Capitol Peak (14,130') - 9/5-7/17

The cover of the Mid-Summer/Fall 2017 issue, showing a busy Knife Edge on Capitol Peak - more images at end.

Pretty nice dirt road out of the town of Snowmass to the Capitol Creek Trailhead.

From the TH - Capitol looming left of center. .. Next shot is telephoto.

I was originally planning to climb Snowmass Mtn but the road there was too rough. .. So, I re-vectored to Capitol as it was nearby and I had climbed it 21 years earlier with two buds - my first CO 14er.

A shot from Gerry Roach's "Colorado 14ers" book that I had in the car, as I had not copied anything on Capitol in advance.

Roach's topo showing various routes.

Capitol topo from Bill Middlebrook's awesome 14ers.com site, showing the standard NE Ridge Route, which I could download with photos to my iPhone. .. Link below:

Weblink: http://bit.ly/CapitolNERidge .. [Use your browser's back arrow to return to Smugmug.]

OK - Tuesday after Labor Day weekend and heading out at 11:00 am.

Close-up in next image.

Capitol in center; Mt. Daly left of it. .. They share a saddle.

This is the newer Ditch Trail - as noted on the right side.

Spruce and aspen intimately entwined.

The aspen overlooks its partner.

Fall colors just now starting to unfold.

[Mt. Daly ahead.]

Apparently it's a popular ride down to Capitol Creek.

The fairly easy backpack is about 6+ miles with gain of about 2200'.

[Shot of me by a backpacker from Rifle, CO.]

Yep, the trip descriptions warn of cattle encounters - but fairly tame stuff. :)

I imagine they're pretty used to mountaineers.

The NE Ridge climb takes off from the saddle on the left.

Oh, an unexpected wildflower display late in the summer.

A somewhat faded but still spectacular Colorado Columbine.

3:25 - at last: Capitol Lake nestled beneath the peak with campsites in nearby tree groves.

The climb will begin with a hike to the Daly-Capitol saddle here.

From saddle turnoff looking back at my camping grove.

Bill's new home! .. I was the first to arrive among the several designated sites.

Saddle ahead; more campsites in the lower grove on the far left.

A panoramic shot. .. K2 is pointy sub-peak just right of center; the notorious Knife Edge is just past it on the right.

The final upper part of the climb is mostly on the other (south) side of the ridge.

View from campsite.

OK - I headed out Wednesday at 5:30 am - that's the moon setting.