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Peak(s):  Horseshoe Mountain  -  13,918 feet
Date Posted:  06/23/2015
Date Climbed:   06/21/2015
Author:  Jay521
 Horseshoe Loop   


Sometimes Plan B doesn't work.


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Trailhead: Fourmile Creek road 3/4 mile past the Leavick site.
Route: Gully south of Boudoir going up, Standard route (more or less) coming down.
Length: About 7 miles RT
Vertical: About 2700 feet
Ascent Party: Solo

I really wanted to catch another couloir climb while we are enjoying this late season snow and I decided to be at the creek crossing at Grizzly Gulch at dawn to give the Tuning Fork on Torreys a try. But I was stumped as how to cross that swollen creek (memo to self: bring water shoes ALL the time). So, it was time for Plan B.

Plan B was the Boudoir Couloir on Horseshoe. From what I'd read, it looked rather easy and I thought an easy snow climb is better than none at all. So, off I went to Fourmile to head up that way.

I parked at the intersection described in Bill's route description for Horseshoe and I seemed to remember the cutoff road was pretty rough from when I'd done Horseshoe ages ago. But the road has been graded and I could have driven almost a mile up to where a snowbank blocked further travel. I'm not sure about the condition of the road beyond that as I cut up the hillside at that point.

On to Plan B (captions above photos)

Sherman is standing tall (taken from the cutoff road)
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Looking back down the valley after leaving the road.
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Looking right from the same spot to White Ridge and Sherman
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And looking ahead from the same spot. I **think** the bump on the right in the distance is Sheridan?
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Further on, and the cornice between Sheridan and Sherman.
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A short vid on the way up.


First good look at Horseshoe. I'm starting to get doubtful about Boudoir as it looks a little thin.
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Yep - it's very thin. And I'm something of a chicken
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Now, I'm starting to think the vertical snow chute/gully left of center in this picture might work. But I ended up taking the gentler sloping ramp just left of Horseshoe.
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Just as I was putting my camera away after taking this next picture, I heard some rockfall and looked up just in time to see the last bit of it. That sealed the deal as far as I was concerned that I would NOT be doing Boudoir today. On to Plan C.
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I'm still looking at the gully in the center of this pic. Or the couloir to the left. Anyone done either of these?
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But, I settled on the gentler ramp. It turned out to be fun and a bit more difficult than it looked.

Starting up, the route curves up and to the right.
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A little ways up, I spotted this waterfall. I don't think I've ever seen one this high on a mountain before.
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What follows are several shots looking up and back down as I ascended this ramp. It ended up a little steeper than it initially looked.
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There was a cornice at the top to negotiate (I went up on the very left edge of this picture)
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And one last look down from the summit ridge.
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Now it's an easy jaunt to the summit.
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And the old bunkhouse is still standing.
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Summit views.
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Summit vid.


As it was pretty windy on the summit (understatement), it was time to head down using the standard route.
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Looking back up
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A foundation for a summer home with views of Peerless, Sheridan, Gemini, Sherman and White Ridge.
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I did manage one short glissade on the way down
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As I don't carry a GPS, here is an approximation of my route.
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Thanks for taking the time to read this and please be careful out there!



Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 14 16 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40


Comments or Questions
Brian Thomas
User
Comments and likes
6/23/2015 1:03pm
Look at all that snow! Happy Fathers Day and Happy Summer Solstice on a quality centennial summit


robnrhea
User
Nice Job
6/23/2015 5:34pm
Looks like a fun day in the hills. Hope I can still be doing that when I’m 67. Thanks for sharing!!


HULKHIKEGOOD
User
When I grow up....
6/23/2015 10:08pm
I want to be like Jay! Another gem my friend, always makes my day when I get to live vicariously through your reports!


jbchalk
User
Nice loop, Jay!
6/24/2015 9:37am
Great day it looks like! Congrats on a cent!

Kristine & I were thinking of heading over to ski the Boudoir, but it just didn’t seem worthwhile with how thin it was and there certainly didn’t seem like a lot of snow in the basin. Maybe next year!


Jay521
User
Thanks!
6/29/2015 10:56am
Thanks for the nice comments, guys. I always appreciate hearing from you 14ers.com rock stars!



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