class 3 scramble on my first time in winter conditions. My first time on rocks with ice. My first time really needing the microspikes on my boots. My first time carrying an ice axe.

We headed down the East Slopes of Grays peak while watching the sunlight slowly fade and paint the eastern sky with pinks and blues.
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By the time we were back at the trailhead it was dark and time to don the headlamps. The road from the trailhead back to the car seemed to never end in the little circle of light my headlamp emitted. A total distance of 12 miles and 4,200' of gain had done me in, and I was exhausted. As I unpacked and removed my boots, I began to feel the tiredness in my muscles settle in. It was another fantastic day in the Colorado outdoors, pushing my physical and mental limits, learning more about the mountains and all the wonders they hold.

"Obstacles are put in your way to see if what you want is really worth fighting for."
As always, it was definitely worth it.



Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):
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Comments or Questions
Kevin Baker
User
Good work
12/16/2014 1:12pm
Nice job, Katy! You were very determined and eager to learn that day. It was fun introducing you to the world of winter conditions hiking/scrambling. It wasn’t quite a bluebird day, but you don’t get too many nicer than that in Dec!


Jay521
User
GREAT work!
12/16/2014 3:03pm
Although I’ve never met Kevin, his reputation is certainly top drawer and you are fortunate to have him as a mentor.

I loved Kelso ridge but have only done it in the summer so you are ahead of me! A very nice 1st report and I hope we get to see more from you.



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