Crestone Peak via Northwest Couloir
September 1, 2007
We left Greeley very late in the day due to a friend waiting for his girlfriend (she proved to be endless entertainment on the trip). Arriving at the lower TH pretty late, we hiked up the road and established a camp just past the gate. The next morning we split forces and while Jen, Chuck, and his girlfriend tackled Humboldt Connor and I headed up Crestone Peak's NW couloir. The route was steeper than anticipated and although dry, the bottom held a thin layer of verglas. We were forced onto the sides of the couloir and it was pretty exhilarating, especially since there was a fairly constant barrage of rockfall coming down on us. As the rocks flew by, we cursed the party ahead of us for not shouting "Rock". We soon caught up to the rock culprits and were surprised to discover they were from a herd of goats. We topped out, descended the Red Gully and reluctantly trudged over Brokenhand Pass. We arrived back at camp before everyone else and napped until they showed up.
We left Greeley very late in the day due to a friend waiting for his girlfriend (she proved to be endless entertainment on the trip). Arriving at the lower TH pretty late, we hiked up the road and established a camp just past the gate. The next morning we split forces and while Jen, Chuck, and his girlfriend tackled Humboldt Connor and I headed up Crestone Peak's NW couloir. The route was steeper than anticipated and although dry, the bottom held a thin layer of verglas. We were forced onto the sides of the couloir and it was pretty exhilarating, especially since there was a fairly constant barrage of rockfall coming down on us. As the rocks flew by, we cursed the party ahead of us for not shouting "Rock". We soon caught up to the rock culprits and were surprised to discover they were from a herd of goats. We topped out, descended the Red Gully and reluctantly trudged over Brokenhand Pass. We arrived back at camp before everyone else and napped until they showed up.
