North Eolus Trip Report 07/25/2009

Peak(s):	North Eolus - 14,042 feet Mt. Eolus - 14,087 feet Sunlight Peak - 14,061 feet Windom Peak - 14,089 feet
Date Posted:	07/25/2009
Date Climbed:	07/24/2009
Author:	emcee smith

CB4 - 3 day trip, and I feel like Dead Mike
Chicago Basin N. Eolus; Eolus, Sunlight, Windom Hike in 7/22/09 4 Bagger 7/23/09 Hike out 7/24/09 Overall Impressions Where to begin on this? This was the hardest 3 days of hiking I have done. I thought that I was ready for this, having done 3 back to back days earlier in the summer (Wetterhorn X 2, Sunshine and Redcloud) and just completed a hike in, Harvard/Columbia traverse and pack out. Wrong! There was nothing about this trip that was easy. We only had 3 days, so we either needed to get them all in one day, or Sunlight/Windom on the same day as hike out. Luckily, the weather was good enough for us to get all 4 summits in a 12 hour day. For anyone of average fitness contemplating a Chicago Basin trip, I would recommend 4-5 days to really enjoy the trip. One of my regrets is that I barely stopped to notice the scenery, never took many photos, because we were pushing so hard to get them done. Background Earlier this year (or possibly late last year), my friend Andrew threw out the idea of a Chicago Basin trip. Being the (seriously) great guy that he is, he invited all, but had a qualifications list, suggesting that people were of a certain fitness level to have a good shot at a successful trip. During the spring, the list of folks dropped from about 15 people down to the 6 of us that went on the trip: Andrew (Roo), Stephen, Dan (Judge K), Xan, Bruce and I This was a great group to hike with. Honestly, I would not have been successful on this trip without them. Dan generously gave up a bottle of Gatorade to me on Windom which probably meant the difference for my hike. Hike In Andrew and Stephen picked Bruce and me up at my hotel Wednesday morning and we rode to the train station together, where we met Dan and Xan. We loaded our packs and then settled on the train in various cars. The train ride up to Needleton was long and pretty boring. About 30 - 35 folks got off at the stop. Everyone looked happy and eager to begin up the trail After shuffling some gear, we began up the trail. It seems that there are two basic strategies for getting up into the basin. Either take your time and conserve energy, or charge ahead to beat the crowds to the campsites. We charged ahead. I only carried 20oz of water, thinking that I could filter on the way up. Most of the time, the trail was not near the creek. There are two points where the trail crosses a side stream, which would be good spots for refilling. I ended up filling my bottle very near the lower end of Chicago Basin. We got into the basin proper in about 3 hours. We hiked up to about � mile below the trail junction and set up camp. Nobody was inclined to attempt a summit that day, so we relaxed played cards, and went to bed. We woke up at 4am the next morning, got ready and began walking at 4:35am. Headlamps up the trail. At times on the solid rock, we had to look around for the cairns and trail, but easily found our way. The trail seemed steep in places; we eventually got up to Twin Lakes at about 5:30am. After a quick snack, we headed up the trail toward Eolus. The trail was good and we made good time up to the entrance to the ramp. Looking back on the trail below. And coming up some of the solid rock below the ramp. There was a bit of snow to avoid just below the ramp entrance, and some more at the top of the ramp. Each section was avoidable. Walking up the ramp seemed easy, and we soon gained the flat area below the gully. Climbing up the gully was fun. A few of us took the gully proper and a few took to climbers left. Here is Xan and Andrew coming up the gully Once we gained the ridge, a few of us were a ways ahead of others, so the early birds scrambled up N. Eolus while the others were coming up the gully. I thought that this was a very fun scramble on solid rock. Seemed to me to be the most solid scrambling of the day, and very fun. Here is Dan and Andrew coming up near the summit. And us on the summit, with Eolus in the background We quickly retreated back to the saddle; by this time the others were nearly across the catwalk. We hurried to catch up. They are about half way between the hump and the low point on the saddle. I thought that the catwalk was very easy. I tend to have trouble walking on tight ridges, but I rarely put my hands down. We moved quickly across and began to work across the face of Eolus. Us near the end of the catwalk, with Bruce and Stephen now ahead of us, about halfway across the traverse to the bottom of the final pitch. Coming up the face of Eolus was fun, but confusing. There are trails and cairns everywhere. We generally knew to stay center or even a bit left, and worked our way up near the summit. I was a bit concerned that we wouldn't be able to find a good way down. Here is Xan about to reach the summit ridge about 50 feet south of the summit proper. And Andrew on the ridge, coming up to the summit After a brief rest, we began back down. My concern was unfounded, and from above, it was very easy to see a good way down, and easy to see the traverse back to the catwalk. Dan, Zan, and Andrew coming down the face Coming back was fun and easy: The catwalk, the green gully, and the ramp were fun. The rock at the ramp entrance was wet, and snowy, so it seemed this was our biggest struggle so far. We soon found ourselves back at Twin Lakes, snacked, filled up water bladders, and unanimously agreed to continue on. It was about 9:30am. I wasn't tired yet but the thought of two more peaks was daunting. I was struggling between pushing on and having to come back the next morning to finish up and then hike out. There was some snow crossing to get to the base of the gully. We soon found ourselves near the bottom of the gully. I found this part to be the worst part of the whole trip. It was loose enough to cause slips, with enough solid rock to make slips painful. It looked like it could have been easier to be on the rock to the left of the gully, but we stayed on the trail. Eventually we made it to the left exit. The traverse across and up was very well cairned. A few spots were tricky, but the climbing didn't seem much harder than we had been on already. We found the window in the ridge, and then the chimney to gain the summit ridge. Andrew in the chimney. By the time we reached the summit, my legs were tired. We all gathered near the block; Andrew decided to give it a try. My impression is that these rocks are larger than you think. Here is Andrew at the bottom of the summit block. There is a bit of grippy rock scrambling before you reach the tough stuff. It is true that the drops are only about 10 feet if you fell into the gaps, but the gaps are there and were intimidating. Andrew, the trooper that he is, went for the summit. Dan sat on the landing area ready to catch Andrew as he jumped back down. The rest of us were content to stop at the step across. My legs were weak, and I didn't trust them to hold me coming back down. After a brief rest, we came back down. The downclimb was fun. I am normally a face out guy, but one spot coming back down Sunlight, I turned and faced in. The dirt gully down was tough. It is easy to kick rocks and they travel quite a ways. We were all careful, but very glad to exit the gully and begin the traverse to Windom. At this point, my legs were jelly. The traverse over to Windom was nice, we soon found ourselves just above the saddle. The hike up Windom seemed long, probably since I was tired. The trail is well cairned and the route is fairly obvious. Once on the upper notch, where you move back to the south side, there is an option to downclimb through a gully then gain the summit, or come straight across a rock ledge, scramble up to the summit blocks. We had made it! The weather was still good, heard some distant thunder, but still had blue skies above us. By now it was about 1:30 - 2:00pm. The views from Windom were incredible. Over to Eolus And Sunlight Andrew brought a small bottle of champagne, so everyone broke out the flutes and toasted the 4th summit of the day. So by this point, I am out of water, and out of leg energy. Dan graciously gave me his spare bottle of Gatorade for the hike down. I slowly made my way back down Windom. Andrew and Stephen generously slowed down to hike out with me. We eventually made out way back to Twin Lakes, where we refilled water and began back down the trail toward camp. The trail below the lakes was very steep. I am glad we went up in the dark; I may have turned around if I had seen how steep it was. We made it back to camp about 4:30 pm. The 12 hour day of hard work took its toll on me. I hobbled to the creek to soak my feet, forced down some dinner, and went to my tent early. The next morning, I was stiff, sore, and blistery. I broke camp early and left about 9ish for Needleton. I figured that it would only get warmer and more crowded, so the early start suited me. I got back to the railroad just as the hiker train was pulling out. If I had been 10 minutes earlier, I could have bought some beer, but I had to settle for filtered water and a dirt nap. I thought it was funny seeing the eager faces of those who were starting the trip, and the exhausted faces of those ending the trip. Easy to spot the before and afters. My only hero shot. I never felt better the whole 3 days than when I was back at the railroad. After a great nap in the shade, the area started to get crowded. We all hung around, repacking, soaking feet, filtering water, skipping rocks, reading, and generally killed time. It started raining about 3:15pm, the only drops of rain on the whole trip. So the train came, we all boarded, bought beers, and settled in for the ride. I was beat and just sat on the seat like a zombie. Once back to Durango, a shower and good dinner made me feel 1000% better. I am glad I made the trip, extremely grateful for my hiking partners, and generally pleased with the schedule, considering we only had 3 days. In some ways I regret not going for the summit block on Sunlight, but the reward wasn't worth the risk. I thought it was noteworthy how unprepared I was for the trip. Despite already having 12 14ers this year, having packed into camp on Harvard/Columbia, and generally being in the best shape of my life, I struggled. If I were to do this again (which I wouldn't try this as a 3 day trip), I would load up about 30 lbs and spend serious time on the trail or the gym. This was a good test piece for me. It has raised some doubts about my abilities to complete all the 14ers (packing/camping, water management, Sunlight summit block, and not least of all missing my wife), but also gave me more confidence with route finding and scrambling. Thanks for reading, and special thanks to my hiking partners. Literally, I couldn't have done it without you. Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

CB4 - 3 day trip, and I feel like Dead Mike

Chicago Basin
N. Eolus; Eolus, Sunlight, Windom
Hike in 7/22/09
4 Bagger 7/23/09
Hike out 7/24/09

Overall Impressions

Where to begin on this? This was the hardest 3 days of hiking I have done. I thought that I was ready for this, having done 3 back to back days earlier in the summer (Wetterhorn X 2, Sunshine and Redcloud) and just completed a hike in, Harvard/Columbia traverse and pack out. Wrong!

There was nothing about this trip that was easy. We only had 3 days, so we either needed to get them all in one day, or Sunlight/Windom on the same day as hike out. Luckily, the weather was good enough for us to get all 4 summits in a 12 hour day.

For anyone of average fitness contemplating a Chicago Basin trip, I would recommend 4-5 days to really enjoy the trip. One of my regrets is that I barely stopped to notice the scenery, never took many photos, because we were pushing so hard to get them done.

Background

Earlier this year (or possibly late last year), my friend Andrew threw out the idea of a Chicago Basin trip. Being the (seriously) great guy that he is, he invited all, but had a qualifications list, suggesting that people were of a certain fitness level to have a good shot at a successful trip.

During the spring, the list of folks dropped from about 15 people down to the 6 of us that went on the trip:

Andrew (Roo), Stephen, Dan (Judge K), Xan, Bruce and I

This was a great group to hike with. Honestly, I would not have been successful on this trip without them. Dan generously gave up a bottle of Gatorade to me on Windom which probably meant the difference for my hike.

Hike In

Andrew and Stephen picked Bruce and me up at my hotel Wednesday morning and we rode to the train station together, where we met Dan and Xan. We loaded our packs and then settled on the train in various cars. The train ride up to Needleton was long and pretty boring. About 30 - 35 folks got off at the stop. Everyone looked happy and eager to begin up the trail

After shuffling some gear, we began up the trail. It seems that there are two basic strategies for getting up into the basin. Either take your time and conserve energy, or charge ahead to beat the crowds to the campsites. We charged ahead. I only carried 20oz of water, thinking that I could filter on the way up. Most of the time, the trail was not near the creek. There are two points where the trail crosses a side stream, which would be good spots for refilling. I ended up filling my bottle very near the lower end of Chicago Basin.

We got into the basin proper in about 3 hours. We hiked up to about � mile below the trail junction and set up camp. Nobody was inclined to attempt a summit that day, so we relaxed played cards, and went to bed.

We woke up at 4am the next morning, got ready and began walking at 4:35am. Headlamps up the trail. At times on the solid rock, we had to look around for the cairns and trail, but easily found our way. The trail seemed steep in places; we eventually got up to Twin Lakes at about 5:30am.

After a quick snack, we headed up the trail toward Eolus. The trail was good and we made good time up to the entrance to the ramp. Looking back on the trail below.

And coming up some of the solid rock below the ramp.

There was a bit of snow to avoid just below the ramp entrance, and some more at the top of the ramp. Each section was avoidable. Walking up the ramp seemed easy, and we soon gained the flat area below the gully.

Climbing up the gully was fun. A few of us took the gully proper and a few took to climbers left. Here is Xan and Andrew coming up the gully

Once we gained the ridge, a few of us were a ways ahead of others, so the early birds scrambled up N. Eolus while the others were coming up the gully. I thought that this was a very fun scramble on solid rock. Seemed to me to be the most solid scrambling of the day, and very fun. Here is Dan and Andrew coming up near the summit.

And us on the summit, with Eolus in the background

We quickly retreated back to the saddle; by this time the others were nearly across the catwalk. We hurried to catch up. They are about half way between the hump and the low point on the saddle.

I thought that the catwalk was very easy. I tend to have trouble walking on tight ridges, but I rarely put my hands down. We moved quickly across and began to work across the face of Eolus.

Us near the end of the catwalk, with Bruce and Stephen now ahead of us, about halfway across the traverse to the bottom of the final pitch.

Coming up the face of Eolus was fun, but confusing. There are trails and cairns everywhere. We generally knew to stay center or even a bit left, and worked our way up near the summit. I was a bit concerned that we wouldn't be able to find a good way down. Here is Xan about to reach the summit ridge about 50 feet south of the summit proper.

And Andrew on the ridge, coming up to the summit

After a brief rest, we began back down. My concern was unfounded, and from above, it was very easy to see a good way down, and easy to see the traverse back to the catwalk. Dan, Zan, and Andrew coming down the face

Coming back was fun and easy: The catwalk, the green gully, and the ramp were fun. The rock at the ramp entrance was wet, and snowy, so it seemed this was our biggest struggle so far. We soon found ourselves back at Twin Lakes, snacked, filled up water bladders, and unanimously agreed to continue on. It was about 9:30am.

I wasn't tired yet but the thought of two more peaks was daunting. I was struggling between pushing on and having to come back the next morning to finish up and then hike out.

There was some snow crossing to get to the base of the gully.

We soon found ourselves near the bottom of the gully. I found this part to be the worst part of the whole trip. It was loose enough to cause slips, with enough solid rock to make slips painful. It looked like it could have been easier to be on the rock to the left of the gully, but we stayed on the trail. Eventually we made it to the left exit.

The traverse across and up was very well cairned. A few spots were tricky, but the climbing didn't seem much harder than we had been on already. We found the window in the ridge, and then the chimney to gain the summit ridge. Andrew in the chimney.

By the time we reached the summit, my legs were tired. We all gathered near the block; Andrew decided to give it a try. My impression is that these rocks are larger than you think. Here is Andrew at the bottom of the summit block. There is a bit of grippy rock scrambling before you reach the tough stuff. It is true that the drops are only about 10 feet if you fell into the gaps, but the gaps are there and were intimidating.

Andrew, the trooper that he is, went for the summit.

Dan sat on the landing area ready to catch Andrew as he jumped back down. The rest of us were content to stop at the step across. My legs were weak, and I didn't trust them to hold me coming back down. After a brief rest, we came back down. The downclimb was fun. I am normally a face out guy, but one spot coming back down Sunlight, I turned and faced in.

The dirt gully down was tough. It is easy to kick rocks and they travel quite a ways. We were all careful, but very glad to exit the gully and begin the traverse to Windom. At this point, my legs were jelly. The traverse over to Windom was nice, we soon found ourselves just above the saddle.

The hike up Windom seemed long, probably since I was tired. The trail is well cairned and the route is fairly obvious. Once on the upper notch, where you move back to the south side, there is an option to downclimb through a gully then gain the summit, or come straight across a rock ledge, scramble up to the summit blocks.

We had made it! The weather was still good, heard some distant thunder, but still had blue skies above us. By now it was about 1:30 - 2:00pm. The views from Windom were incredible.

Over to Eolus

And Sunlight

Andrew brought a small bottle of champagne, so everyone broke out the flutes and toasted the 4th summit of the day.

So by this point, I am out of water, and out of leg energy. Dan graciously gave me his spare bottle of Gatorade for the hike down. I slowly made my way back down Windom. Andrew and Stephen generously slowed down to hike out with me. We eventually made out way back to Twin Lakes, where we refilled water and began back down the trail toward camp.

The trail below the lakes was very steep. I am glad we went up in the dark; I may have turned around if I had seen how steep it was.

We made it back to camp about 4:30 pm. The 12 hour day of hard work took its toll on me. I hobbled to the creek to soak my feet, forced down some dinner, and went to my tent early.

The next morning, I was stiff, sore, and blistery. I broke camp early and left about 9ish for Needleton. I figured that it would only get warmer and more crowded, so the early start suited me. I got back to the railroad just as the hiker train was pulling out. If I had been 10 minutes earlier, I could have bought some beer, but I had to settle for filtered water and a dirt nap.

I thought it was funny seeing the eager faces of those who were starting the trip, and the exhausted faces of those ending the trip. Easy to spot the before and afters.

My only hero shot. I never felt better the whole 3 days than when I was back at the railroad.

After a great nap in the shade, the area started to get crowded. We all hung around, repacking, soaking feet, filtering water, skipping rocks, reading, and generally killed time. It started raining about 3:15pm, the only drops of rain on the whole trip.

So the train came, we all boarded, bought beers, and settled in for the ride. I was beat and just sat on the seat like a zombie. Once back to Durango, a shower and good dinner made me feel 1000% better.

I am glad I made the trip, extremely grateful for my hiking partners, and generally pleased with the schedule, considering we only had 3 days. In some ways I regret not going for the summit block on Sunlight, but the reward wasn't worth the risk.

I thought it was noteworthy how unprepared I was for the trip. Despite already having 12 14ers this year, having packed into camp on Harvard/Columbia, and generally being in the best shape of my life, I struggled. If I were to do this again (which I wouldn't try this as a 3 day trip), I would load up about 30 lbs and spend serious time on the trail or the gym.

This was a good test piece for me. It has raised some doubts about my abilities to complete all the 14ers (packing/camping, water management, Sunlight summit block, and not least of all missing my wife), but also gave me more confidence with route finding and scrambling.

Thanks for reading, and special thanks to my hiking partners. Literally, I couldn't have done it without you.

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

Aubrey	awesome TR 7/26/2009 12:28am Good climbing partners are hard to come by, but it sounds like you have some great ones. And don‘t underestimate yourself. Finishing the 14ers is definitely within your abilities. And, if anything, you have an adavantage because you‘re humble (i.e., smart). Take it slow, train, and align with good people. After reading your words, it reminded me of a post I made years ago, which was steeped in self doubt (about finishing). I was so grateful for the words of encouragement from 14ers.com members. And I seriously think you have what it takes. Not just blowing smoke up your a##, either. Oman‘s book, ”Halfway to Heaven,” offers a great analogy: ”How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”
ROO	Great Teamwork! 7/26/2009 1:29pm Stephen (Nimbus89) and I have just read your TR and it is very accurate. Thanks very much for taking the time during the grueling day to capture the photos and for writing with such candor about the good, the bad and the ugly. We both agree that it was fantastic hiking with you, Mike. Your early morning route finding assistance, your persistence and, of course, your campsite card games were all such tremendous assets to our team! I certainly hope that we will be able to schedule other hiking adventures together in the future.
CarpeDM	impressive! 7/26/2009 2:33pm Wow! All of ‘em in one day! As you know, I am doing these in a couple of weeks, and I‘ll take to heart your warnings about conditioning. However, I will be spreading them out across 2 days in the basin, instead of just one. I‘ll PM you for more info. Also, I‘m planning to do KC/Challenger on Aug 13/14 (after a couple of days rest from Chicago Basin). I know we had talked earlier this year about possibly doing them. Are you interested?
Don Eberl	Way to go, Mike 7/27/2009 3:18pm I am really jealous. Don‘t know if I will ever get there. So the summit block was a little hairy eh? Sound like a real work out. Congrats again
Tom C.	Congrats Mike 7/27/2009 7:48pm Mike I am impressed. You indicated to Irene that you were scared to hike with me; I dont think I am worthy of hiking with you. Maybe after you get acclimated to Houston and return for more, I might be able to keep up with you. You da man!

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