Mt. Shavano Trip Report 08/18/2016

Peak(s):	Mt. Shavano - 14,230 feet
Date Posted:	08/18/2016
Date Climbed:	08/13/2016
Author:	sfrutiger

The Rocky Road to Shavano
Mt Shavano caught me by surprise - it is harder than I had expected, and although we made it, I would say not ideal for dogs or people looking for an "easy" 14er. We made camp way too late (there are lots of super easy, good camping spots before you get the trail head). After only 4 hours of sleep we also got a later start at around 7:15 am. One of the friends we invited along had done 14ers but only the "easy" ones, and clearly she was not prepared for the distance or elevation change. The hike is beautiful (ok, there aren't any that are not pretty) - nice and shady and in the trees with a little stream flowing next to the train, which was great for my dog Buck. From the start (and all the way to the last little part) this is a really rocky hike. Translation: there is not really a flat or smooth trail during any part, and this makes the hours spent on your feet a bit harder then for example Mt Elbert, which has about the same elevation change and distance. With our less experienced and less in-shape hiker it took us 5 hours to summit. I think as a decent hiker it would have normally taken us about 3 hours. We ran into a herd of Bighorn sheep, which was a treat. The upper section of the trail is full of Marmots, Pikas, and ground Squirrels so letting the dog off the leash wasnt really an option. The last portion of the trail is super steep and a bit of a rock scramble, which is fine for us but I will say was hard on the dog. Since we reached the summit so late and there was weather rolling in, and the saddle over to Tabeguache Peak is also a rock scramble (not easy for the dog), we made the decision to revise our plans and just head back down. The descend felt very very long and thanks to our slower hiking companion, we were back at the trailhead almost 4 hours later. My feet at this point felt like they were on fire just from the sheer hours spent walking and the rockiness of the trail. Haven't been that happy to see flip flops in many years! Moral of the story: it's a rocky road, so wear good socks, and if you bring your pup, make sure they are comfortable with a bit of a rock scramble. Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

The Rocky Road to Shavano

Mt Shavano caught me by surprise - it is harder than I had expected, and although we made it, I would say not ideal for dogs or people looking for an "easy" 14er.

We made camp way too late (there are lots of super easy, good camping spots before you get the trail head). After only 4 hours of sleep we also got a later start at around 7:15 am. One of the friends we invited along had done 14ers but only the "easy" ones, and clearly she was not prepared for the distance or elevation change.

The hike is beautiful (ok, there aren't any that are not pretty) - nice and shady and in the trees with a little stream flowing next to the train, which was great for my dog Buck. From the start (and all the way to the last little part) this is a really rocky hike. Translation: there is not really a flat or smooth trail during any part, and this makes the hours spent on your feet a bit harder then for example Mt Elbert, which has about the same elevation change and distance. With our less experienced and less in-shape hiker it took us 5 hours to summit. I think as a decent hiker it would have normally taken us about 3 hours. We ran into a herd of Bighorn sheep, which was a treat. The upper section of the trail is full of Marmots, Pikas, and ground Squirrels so letting the dog off the leash wasnt really an option. The last portion of the trail is super steep and a bit of a rock scramble, which is fine for us but I will say was hard on the dog. Since we reached the summit so late and there was weather rolling in, and the saddle over to Tabeguache Peak is also a rock scramble (not easy for the dog), we made the decision to revise our plans and just head back down. The descend felt very very long and thanks to our slower hiking companion, we were back at the trailhead almost 4 hours later. My feet at this point felt like they were on fire just from the sheer hours spent walking and the rockiness of the trail. Haven't been that happy to see flip flops in many years!

Moral of the story: it's a rocky road, so wear good socks, and if you bring your pup, make sure they are comfortable with a bit of a rock scramble.

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

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