Category: Mountain Stuff

Impossible Norway: Part 3 – The Perfect Day!

On By KBGearDaveIn Mountain Stuff2 Comments

Our plan was to have no plan…and everything was going exactly according to plan.

The only fixed date in our whole Norway adventure was “Norway’s Toughest Mountain Race” – the Hornindal Rundt  – on Saturday, July 7th. With that event and a rest day road trip to the coast in the rear view mirror, the question was “Now what?” We went to bed having decided to drive to Ålesund in the morning, to see the city and spend time camping and hiking along the coast. As often happens though, morning came a bit early for me. I  spent a few quiet hours pondering the possibilities contained in some tourist brochures and guidebooks.  One guidebook offered an intriguing description of Mt Saksa in the nearby town of Urke. No need to rush off to Ålesund. Perhaps a detour was in order?  On our way out of a town we stopped to congratulate Siv (we ran together for several hours during the race) on her Hornindal finish. Being a wonderful person, and a native to these parts, she suggested some hikes for us to consider…one of which just happened to be in the area near Urke…Mt. Saksa! That settled it. A visit to Urke was our new, no plan plan!!

The 30+ mile drive from Grodas to Urke was impossibly beautiful (of course). After a bit of a climb we entered a long narrow valley of steep walls, waterfalls, rivers, lakes, lovely farms, and eventually Hjørundfjord and Urke.  Even if there wasn’t a dramatic mountain to climb, the drive alone would have been worth the trip.

The trailhead to Saksa was well marked and easy to find. We paid to park and after a quick check on gear and food, we set off up the trail. Almost immediately we met Sarah and Idun who had already stopped to adjust their gear and shed some layers. “Technical stop” they said with a laugh. We chatted with them for a bit, then continued on, leapfrogging with Idun and Sarah several times during the steep ascent. And when I say steep – I mean to say a casual stroll by Norwegian standards. In the realm of mere mortals, very steep. Something like the vertical gain of Flagstaff’s very own Mt. Humphreys – in half the distance. 3,500’ vertical in 2 ½ miles vs. Humphrey’s 3,300 in 5 miles.

With very little warning, we were suddenly on top with a rather agreeable group of hikers. A 9 month old  girl was celebrating her first summit, accompanied by helpful parents and grandparents. Very soon after we arrived, Sara and Idun joined us on top, along with several others, all enjoying the grand view from the summit of Saksa. And what a view! Directly below us the impossibly blue Hjørundfjord split into two arms, ringed on all sides by rugged peaks jutting up from the water. A moderate breeze pushed some clouds around, but without any real suggestion of rain. This was what we had come to Norway to see.

A wee girl’s first summit
Idun and Sarah
Summit Victory pose

What we didn’t realize until a few days later, was that this was – literally – what we had come to see. Before we left for Norway, we watched an excellent Salomon TV video (Salomon Dream Trip Video). This video features a young woman who won her dream trip to spend a week in Norway, hanging out and running with Emilie Forsberg and Ida Nilsson. After watching that video, we both said, “I don’t know where in Norway that is…but that’s where we want to go!” Turns out we did!! No wonder we loved it!

We probably spent close to an hour at the summit, soaking in the views and just enjoying the moment. Sarah and Idun were kind enough to snap a few pics for us.  They also introduced us to the brilliant Norwegian practice of bringing (and sharing) their amazing “Kvikk Lunsj” chocolate bars. There is something of a national obsession with these massive melkesjokolade taste treats – and rightly so. For the rest of our trip, we made sure to bring one along on every hike. (We still have a couple in the freezer!) It was a safety issue! After all, no one wants a repeat of the Donner Party!! We also watched with interest as folks buttered slices of excellent Norwegian bread and layered on a thick piece of cheese for a tasty and filling snack. Others brought out hard boiled eggs from their clever plastic egg carriers.  Norwegians certainly know how to enjoy life in the out of doors.

By the time we decided to head down, we’d made two important discoveries. First – we spied a likely looking place to camp in the valley below Mt Saksa. The second was that Sarah and Idun were going to have dinner and a beer a bit later at a small restaurant/bar right on the edge of the fjord…and more importantly…wouldn’t mind our company. The prospective camp site materialized as hoped so we set up camp in a lovely spot and enjoyed a quick dinner. A short bit later we met up with Idun and Sarah.

Home for the evening
The Urke Kaihus
Idun and Sarah with their American students.

One beer led to another and the evening stretched on for several hours as these wonderful young ladies schooled us on the proper pronunciation of unpronounceable Norwegian words and place names. We also talked of love, life, aspirations, hard realities, hopes, dreams, differences between Norway and the US, travels we’ve all taken and places we’d like to visit. We talked on well past the time the bar had closed. Eventually we exchanged contact information, reluctantly said our good-byes, and went our separate ways.

Later as we lay in the comfort of our sleeping bags, we both agreed this had been the day that perfectly captured what we had hoped to experience in Norway. Siv, Urke, Hjørundfjord, Saksa, the Urke Kaihus, Sarah and Idun all combined to give us a memorable – no – a perfect day. Thank you Norway. Vi elsker deg.

 

Impossible Norway: Part 2

On By KBGearDaveIn Backpacking/Hiking Stuff, Mountain Stuff1 Comment

“Norge er ikke skapt for å sitte på ræva” 

Following our inquiry, the helpful young lady in the visitor center said “Turn right when you leave here, walk three blocks and then turn right at the (relevant landmark reference). Then walk four blocks and you’ll be there.” As we left, Sharon asked, “Did you notice what she said? She said ‘walk’.”  Well of course! She assumed that since it was only 7 blocks, we would walk. Why would one drive such a short distance?? Clearly not a sentiment shared in all corners of the globe

Scene one is NOT likely to see in Norway

When asked, that same helpful young lady offered several suggestions for good hikes – hikes that she liked to do “for fun” in the area around Jotunheimen national park. And so it was that later that day, we found ourselves at a trailhead near the Krossbu lodge. Our plan was to hike to the top of, then along a ridge. Our local contact said she had gone for several  miles along this ridge, and then bushwhacked back to the trailhead. 

The trail immediately started climbing, and for the most part followed a boisterous creek. Before long we found that it was being fed by three attractive waterfalls. At the 2 mile mark we crested a rise and were confronted by a broad glacier sweeping down to its terminus in a lake. This was a real bargain hike with amazing views such a short distance from the trailhead. In spite of the fact that Jotunheimen is the busiest national park, there were only a few people scattered on the comfy rocks around the lake.

Leirbreen with Store Smorstabbstinden on the left

After resting for a bit we spied a likely route to the top of the ridge and began our climb. All the while a forbidding peak called Store Smorstabbstinden loomed high above us to our right. From the top of the ridge we were treated to amazing views of three separate glaciers nestled in amongst a jumble of peaks. I’d like to say I pulled up some brilliantly relevant John Muir quote to describe the beauty all around us. I’m afraid it mostly rendered us speechless. The best my overwhelmed brain cells could come up with was “wow!” Just “wow!” over and over again.

Leirbreen (Leir Glacier) from above
Store Smorstabbstinden and Storbreen (Stor Glacier

We sat atop of the ridge and drank in the view of glaciers and lakes and ridges and peaks and….wow! From our perch on the ridge we noticed that the ridge to the north would require some significant climbing over some slightly less “wow” worthy terrain. In the other direction, Store Smorstabbstinded still loomed, still looked like a bit of a challenge, but also began to call – whisper really “come on up!” It was faint, at first, but I definitely heard it. The longer we sat looking up at the summit, still 1,600′ above us…the whisper grew louder. Sharon heard it too.

The last few hundred feet to the summit of Store Smorstabbstinden

The middle third of the face presented some challenging route finding through some very steep rocks and cliff bands. The summit was spectacular! Even more so because of the challenge. We looked east into the heart of Jotunheimen national park. We were surrounded by the highest peaks in Norway, all with their own glaciers draped on their flanks. To the southwest we saw a high alpine wonderland and without speaking knew that we would camp there later that evening. Once again “Impossible Norway” came through. It didn’t seem possible that we could have found a better place, or way, to celebrate Sharon’s birthday!

The Queen on her Birthday surveying her realm

Even though it was already late, the sun was still high in the sky. You’ve got to love the northern latitudes in summer! And it had barely made a move toward the horizon by the time we made it back to the care at 8:30pm. It didn’t take long for us to find an impossibly beautiful campsite with impossibly beautiful views. While I set up camp, Sharon worked her one pot wonder magic. We capped off the evening with a visit to the lovely Krossbu Lodge for a birthday beer….an $18 apiece birthday beer. After a magical day, neither of us minded. A perfect end to a perfect day.

Krossbu Lodge

By the way, in case you were wondering…the phrase “Norge er ikke skapt for å sitte på ræva” means  “Norway is not created to sit on the butt!”  As this day proved, it most certainly is not!!

 

 

 

Seizing the Carp in the San Juans

On By KBGearDaveIn Backpacking/Hiking Stuff, Mountain StuffLeave a comment

Even though there are several very good Thai restaurants in Flagstaff, when I want Thai food, I always go to Pato Thai. And even though they have many excellent food selections on their menu, I always end up ordering the orange chicken, #3 on the spicy scale….which I realize isn’t authentic Thai food. So, even though I have lots of options, I keep choosing the same thing. Boring? Perhaps. But here’s the thing…I really like Pato Thai’s orange chicken.

That explains, in part, how once again Sharon and I ended up in the San Juan mountains of southwestern Colorado. We considered going back to the Canadian Rockies (after a long absence). We considered going to some mountain ranges in Idaho and Montana that we have yet to explore. Even though we had all these intriguing choices, we finally decided that we really like the San Juan mountains. Of course there was the added bonus of being able to see Aaron, Vanessa – and grandson Oliver along the way.

Last summer we spent an amazing week on an off trail backtrip trip through the Grenadier range in the Weminuche wilderness. (You can read about it here. Wet and Wild in the Weminuche) This year, the backpacks stayed home. This, we decided, would be a car camping, relaxing, trail running, peak bagging adventure.

Following the well worn path from work to the George-Moore Casa, we arrived in Durango on Friday and spent a pleasant evening. We set out Saturday morning for the high country west of Lake City. The monsoon weather pattern smiled favorably on us, and even though it was already 2pm, the four of us set out for the top of Handies.

Oliver is not a small person. Aaron was a monster hiker. We had trouble keeping up with him. After breaking out of the trees, we got our first view of Handies.
Climbing 14’ers is hard work (apparently).
After his nap, Oliver is super excited for the summit. His favorite saying was “Go!”
We were pleasantly surprised by the light snowpack on the north facing slopes.
Summit ridge. (Note: Two weeks after we were here, participants in the Hardrock 100 ascended this same trail in a horrific hail thunderstorm!!)
“Safety third” as we like to say. Oliver was making sure his UberLyft driver was properly hydrated.
Oliver’s first 14’er. I suspect it may not be his last. Strong work Daddy!

The weather continued to cooperate, so we were able to lounge for a bit on the summit. We chatted with some fellow hikers, enjoyed the amazing views, and most importantly, helped Oliver throw rocks – which apparently is the main reason anyone would climb a mountain.

Congrats to Aaron on Oliver’s first “Teener!” Unfortunately work called, so the two boys headed back early the next day. Sharon and I used the all day rain (and threat of rain) as an excuse to lounge around camp, eat and – the ultimate luxury – read a whole book. The rest day was actually planned, since day 3 was going to be a double 14’er day. Being on the same ridge, Red Cloud and Sunshine are typically both climbed in a day. After reaching Red Cloud, the trail continues and drops – and then climbs 500′ back up to the summit of Sunshine. This ends up being a longish day of 12 miles and 4,600 feet of elevation gain. Other than bouts of manic wind, it was another beautiful day in the company of my amazing, lovely bride.

Bacon – the fuel of real adventurers!
Heading up the Silver Creek trail
Looking back down the valley, Handies is in the background.
From this ridge at 13,000′ still another (steep) 1,000′ to the summit of Red Cloud
We’ve dropped 500′ feet and are beginning the climb back up to Sunshine
Obligatory summit shot. Amazing views and beautiful lounging weather.
Red Cloud from the summit of Sunshine
Sharon contemplates the climb back up to Red Cloud
Paused in the gale force summit winds for a quick selfie
From the ridge at 13K, the trail back begs to be run. We obliged.

One of the problems with “Juan-dering” in the San Juans is that the choices are endless. As we lounged around that evening, savoring the afterglow of another successful day in the mountains, we weighed and discussed our many options. Since neither of us had been there, we finally decided to explore/hike/climb in the area around Crested Butte. We would then continue around to the Silverton/Ouray area and meet up with Aaron, Vanessa and Oliver at St Paul Lodge at Red Mountain Pass.

So on our nation’s birthday, we made a casual journey through Lake City, Gunnison, and Crested Butte. By days end we found ourselves several miles up Washington Gulch Road at a stunning campsite. We settled in above 10,000′ looking across at the Raggeds Wilderness.

Not a bad spot…if you’re into that whole alpine beauty thing!

Next day we opted for an ascent of nearby Mt Baldy. Once we’d reached the long, summit ridge we met up with Becky from B.C. Becky was something of an overachiever. She had ridden her mountain bike (up) from Crested Butte to the trailhead, and then come up to the ridge by a different route. We decided to make the long traverse to the summit together. Along the way, and on the summit we had an extremely pleasant chat with our new friend. We didn’t know at the time, but later found out that Becky was doing the Hardrock 100. Two weeks later we watched her race to a 5th place finish among women. Well done Becky! (Especially since she’s our age – truly awesome!!!) While Baldy might not be the most aesthetically pleasing mountain, it did benefit from location. Looking north we were treated to the Maroon Bells in all their splendor.

Catching my breath whilst taking in the breathtaking views.
Sharon with the summit ridge stretching off in the distance.
Yes – the truth is out – I’m married to Wonder Woman
Summit shot of Sharon and Becky
Becky Bates at the Hardrock finish. 5th place woman!!
Mt Baldy with Gothic Mountain in the background

Despite the initial gnarliness of the route, Baldy turned out to be a fun mountain. And even with a ‘relaxed’ start time and plenty of time spent on top, there was plenty of time back at camp to relax, quaff adult beverages, read and enjoy a gourmet meal before bed. Hopefully I don’t sound too boastful when I say that I think we’ve got this whole vacation thing pretty well figured out.  Our last bit of exploration around Crested Butte took place the next day on the “Oh Be Joyful” trail.  The name itself was reason enough to go explore. While nothing dramatic, the trail did ascend a pretty canyon, along a beautiful creek, with some dramatic waterfalls spilling down from on high. After lots of high peaks, it was a relaxing and enjoyable “stroll.”

At times it may not seem like it…but we really do know how to relax.

Friday was a big day. We had a pleasant hotel night in Ouray (can you say hot shower??) on Thursday plus some liquid carbo loading at a local brew pub. All this was prep for a training hike/run up Imogene pass. We both wanted to take the opportunity to gauge our training progress for the annual IPR. Results were mixed. It was somewhat encouraging, yet humbling as always. After a shaky start, Sharon finished very strong. I felt decent both ways, but clearly not where I need to be to put up a good time on September.

Sharon getting her second wind above upper Camp Bird.
Soul crushing steepness and lots of snow up high.
The tally on this Friday “Hikers = 4” “Motorized vehicles = 50-100” I will say all but two were very considerate. Much more fun doing the pass on foot in September with 1,498 of our closest friends.

We celebrated a grueling, but successful training run/hike with dinner at one of our favorites – the Colorado Boy brew pub in Ridgeway.(http://coloradoboy.com/ )  EXCELLENT pizza and tasty beverages. And as always, enjoyed in the convivial company of fellow diners.

We wrapped up our week of fun and frolic with a weekend at the St Paul Lodge with Aaron, Vanessa and Oliver. Activities included Oliver led adventures, more vertical human powered travel, food, conversation, reading, naps, and enjoying time in a very special mountain setting.

Hiking up from Red Mt Pass towards Ptarmigan Lake and Imogene Pass
Aaron and Vanessa continued on to Ptarmigan Lake. With some sketchy weather brewing, we decided to head down.
Always nice to be able to walk out the door in July and get some snow to chill the wine.
Oliver approves of “Pa’s digger”
The next generation enjoying St Paul Lodge

All too soon we had to part ways with the kids and with the mountains of Colorado. As always, we came away full of wonderful memories of the people and places we’d visited. Once again, the carp was well and truly seized!

Wet and Wild in the Weminuche Wilderness

On By KBGearDaveIn Backpacking/Hiking Stuff, Mountain StuffLeave a comment

I’ll be honest – I don’t like people! Well actually, I don’t dislike all people all the time. My antisocial tendencies only really kick in when I’m seeking solitude and escape from civilization. When I’m in the wilderness I don’t want to see anyone else. Selfishly (and unrealistically) I want it all for myself! Fortunately my lovely bride (and fellow lover of solitude) knows this about me and supports my occasional antisocial behavior. In fact, a while back we collaborated to come up with the perfect introvert backpacking trip. We planned to spend several days roaming off trail in the Grenadier mountains in the already remote Weminuche wilderness of southwestern Colorado. It was everything an introvert could hope for.

We started our trip in the parking lot at the Molas trailhead waiting for heavy rain to move out of the area. We’re not made of sugar and history has proven that we won’t melt if we get wet. But still – all evidence to the contrary – we are neither sadistic nor masochistic. As the day wore on, we (endlessly) weighed our options – bag it and start tomorrow, or just go for it? The forecast called for better weather the next day, but we were ready to go today. Finally we got a little break in the rain and decided to head out. The “on trail” portion of our trip took us down to the Animas River, and then up Elk Creek as far as the “Beaver Ponds.” As expected we slogged through some heavy downpours. Fortunately these were interspersed with bits of sunshine.

The real fun began the next day. Up, and up and up into the Vestal basin below Arrowhead Peak, the amazing Wham ridge on Vestal, and farther up – the Trinity Peaks. We got to the end of the trail (our goal) and just kept heading up the valley until we found a nice camp spot in a high meadow. One might assume, that after a long day we’d both be ready to spend the remaining hours before bed just lounging around camp. One might…and one would assume incorrectly. Sharon decided to go exploring in the direction of Wham ridge and made it to the base. I was content sitting around until Sharon shamed me with her energy. I thought I’d head up just to the top of the small ridge above our camp. Of course, there was another slightly higher ridge that promised an even better view…and so on, until I was able to get a good look at our route for the next day.

Our plan for the next several days was to continue off trail. Next day would be a short day, heading over the unnamed, but informally and aptly named “No Pass Pass” or “Gnarly Ass Pass” and descend to Trinity Lake. Then we would find our way over two passes in order to camp near Leviathan Lake to the south. From Leviathan we would make our way down valley to pick up a major trail that would eventually take us north to Highland Mary Lakes, and then out to our car. That was the plan. Of course, as always, subject to change.

Next morning, No Pass Pass was the first obstacle. When we scrambled up a boulder and scree slope and got our first good look, it was a bit intimidating. When we watched a mountain goat slip on the loose rocks as he made his way over the pass, it didn’t do much for our confidence. But as usual, delirious optimism won the day. As is often the case, reality wasn’t nearly as bad as perception. As we dropped down to the beautiful Trinity Lake, a gnarly, nasty monsoon storm followed us over Gnarly Ass Pass. Even though we hadn’t gone far, Trinity Lake suddenly looked like an excellent place to set up camp.

The route to Leviathan Lake was pretty spectacular. Still plenty of snow up high, even in July. The real challenge though, came as we attempted to descend to Leviathan. Our topo map showed steep terrain, but plenty of possible routes down. This time reality offered up a swift kick to our backsides. We spent several hours working our way down one promising route after another, only to have each cliff out. Which of course meant climbing back up a steep mountain side in search of another possible route. As afternoon turned to early evening, we were starting to get a little concerned. Finally we saw a possible chink the mountain armor. Naturally it required more climbing and a long traverse. When at last we came to a small flat spot, the only one we’d seen in hours, we decided to just call it quits for the day. A brief reconnaissance revealed a place where it looked like we’d be able to descend. With that worry off our minds, we set about enjoying one of the remote, scenic camp spots ever.

Day five was turned out to be a beautiful, relaxing and challenging day all rolled into one. The descent required some serious route finding, but we eventually made our way down 800′ to Leviathan Lake. The word ‘blue’ really doesn’t do justice to Leviathan Lake. One is moved to do a synonym search to find a more appropriate descriptor. Azure possibly? Cerulean perhaps? Beautiful definitely!

Stunning Leviathan Lake

After a break spent on the shoreline enjoying the views, we dropped another 500′ to a smaller lake. Since we’d gotten an early start and were making good time, and since the views were so spectacular, we decided to spend a few hours at this lake relaxing, reading, chatting, and exploring.

Unfortunately, time waits for no one. The time came for us to leave our little paradise and return to the trails and people below. With the possible exception of our previous day’s difficulties, wandering about above timberline is a joy. Wandering about below timberline is a chore. With no trail to follow, and no direction to go other than “down” we began to make our way to the valley floor. Enough to say that it was tough going. Eventually we came across little snippets of trail scattered about in the woods. Gradually the little snippets joined together to form a real trail leading us a crossing of Vallecito Creek. Once across, we were back to established trails and back to what we thought of as “civilization” … even though it was still far removed in the middle of a wilderness area. The previous days of off trail travel had delivered on the promise of solitude.

After several days above 12,000′ we were back down in the thick air and balmy temps at 10,000′ along the Vallecito trail.

Day six was a long day north along the Vallecito trail, across on a stretch of the Continental Divide Trail, eventually bringing us to the Highland Mary lakes. While the trail was beautiful in its own right and passed through some lovely terrain, it suffered only by comparison to the sublime heights from which we had just descended. Incessant forward motion carried us thirteen long miles over passes and through valleys. The Highland Mary Lakes were a welcome sight.

As usual, our last day was bittersweet. Obviously we looked forward to something other than trail food. A hot shower is always welcome. Seeing family in Durango is always a joy. Days in the wilderness however, bring a special satisfaction that is unmatched in civilization. Thanks Weminuche, for a wet, wild and wonderful week!