Tom and I left Fort Collins at 3:30am, arriving at Glacier Gorge trailhead ~4:40am, and hitting the trail at 5am. Took the "short-cut" trail to Mills Lake, and caught a glimpse of the pre-dawn horizen...
Tom and I left Fort Collins at 3:30am, arriving at Glacier Gorge trailhead ~4:40am, and hitting the trail at 5am. Took the "short-cut" trail to Mills Lake, and caught a glimpse of the pre-dawn horizen...
We passed Mills Lake at a good clip, and continued to Black Lake as the skies lightened...
Once we hit the cascading water, I knew Black Lake was just beyond. McHenry's is the peak lit up...
Took us 1hr 50min to reach Black Lake. Longs' reflection in the 1st pic, McHenrys reflection on the right pic...
We bushwacked up the steep foresty slope til we reached a grassy slope with yellow flowers...
I had been up this route once before to hike Arrowhead, and it certainly helps having a guide, or previous experience on this route...
Stoneman is visible on the lighted ridge (a narrow spike towards the center-right). Tom and I both were feeling extra tired today, and our progress was slow...
The upper glacier gorge basin is always spectacular....
Tom's pic of Longs Peak reflected in Black Lake...
After a break, we head across teh basin towards the snow on the left of McHenrys...
A look at Tom as we hike across the boulders and grass...
Another break among the boulders...
Looking up towards Stoneman Pass...
A snow patch lay in the middle of the route up. We climbed up on the left side in the beginning, then crossed over at this point, and hiked the rest of the way next to a rock cliff. The trail was steep, with sliperry dirt...
A view from the top of the pass, looking at Chief's Head on the left, and Mt Alice on the right...
A look up the ridge towards McHenrys Peak from the top of stoneman pass. Clouds were gathering, and we didn't think we'd make it to the top today, but went a short ways up the ridge...
Tom stayed near the pass, while I climbed up to the sub peak (pointy tip to the right of the main peak in the pic above). Here's a look at McHenrys from the sub peak. Someone is standing on the summit...
Meanwhile, Tom was taking artistic pics of Longs Peak's keyhole through a keyhole shaped rock on the ridge...
Tom's pic of me on the sub peak, with McHenrys to the left...
The peak, ~300' higher, looked pretty accessible, and the weather looked like it might hold long enough for the quality scramble to the summit, but I decided to head back down to Tom, and start the descent...
A look down the ridge, with Stoneman sticking up in front of the snow...
Some close-ups of Stoneman on the ridge...
Descending down the slippery trail required careful footing. It helped to grab the rocks on the left...
A couple of pics of the keyhole of Longs Peak, amongs the gathering clouds...
As we crossed the basin, we heard thunder at 11:10am, and it started to rain lightly for ~30 mintues. It was enough for me to put on my rain jacket. I was bummed that the descent to Black Lake was cloudy and misty, since it would be spectacular in the sun...
By the time we got down to the lake, the rain had stopped, and the skies parted...
I stopped at the cascade just below Black Lake for some pics. McHenrys is the dark peak on the left, and I ascended the left sub-peak. Arrowhead is the beige peak on the right of the pics...