Exploring the San Juans: a photo essay

~ liteadventurer

My vacation in Lake City, Colorado was exceptional.  The weather was nice and warm with no rain, and I was able to ascend three 14ers during the several days I had to explore the area.

Below are some pictures from my days on the mountain.  All photos were taken with either a Ricoh GR (the original) or iPhone XS.  Both devices were well suited for this type of vacation since keeping weight to a minimum is essential when hiking at this altitude.

North Clear Creek Falls. Located about an hour outside of Lake City.
My lodging during my time in Lake City. Great place to stay.
A schematic of mountain #1: Wetterhorn Peak.
With early starts to the day, there’s great scenery to be appreciated.  The moon greeted us each morning.
Wetterhorn Peak in the background.
One of many rock fields we had to traverse during the day.
My 14er hiking friend checking out the last half mile of the ascent.
Hikers making their way to the class 3 section.
At this point, the rest of the way up involves unroped climbing. Low risk of death, but a fall in some of these sections would be unpleasant at best.

A view of the terrain near the top. The rectangle is blown up in the next photo to give a sense of scale.

At the summit a little before 10:30 AM.  The cool looking rock in the background is Uncompahgre Peak, another 14er that I look forward to climbing in the future.
My recently acquired REI Hydro 20 backpack.  This is the only piece of luggage I brought for the whole trip.
A fellow hiker enjoying the views on the way down.
Mr. Marmot basking in the sun. I love marmots.
My friend’s dog out-worked both of us throughout the day.
A view of Uncompahgre Peak from around 12,000 feet.
Morning moon. Shot with iPhone XS using the native camera app.
A blanket of wildflowers seen on the approach to Redcloud Peak (mountain #2).

Redcloud Peak. Not as exposed as Wetterhorn, but still a challenging ascent.
At the connecting saddle between Redcloud and Sunshine Peak (mountain #3).
Some of the rough, loose terrain on the way to Sunshine.  You can sort of make out the winding trail going up.
Taken from atop Sunshine Peak.
A much needed beverage after returning to North Face Lodge.

Published by liteadventurer

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