The loose gullies on North Maroon and Maroon Peak

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JB99
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Re: The loose gullies on North Maroon and Maroon Peak

Post by JB99 »

CaptainSuburbia wrote: Wed May 05, 2021 11:36 am The Maroon gullies are not that bad. Just stay on route and it's a fun climb. Taking screenshots from the route page helps. There is a direct ridge route if you really want to avoid the gullies. It has more rock climbing which you might like better.
I took the ridge down way further than I climbed up it and remember liking that more. idk. I've done N. Maroon twice, solo the first time and with a little snow which made it more difficult, but I don't remember ever feeling like it was particularly unstable (for the elks) or imposing. ymmv tho. but sticking to the ridge was definitely my preference.

https://www.14ers.com/php14ers/triprepo ... m=tripmine

https://www.14ers.com/php14ers/triprepo ... m=tripmine
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Alpinefroggy
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Re: The loose gullies on North Maroon and Maroon Peak

Post by Alpinefroggy »

Thanks for more beta. You know what would be a good way for me to see the NM gullies? To actually go look at them directly. I will be doing pyramid before getting on the bells so I might either climb NM all by itself or at least ascend into the first gully some distance to check them out and see whats up. That way I'll know what I am in for when I come back.

A for the record, some have been like "it is a lot to bite off"

And I am like, yeah, it is! I have the Crestone ED-W traverse planned, Pyramid, among some alpine rock climbing planned. I am not going into these anytime soon but will be building up a variety of experiences on other routes before jumping in. Or not! I might get somewhere and be spooked. But all these separate routes are building comfort with exposure, loose rock, route rinding, fitness and a lottt of other stuff.
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719BR
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Re: The loose gullies on North Maroon and Maroon Peak

Post by 719BR »

Alpinefroggy wrote: Wed May 05, 2021 1:10 pm I just read that. Still dubious but I have an old pair and will try on some scree crap here on some grassy ledges in Boulder.
definitely try. i can only echo what the others said, it makes a very big difference. i always have them with me if i am doing to be doing anything steep / loose.
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Re: The loose gullies on North Maroon and Maroon Peak

Post by ltlFish99 »

daway8 wrote: Wed May 05, 2021 12:44 pm I recommend bringing along an old pair of microspikes for the gullies - gives you much greater confidence in your footing especially on those loose dirt sections (I wrote up an extensive review of using them in my "One Bell at a Time" report).

There's a lot of little loose stuff around but just go real slow and you'll be fine. At a couple points I remember briefly walking in exaggerated slow motion so as not to send anything down on the people below me (it worked).
Cool, I'm going to read your 2 trip reports on the bells. I enjoyed maroon but that was when I was Much younger and any exposure was still considered fun.

I am a little nervous about the 2 crestones, pyramid, and north maroon.

The suggestion of hiking a a weekday is a great idea to help lesson the possibilities of rockfall.
Is there a time when the goats vacate north maroon.
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Re: The loose gullies on North Maroon and Maroon Peak

Post by Ptglhs »

ltlFish99 wrote: Thu May 06, 2021 9:06 pm I am a little nervous about the 2 crestones, pyramid, and north maroon.
If you go up the Westside via Cottonwood Creek Trail for crestone Peak it's probably a difficult class two hike. Others May disagree with me. Getting over broken hand pass was harder than anything on crestone peak in my opinion. There's more route-finding in the last thousand vertical feet before you get to Cottonwood Lake, but the rock itself is incredibly solid and straightforward.

I think pyramid should be class 3. But It could also depend on how tall someone is. I just stepped over that little Gap.
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Re: The loose gullies on North Maroon and Maroon Peak

Post by justiner »

Proponents of summer microspikes: are you wearing stiff boots, or a shoe with a flexible midsole, and a grippy outsole that has a chunky tread? I feel there's a reinventing of hobnail boots going on.
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Re: The loose gullies on North Maroon and Maroon Peak

Post by daway8 »

justiner wrote: Thu May 06, 2021 9:21 pm Proponents of summer microspikes: are you wearing stiff boots, or a shoe with a flexible midsole, and a grippy outsole that has a chunky tread? I feel there's a reinventing of hobnail boots going on.
For me it's the "flexible midsole, and a grippy outsole that has a chunky tread" - I don't like stiff boots. The chunky thread on it's own still has you sliding on steep loose dirt/scree but with microspikes added it gives just enough extra grip to work wonders (such as the instance I mentioned in the report of coming down Maroon past others where they were slipping and sliding all over and I blew past them without a single slip the whole way down).

Had to Google hobnail boots - does seem to be kind of similar in some ways but much more versatile to use microspikes on regular hiking boots.
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Re: The loose gullies on North Maroon and Maroon Peak

Post by fahixson »

OldTrad wrote: Wed May 05, 2021 12:41 pm You have to keep your act together if you downclimb the crux, "4th class" chimney on NM, however. I'm aware of some people who have freaked out there, and though I thought it was fun I totally understand why others don't feel the same way that I did.
If you look down that 4th class chimney and don't feel comfortable, there's a fairly easy (maybe Class 3) work around 100 yards or less to the left. We went up the chimney, but decided to skip it on the way down because one of our group is a little shorter.
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Re: The loose gullies on North Maroon and Maroon Peak

Post by Tornadoman »

fahixson wrote: Fri May 07, 2021 10:53 am
OldTrad wrote: Wed May 05, 2021 12:41 pm You have to keep your act together if you downclimb the crux, "4th class" chimney on NM, however. I'm aware of some people who have freaked out there, and though I thought it was fun I totally understand why others don't feel the same way that I did.
If you look down that 4th class chimney and don't feel comfortable, there's a fairly easy (maybe Class 3) work around 100 yards or less to the left. We went up the chimney, but decided to skip it on the way down because one of our group is a little shorter.
My partner and I went around the chimney both ways, following what we thought was the most straightforward route. On the ascent we reached that lookout- precipice area and were like 'oh, guess we skirted the chimney'. On the way down we were pretty sure we located it from above but didn't feel like downclimbing it having not gone up that way. All my blabbing is to say that going around the chimney is certainly a reasonable choice.
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Wish I lived in CO
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Re: The loose gullies on North Maroon and Maroon Peak

Post by Wish I lived in CO »

Maroon Peak has the 2,800 ft of suck as I'm sure others have pointed out. But it's not a loose gulley, just relentless uphill effort. Up high the gulleys on Maroon I didn't think were so bad. Mostly bigger rock - softball, basketball, and larger size that could move, but only if you are not careful. Many parts up high are very enjoyable scrambling - my favorite scrambling section of mountain to date.

N. Maroon has two long gulleys. Small scree, steep and loose. Hard to keep your footing for well over 1,000 ft.

For both you need to stay on route - is a must.

N. Maroon is the more dangerous by far due to the steep loose scree. N. Maroon was on edge for quite a while whereas Maroon I actually relaxed for most of it.
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Re: The loose gullies on North Maroon and Maroon Peak

Post by bigredmachine »

Wish I lived in CO wrote: Sun May 09, 2021 8:24 am Maroon Peak has the 2,800 ft of suck as I'm sure others have pointed out. But it's not a loose gulley, just relentless uphill effort. Up high the gulleys on Maroon I didn't think were so bad. Mostly bigger rock - softball, basketball, and larger size that could move, but only if you are not careful. Many parts up high are very enjoyable scrambling - my favorite scrambling section of mountain to date.

N. Maroon has two long gulleys. Small scree, steep and loose. Hard to keep your footing for well over 1,000 ft.

For both you need to stay on route - is a must.

N. Maroon is the more dangerous by far due to the steep loose scree.
N. Maroon was on edge for quite a while whereas Maroon I actually relaxed for most of it.
I agree with most of this, but the twin gullies on s maroon are looser than anything on any other 14er. Luckily the rock is all volleyball sized or less and you can basically ski it; but it’s still dicey.
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Re: The loose gullies on North Maroon and Maroon Peak

Post by 719BR »

justiner wrote: Thu May 06, 2021 9:21 pm Proponents of summer microspikes: are you wearing stiff boots, or a shoe with a flexible midsole, and a grippy outsole that has a chunky tread? I feel there's a reinventing of hobnail boots going on.
just my regular hikers with a flexible midsole, fairly aggressive tread. i only put them on for going *down* steep and loose dirt.
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