Mt. Blue Sky Trip Report 08/06/2007

Peak(s):	Mt. Blue Sky - 14,268 feet
Date Posted:	08/06/2007
Date Climbed:	08/05/2007
Author:	White Light

Evans via Echo Lake
Mount Evans- Echo Lake Trailhead Round trip- 14 miles Trip time- 12 hours I had attempted Mount Evans a couple years ago using this same route, only to have to hitchhike down when I reached Summit Lake because of a lighting storm. Sunday morning at 3 a.m. my friend Ann picked me up and we headed for the Echo Lake Trailhead. This is really the only way to really hike Evans, unless you are doing a technical climb. Making good time, with no traffic on the roads, we reached the trailhead by 4:30 a.m. and hit the trail with one headlamp between the two of us. We immediately took a wrong turn at the Chicago Lakes sign. The sign is notched so it looks a bit like an arrow, but make sure to go straight at it. In the daylight this is really obvious, but it took us about half an hour to realize we were blazing out own trail through the woods. After we retraced our steps and found the right trail it was about 5 a.m. We started descending down a ridge with several switchbacks to Chicago Creek. You cross a small wooden bridge and hit a service road. Turn left on the road and follow it uphill for about a mile to Chicago Lakes reservoir. The path takes you past the reservoir and past a couple little cabins before entering the Mount Evans Wilderness area. At this point the sun was rising and we were making really good time through the forest toward Chicago lakes. The trail had received some heavy rains recently and was a little washed out at points, but overall the trail is easy to follow. We hit Chicago Lakes by about 8 a.m. The climb from the lower lake to the higher one is a bit of a scramble, but very clear. To this point we hadn't seen anyone else on the trail. At the lakes we saw a couple people who appeared to be either day hiking or camping there. The trail cuts between the lakes and hits the north face of Mount Warrren, 13,307 feet. The lakes are at 11,750 feet and the trail takes you straight up the face, there are no switchbacks. This is where I first slowed down. The quick elevation, over 1,000 feet in less than a mile, hit me hard and I had to stop to catch my breath a few times. This was my first 14ner of the season, so that may have made it worse. Being alpine tundra just keep an eye on the orange markers lining the trail When we reached the top of Warren, it was a simple stroll down to the Summit Lake parking lot, which was already full of cars. We proceeded up the road for a little over a mile before taking the northeast face trail to the summit. This was a combination of alpine tundra and rocks. My legs were getting tired at this point, but after a granola bar we pushed on to the summit. We reached the top at 11 a.m. and celebrated with a little lunch. The summit was filled with people who had driven to the top, walked a few feet and said they had hiked a 14ner. It was ridiculous how many people were up there in flip-flops with their poodles. One guy who we talked to couldn't believe we hike all the way from Echo Lake, his jaw dropped and he said we were crazy. With clear skies to our backs, we descended by 11:30 a.m. and made good time. Our spirits were high as we rolled past Summit Lake. As we descended Warren almost immediately we realized we had lost the path. Thinking we saw it we hiked down a bit, but again realized we were way off track. With little recourse we ended up traversing the slippery/rocky 1,000-foot cliff face. It really slowed us down and added a good hour to the trip. Eventually we reached Chicago Lakes and headed out. The walk was pretty easy, but we were both sore and worn out from cutting our own trail. Make sure to catch the path going down Warren, because it's not really obvious in the alpine tundra. Also the 14th mile going out is switchbacks uphill, which hurts, but when you hear the cars at Echo Lake it is a sweet sound. We reached our car at 5 p.m. Long hike, but well worth it considering it was beautiful and isolated, plus we weren't in our car. * Sorry there are no pictures. My camera's mega-pixels are too high and I don't have the software to reduce the quality.

Evans via Echo Lake

Mount Evans- Echo Lake Trailhead
Round trip- 14 miles
Trip time- 12 hours

I had attempted Mount Evans a couple years ago using this same route, only to have to hitchhike down when I reached Summit Lake because of a lighting storm.

Sunday morning at 3 a.m. my friend Ann picked me up and we headed for the Echo Lake Trailhead. This is really the only way to really hike Evans, unless you are doing a technical climb.

Making good time, with no traffic on the roads, we reached the trailhead by 4:30 a.m. and hit the trail with one headlamp between the two of us. We immediately took a wrong turn at the Chicago Lakes sign. The sign is notched so it looks a bit like an arrow, but make sure to go straight at it. In the daylight this is really obvious, but it took us about half an hour to realize we were blazing out own trail through the woods.

After we retraced our steps and found the right trail it was about 5 a.m. We started descending down a ridge with several switchbacks to Chicago Creek. You cross a small wooden bridge and hit a service road.

Turn left on the road and follow it uphill for about a mile to Chicago Lakes reservoir. The path takes you past the reservoir and past a couple little cabins before entering the Mount Evans Wilderness area.

At this point the sun was rising and we were making really good time through the forest toward Chicago lakes. The trail had received some heavy rains recently and was a little washed out at points, but overall the trail is easy to follow.

We hit Chicago Lakes by about 8 a.m. The climb from the lower lake to the higher one is a bit of a scramble, but very clear. To this point we hadn't seen anyone else on the trail. At the lakes we saw a couple people who appeared to be either day hiking or camping there.

The trail cuts between the lakes and hits the north face of Mount Warrren, 13,307 feet. The lakes are at 11,750 feet and the trail takes you straight up the face, there are no switchbacks.

This is where I first slowed down. The quick elevation, over 1,000 feet in less than a mile, hit me hard and I had to stop to catch my breath a few times. This was my first 14ner of the season, so that may have made it worse. Being alpine tundra just keep an eye on the orange markers lining the trail

When we reached the top of Warren, it was a simple stroll down to the Summit Lake parking lot, which was already full of cars. We proceeded up the road for a little over a mile before taking the northeast face trail to the summit.

This was a combination of alpine tundra and rocks. My legs were getting tired at this point, but after a granola bar we pushed on to the summit. We reached the top at 11 a.m. and celebrated with a little lunch.

The summit was filled with people who had driven to the top, walked a few feet and said they had hiked a 14ner. It was ridiculous how many people were up there in flip-flops with their poodles.

One guy who we talked to couldn't believe we hike all the way from Echo Lake, his jaw dropped and he said we were crazy.

With clear skies to our backs, we descended by 11:30 a.m. and made good time. Our spirits were high as we rolled past Summit Lake.

As we descended Warren almost immediately we realized we had lost the path. Thinking we saw it we hiked down a bit, but again realized we were way off track. With little recourse we ended up traversing the slippery/rocky 1,000-foot cliff face. It really slowed us down and added a good hour to the trip.

Eventually we reached Chicago Lakes and headed out. The walk was pretty easy, but we were both sore and worn out from cutting our own trail. Make sure to catch the path going down Warren, because it's not really obvious in the alpine tundra.

Also the 14th mile going out is switchbacks uphill, which hurts, but when you hear the cars at Echo Lake it is a sweet sound. We reached our car at 5 p.m.

Long hike, but well worth it considering it was beautiful and isolated, plus we weren't in our car.

* Sorry there are no pictures. My camera's mega-pixels are too high and I don't have the software to reduce the quality.

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