Daytripping Chicago Basin from Purgatory

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thebeave7
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Re: Daytripping Chicago Basin from Purgatory

Post by thebeave7 »

Long day out, lots of vert, but a great run. Feel free to ping me with any direct questions.

Eric
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thebeave7
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Re: Daytripping Chicago Basin from Purgatory

Post by thebeave7 »

CaptCO wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 8:42 pm
thebeave7 wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 8:38 pm Long day out, lots of vert, but a great run. Feel free to ping me with any direct questions.

Eric
If you planned on doing so, + conquering no name saddle, into ruby creek. Followed by P/T, would it be doable in 36hrs without going crazy?
Well, I guess it all depends on how you define 'doable' and 'crazy'.
I definitely think it would be doable, though I also think it'd be a bit crazy. In the sense of how connecting the Elk Range 14ers is doable. Just depends on your level of crazy. At one point a few years ago I mapped out the most efficient way to link all the Centennials in that region together, I think I estimated it would take 36h as a through hike (unsupported).

Eric
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Will_E
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Re: Daytripping Chicago Basin from Purgatory

Post by Will_E »

ScreeSurfer wrote: Thu Jan 21, 2021 10:06 pm Hi Shelly+,

Thought I would share a few trips I have done to climb the 4 Chicago Basin 14ers from Purgatory - the first three involved camping - this past summer was a day trip. I really enjoyed the daytrip and had a perfect weather day. Two nights out is nice and comfortable if doing with shorter days or adding other peaks.

11-14-17
Day1: Drive from Denver in the AM to Purgatory, hike to the Twin Lakes/Columbine Pass trail junction - camp
Day2: Climb N. Eolus, Eolus, Sunlight, Windom - hike out to purgatory - sleep in car
Day3: Drive to Denver

12-29-17
Day1: Drive from Denver in the AM to Purgatory, hike to just short of the basin - camp
Day2: Climb N. Eolus, Eolus, Sunlight, Windom - return to tent
Day3: Hike out to Purgatory - Drive to Denver

9-25-18
Day1: Met partner at Purgatory late afternoon, hiked along Animas until past dark and camped.
Day2: Hike to Chicago Basin - make camp - climb N. Eolus, Eolus, Glacier Pt - return to camp
Day3: Climb Windom, Sunlight, Pk Eleven - tear down camp - return to Purgatory in dark - sleep in car
Day4: Drive back to Denver

8-23-20
Day1: Afternoon drive to Purgatory - sleep in the car
Day2: Day trip N. Eolus, Eolus, Sunlight, Windom - return to Purgatory - sleep in car
Day3: Drive to Denver

I started with two 32oz bottles of Gatorade, and refilled both twice at twin lakes and maybe even another bottle at Twin lakes and one in Needle creek so 8 quarts total, I use iodine tablets for water purification. Had a bluebird day and travelled very light but wore full leather backpacking boots the whole way (I like the support and protection amongst rocks). I had a great day and went car to car in 16:53. Here are some times at landmarks so you know what to expect.

Trailhead 5:17
Animas Bridge 6:30
Needle Creek 8:10
Trail Junction 10:10
Twin Lakes 10:55
Eolus after N.Eolus 12:00
Twin Lakes 1:00
Sunlight 2:10
Windom 3:30
Trail Junction 4:50
Animas Trail 6:37
Animas Bridge 8:30
Trailhead 10:10
I’m officially declaring you the Mayor of Chicago Basin!
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disentangled
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Re: Daytripping Chicago Basin from Purgatory

Post by disentangled »

Thanks for the replies! It's becoming a puzzle for me to calculate how to tag these 14ers. Essentially, you're hiking the same mileage and elevation gain, regardless of whether you camp one night or three nights or don't camp at all [putting aside any debate about the inherent merits of the camping experience]. So, my quandary becomes: is travelling light over a long distance with breaks more efficient than travelling the same distance with extra backpacking weight and an overnight stop? From the comments, key factors for daytripping would be training, water, food, and weather. For me, it makes more sense to tag only two instead of four peaks in one trip. I'm certainly not a fast hiker but a 30-hour sufferfest doesn't intimidate me. I would think that most anyone who's chasing peaks is capable of doing a 40-mile hike with 12,000' vertical. The point is whether they are prepared and willing to try.
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Re: Daytripping Chicago Basin from Purgatory

Post by disentangled »

CaptCO wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 1:41 am Plan to do something like this in July
Alec, what's your plan?
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Re: Daytripping Chicago Basin from Purgatory

Post by disentangled »

CaptCO wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 1:07 pm
shelly+ wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 11:20 am
CaptCO wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 1:41 am Plan to do something like this in July
Alec, what's your plan?
Smoke grass & run fast
That's a police report. Not a plan. lol
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Stevo
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Re: Daytripping Chicago Basin from Purgatory

Post by Stevo »

I did it in August of 2017 and it was definitely a long day. Nothing like getting back from Windom and realizing you have 18 miles to your car (beer), haha! I think I started at 5am and finished at 10pm. That climb up from the creek at the end is absolutely brutal, never-ending.

The most memorable part was just after I crossed the Animas river on the way out. It was the time of day where you don't really need a light but close to needing one. I hear all this noise ahead, so I flip on my headlamp and see a black bear standing on hind legs about 20 feet ahead. Then I see the cubs running around making the noises I heard. I didn't no what to do, biut knew I couldn't turn around so I just winged it marched forward.

It was a great day and I highly recommend giving it a go if you think you can make it!
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Re: Daytripping Chicago Basin from Purgatory

Post by illusion7il »

CaptCO wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 8:42 pm If you planned on doing so, + conquering no name saddle, into ruby creek. Followed by P/T, would it be doable in 36hrs without going crazy?
I think the issue with this would be trying to get all the peaks in the daylight, but sure anything is possible. Either way, you would be ascending or descending the N. Pigeon creek bushwhack in the dark, which is beyond my level of fun. P/T in a day is easier and a good warmup for Chicago Basin in a day.
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Re: Daytripping Chicago Basin from Purgatory

Post by stoopdude »

Related, has anyone here day-tripped Jupiter or the Chicago Basin 14ers from Vallecito? I think this would be an interesting way to do Jupiter while getting to see an entirely new drainage. I reckon this would come out to 37-38 miles and 8-9000k gain, although its unclear to me if you can save some distance by taking the ridge up from Columbine Lake (does it go?). This is probably the very top end of what I'd be willing to try in a day.
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Re: Daytripping Chicago Basin from Purgatory

Post by ker0uac »

Oh man, I thought this thread was about getting high during the day in the C-basin, soo disappointed
Those who travel to mountain-tops are half in love with themselves and half in love with oblivion
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Re: Daytripping Chicago Basin from Purgatory

Post by stoopdude »

CaptCO wrote: Tue Jan 26, 2021 11:43 am
stoopdude wrote: Tue Jan 26, 2021 10:13 am Related, has anyone here day-tripped Jupiter or the Chicago Basin 14ers from Vallecito? I think this would be an interesting way to do Jupiter while getting to see an entirely new drainage. I reckon this would come out to 37-38 miles and 8-9000k gain, although its unclear to me if you can save some distance by taking the ridge up from Columbine Lake (does it go?). This is probably the very top end of what I'd be willing to try in a day.
Whilst doing Jupitor (Jupiter?) I set up camp near the twin lakes split for Phizz (didn’t want to overexert the pup), coming up the final switchback where it planes out a bit, I saw a couple coming up some gnarly looking ridge. They ended up making it over to Jupiter from the far side, and meeting us on the false summit. I thought it was spectacular they made such good timing on something which looked class 5. I suppose it goes in other words, but I’d imagine the possibility of severe bushwhacking could eat up some time. I’m interested in the Jagged side of things myself.

Alec (king of run on sentences)
Thanks Alec. One thing I've learned the hard way is that its usually quicker to do some extra mileage on a trail than to try to take shortcuts. Unfortunately doing Jupiter from Vallecito by Roach's southwest slopes route involves ~1000 feet of loss and regain, which grinds my gears more than the mileage. I also usually don't like to exceed class 3 by myself.
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Re: Daytripping Chicago Basin from Purgatory

Post by seano »

stoopdude wrote: Tue Jan 26, 2021 10:13 am Related, has anyone here day-tripped Jupiter or the Chicago Basin 14ers from Vallecito? I think this would be an interesting way to do Jupiter while getting to see an entirely new drainage. I reckon this would come out to 37-38 miles and 8-9000k gain, although its unclear to me if you can save some distance by taking the ridge up from Columbine Lake (does it go?). This is probably the very top end of what I'd be willing to try in a day.
Yeah, I did Jupiter from Vallecito: http://www.drdirtbag.com/2016/09/29/jupiter-10h50/ . You can cut through via Hazel Lake to save some time, which I only discovered on the return. No idea on the stats.
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