Peak(s):	East Spanish Peak - 12684
Date Posted:	10/30/2016
Date Climbed:	10/29/2016
Author:	rajz06

The Second Coming of Spain
Starting Point: Wahatoya Trailhead: ~9,820' Peak Climbed: East Spanish Peak (12,684') Route: Northwest ridge RT Distance: ~12.0 miles (including unintended excursion) Elevation Gain/Loss: ~4,420 feet (including unintended excursion) Group: Solo It is only fitting when a journey ends where it started. My season opened with a memorable hike of West Spanish Peak from the Wahatoya trailhead, and today I was back at the same scene to take care of unfinished business - climb the sister peak. Spanish Peaks from CR 360 Due to the lower elevation of East Spanish, I wasn't sure if I would get 3,000 feet of elevation gain on this hike. On my drive, I pondered the three possible ways to ensure that I would: 1. Start a mile or so before the actual trailhead. 2. Descend from the top to a false summit on the east ridge and regain the summit. 3. Get lost... The 3rd option proved to be the winner today though certainly not by choice. I parked just before the actual trailhead and started out on what I thought was the trail. On the road to nowhere... The rocky road did not bring back any memories but I persisted on it, making good time up the steeper sections. Trudging along unaware of where it might lead Soon I reached a large boulder field that I thought looked familiar so at this point I had no reason to doubt my route choice. This looks familiar I had obviously not paid attention to my GPS but when I finally checked my elevation I was at 10,900'. I knew I was too high to be on the right trail as the saddle between the two peaks is around 10,300'. Spotting the cliffs below the east ridge of West Spanish Peak looming large in front of me was the clincher; It dawned on me that I was completely off course! OOPS! I'm definitely off track... I retraced my path trying to remember where I could've taken a wrong detour. Little did I realize then that the mistake had occurred at the very start. I was stymied and quite lost in my thoughts when I heard a rustle in the woods and stopped dead in my tracks. I looked in the direction of the sound and our eyes locked. Silently I pulled out my weapon of choice: a fully loaded Nikon Coolpix. She had no idea it was coming. Right through the trees - Bam! Psst! I can see you! When I finally made it back to where I'd started, I realized my folly. By parking well before the actual trailhead, I had mistaken the closed road to be the trail. I had lost a whole hour and added nearly three miles and 1,100 vertical feet to my day. Don't take the path in red Not a good start so far... One thing was certain: I would have no trouble making the 3,000 vertical on this hike! Sure, I was a bit bummed but as is always the case, there was a silver lining to this dark cloud. For one, the weather forecast had called for 30 mph winds with gusts up to 40 mph, simmering down to 20 mph in the afternoon; my later-than-ever start would ensure that I'd miss the brunt of that attack! Plus, I'd already gotten my warm-up on that steep road so I was all primed for the real deal! The real deal, as it were, is a very gentle trail that climbs through a beautiful aspen forest for the first 1.2 miles. Starting on the trail proper East Spanish comes into view But at least, that first bit includes some elevation gain, about 500 feet to be exact. The next mile gains absolutely nothing, as the trail meanders through the broad saddle between the two peaks. Flat portion of trail Saddle between East and West Spanish Peaks This flat treed area is a bit confusing as the well-worn trail all but disappears. But fret not, as there are cairns galore making the hiker aware of the general direction through this maze. Spot the cairn Faint trail through the trees Then the trail starts to climb in earnest. Ok, here we go... Getting steeper... Every time there was a clearing in the forest, I got to momentarily stop and feast my eyes on West Spanish, now dominating the skies to the west. After all, all work and no play makes...well, you know how the clich� goes. Looking back at West Spanish I can't get enough of this The trail meanders through the trees, the well-placed cairns making it well nigh impossible to lose the route. Hard to miss the cairns The trees didn't exactly get sparser as is usually the case; they just ended suddenly as the terrain transitioned abruptly from dense forest to talus ridge. Treeline marks an abrupt change in terrain What didn't end though were the cairns, so I aimed from one to the next as I made my way up the rocks. Looking back down the talus slope Unlike the talus on the east ridge of West Spanish Peak, this terrain was more stable. I stayed just below the ridge crest through the next pitch. Rugged southwest face of East Spanish Looking down the slope Around 12,000' on the ridge, views opened up behind me. The Blanca group to the northwest, showcasing the combination of brilliant fall gold and the characteristic rosy hues of the rocks of this region. Ah, the Sangres... Little Bear, Blanca, Lindsey... Meanwhile, still on the west ridge of East Spanish, the boulders picked up in size. There were some oddly vertical pillars strewn about... Interesting vertical rocks Pillars among the flat rocks The west ridge connects with the northwest ridge at 12,320', which makes the final ascent to the summit. Northwest ridge This pitch was straightforward as was the talus ascent from treeline. A narrow section on the ridge presented some steep drop-offs to both sides. Drop-off to hiker's right Drop-off to hiker's left Looking farther into the valley to the north, I could spot dykes for which the Spanish Peaks Wilderness is famous. Dykes By staying on the ridge crest, I enjoyed the opportunity to jump into the trenches formed by the boulders. Looking out from the trench Looking back down the northwest ridge The last couple of hundred feet were an anticlimactic end; easy traverse over the boulders with no false summits to endure. I walked along the summit to survey the bumpy south ridge. Bumpy south ridge of East Spanish Peak It was unusually warm for the time of year and the winds were mild. I sat back on a large sloped flat rock and took stock of the Sangres. West Spanish Peak in all its glory, and a close-up look at its east ridge that I traversed not too long ago... West Spanish Peak West Spanish Peak up close and personal To the southwest, Trinchera and the Leaning Peaks that I'd visited just a year ago. Trinchera and the Leaning Peaks Farther south along that linear range, Cuatro Peak... Cuatro Peak Even farther, looking to the northwest, the rugged Crestone group... Ah, the Crestones On my return, I pondered the highlights of the day and couldn't help but wonder about one thing: A twelve mile 4,400' vertical slog for a lowly 12er? Well, this lowly 12er has 2,362 feet of prominence, which trumps a lot of the state's 14ers. Of course, if I'd started on the right trail in the first place, this hike would've been a good bit shorter, but where is the adventure in that? After all, I need more time in the mountains, not less. And then there is the ineffable joy of basking in the spirit of the Sangres. Is there a better way to enjoy an Indian summer? Spirit of the Sangres in the distance My GPS Tracks on Google Maps (made from a .GPX file upload): Login required to view this map... Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

The Second Coming of Spain

Starting Point: Wahatoya Trailhead: ~9,820'
Peak Climbed: East Spanish Peak (12,684')
Route: Northwest ridge
RT Distance: ~12.0 miles (including unintended excursion)
Elevation Gain/Loss: ~4,420 feet (including unintended excursion)
Group: Solo

It is only fitting when a journey ends where it started. My season opened with a memorable hike of West Spanish Peak from the Wahatoya trailhead, and today I was back at the same scene to take care of unfinished business - climb the sister peak.

Due to the lower elevation of East Spanish, I wasn't sure if I would get 3,000 feet of elevation gain on this hike. On my drive, I pondered the three possible ways to ensure that I would:

1. Start a mile or so before the actual trailhead.
2. Descend from the top to a false summit on the east ridge and regain the summit.
3. Get lost...

The 3rd option proved to be the winner today though certainly not by choice. I parked just before the actual trailhead and started out on what I thought was the trail.

The rocky road did not bring back any memories but I persisted on it, making good time up the steeper sections.

Trudging along unaware of where it might lead

Soon I reached a large boulder field that I thought looked familiar so at this point I had no reason to doubt my route choice.

I had obviously not paid attention to my GPS but when I finally checked my elevation I was at 10,900'. I knew I was too high to be on the right trail as the saddle between the two peaks is around 10,300'. Spotting the cliffs below the east ridge of West Spanish Peak looming large in front of me was the clincher; It dawned on me that I was completely off course!

I retraced my path trying to remember where I could've taken a wrong detour. Little did I realize then that the mistake had occurred at the very start. I was stymied and quite lost in my thoughts when I heard a rustle in the woods and stopped dead in my tracks. I looked in the direction of the sound and our eyes locked. Silently I pulled out my weapon of choice: a fully loaded Nikon Coolpix. She had no idea it was coming. Right through the trees - Bam!

When I finally made it back to where I'd started, I realized my folly. By parking well before the actual trailhead, I had mistaken the closed road to be the trail. I had lost a whole hour and added nearly three miles and 1,100 vertical feet to my day.

One thing was certain: I would have no trouble making the 3,000 vertical on this hike!

Sure, I was a bit bummed but as is always the case, there was a silver lining to this dark cloud. For one, the weather forecast had called for 30 mph winds with gusts up to 40 mph, simmering down to 20 mph in the afternoon; my later-than-ever start would ensure that I'd miss the brunt of that attack!

Plus, I'd already gotten my warm-up on that steep road so I was all primed for the real deal! The real deal, as it were, is a very gentle trail that climbs through a beautiful aspen forest for the first 1.2 miles.

But at least, that first bit includes some elevation gain, about 500 feet to be exact. The next mile gains absolutely nothing, as the trail meanders through the broad saddle between the two peaks.

Saddle between East and West Spanish Peaks

This flat treed area is a bit confusing as the well-worn trail all but disappears. But fret not, as there are cairns galore making the hiker aware of the general direction through this maze.

Then the trail starts to climb in earnest.

Every time there was a clearing in the forest, I got to momentarily stop and feast my eyes on West Spanish, now dominating the skies to the west. After all, all work and no play makes...well, you know how the clich� goes.

The trail meanders through the trees, the well-placed cairns making it well nigh impossible to lose the route.

The trees didn't exactly get sparser as is usually the case; they just ended suddenly as the terrain transitioned abruptly from dense forest to talus ridge.

Treeline marks an abrupt change in terrain

What didn't end though were the cairns, so I aimed from one to the next as I made my way up the rocks.

Unlike the talus on the east ridge of West Spanish Peak, this terrain was more stable. I stayed just below the ridge crest through the next pitch.

Around 12,000' on the ridge, views opened up behind me. The Blanca group to the northwest, showcasing the combination of brilliant fall gold and the characteristic rosy hues of the rocks of this region. Ah, the Sangres...

Meanwhile, still on the west ridge of East Spanish, the boulders picked up in size. There were some oddly vertical pillars strewn about...

The west ridge connects with the northwest ridge at 12,320', which makes the final ascent to the summit.

This pitch was straightforward as was the talus ascent from treeline. A narrow section on the ridge presented some steep drop-offs to both sides.

Looking farther into the valley to the north, I could spot dykes for which the Spanish Peaks Wilderness is famous.

By staying on the ridge crest, I enjoyed the opportunity to jump into the trenches formed by the boulders.

The last couple of hundred feet were an anticlimactic end; easy traverse over the boulders with no false summits to endure. I walked along the summit to survey the bumpy south ridge.

It was unusually warm for the time of year and the winds were mild. I sat back on a large sloped flat rock and took stock of the Sangres. West Spanish Peak in all its glory, and a close-up look at its east ridge that I traversed not too long ago...

To the southwest, Trinchera and the Leaning Peaks that I'd visited just a year ago.

Farther south along that linear range, Cuatro Peak...

Even farther, looking to the northwest, the rugged Crestone group...

On my return, I pondered the highlights of the day and couldn't help but wonder about one thing: A twelve mile 4,400' vertical slog for a lowly 12er? Well, this lowly 12er has 2,362 feet of prominence, which trumps a lot of the state's 14ers. Of course, if I'd started on the right trail in the first place, this hike would've been a good bit shorter, but where is the adventure in that? After all, I need more time in the mountains, not less. And then there is the ineffable joy of basking in the spirit of the Sangres. Is there a better way to enjoy an Indian summer?

My GPS Tracks on Google Maps (made from a .GPX file upload):

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

Jvinro	Enjoyed Your Report 10/30/2016 6:57pm Thank you for posting. Are you saying that you are done for the season?
hessma	Awesome Trip 10/30/2016 7:04pm I love the area from Laveta pass and throughout the Sangres. Have always wanted to explore more of the peaks around there. Thanks for sharing this!
rajz06	Thanks! 10/30/2016 7:59pm hessma: word! Jvinro: I've been saying I'm done for a few weeks now, and this Indian summer has made a liar out of me! Guess we'll see what the coming weeks bring...
Trotter	they are prominent 11/4/2016 6:14pm every time I look at the spanish peaks from the 14ers down there, I wonder how the spanish peaks aren't both 13ers, they look the part
Jay521	Image 25... 10/31/2016 9:14am ... brought back memories. From a distance, I thought that rock was some sort of wood post. Mother Nature's cairn, I guess.
rajz06	You said it! 10/31/2016 7:44pm Trotter: These peaks sure have prominence in spades! Jay: Mother nature's cairn, indeed!

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Starting Point: Wahatoya Trailhead: ~9,820'
Peak Climbed: East Spanish Peak (12,684')
Route: Northwest ridge
RT Distance: ~12.0 miles (including unintended excursion)
Elevation Gain/Loss: ~4,420 feet (including unintended excursion)
Group: Solo

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Starting Point: Wahatoya Trailhead: ~9,820' Peak Climbed: East Spanish Peak (12,684') Route: Northwest ridge RT Distance: ~12.0 miles (including unintended excursion) Elevation Gain/Loss: ~4,420 feet (including unintended excursion) Group: Solo

14ers.com

Social

Mobile App

Starting Point: Wahatoya Trailhead: ~9,820'
Peak Climbed: East Spanish Peak (12,684')
Route: Northwest ridge
RT Distance: ~12.0 miles (including unintended excursion)
Elevation Gain/Loss: ~4,420 feet (including unintended excursion)
Group: Solo