14er Report #14: Castle and Conundrum Peaks (Late Fall, Northeast Ridge)

Castle Peak Summit, Late Fall. Colorado, 2014

 

You cannot stay on the summit forever; you have to come down again. So why bother in the first place? Just this: What is above knows what is below, but what is below does not know what is above. One climbs, one sees. One descends, one sees no longer, but one has seen. There is an art of conducting oneself in the lower regions by the memory of what one saw higher up. When one can no longer see, one can at least still know.
—René Daumal 

The Basin, Abstract, #2. Castle-Conundrum Peaks, Colorado, 2014

 

It was with a bit of trepidation that I chose these two peaks for this late fall trip (yesterday, October 31, 2014). This time of year, with a few minor snowfalls already on the books, the Class 2+ route could be a bit more slippery and difficult than you’d find on a typical August summer tour. In addition, this was my first sojourn into the Elk Range, home of the Maroon Bells, Capitol Peak, Pyramid peak, and Snowmass Mountain–all summits with a reputation for being a bit dangerous, with significant exposure and loose, crappy, rock galore.

Castle and Conundrum, though, are the easiest of the Elk summits, so they were a logical choice for an Elk virgin like me. The forecast was ideal (though, “breezy” was predicted) and the next storm to arrive over the weekend would probably take these peaks off my climbing list until next season. So, now or next year? (“Will power…it’s now or never…”)

Would the conditions be adequate for a safe, solo ascent on Halloween? Would the spirits be with me? That was the question.

Trip Report: Castle Peak (14,265′) and Conundrum Peak (14,060′)

Route:

First, the drive in to the trailhead…

I parked at 11,000′, about 50 yards past the wooden bridge, a five minute, and two short switchback, walk below the normal Pearl Pass Road 4WD trailhead. There were two slick, icy patches just before the wooden bridge, but the road to this point passed under the 4WD wheels of my Tacoma just fine. My non-valet parking spot was at 2.65 miles past the end of the Castle Road pavement, according to my odometer.

Stopping at this point turned out to be a good move. The next switchback above the wooden bridge was steep, and it had a pretty good, rocky divot in it as well as a huge ice patch that extended across and down the road. I was happy to have not tried that (backing downhill, with no spotter, in the black of night on a steep 4WD road sucks).

From this point, I walked the Northeast Ridge Route up Castle, then the standard ridge traverse across to Conundrum. I elected to climb back over Castle instead of descending from the saddle–I was unsure of the snow conditions on the slope and was also worried about excessive post-holing through the basin to get back onto a packed track.

Timeline:

I departed Boulder at 11p.m. and was parked at the trailhead by 3:15a.m. (drove I-70, Leadville, Independence Pass route). This put me uncomfortably ahead of schedule–with no Moon, I wouldn’t have any early morning light to help me through the basin area (the part of the route I was most unsure of). So, I dawdled a bit, took a short nap…

I finally started up the road at 4a.m., trudge-o-meter set on “Very Slow”, as I wanted to time first light to when I reached the upper parking area. My hope was that I could then get quickly through the basin and high onto Castle’s ridge–if not the summit–for sunrise photography. At one point, whilst walking and night dreaming, I followed my headlamp beam up the rocky creek bed instead of turning with the rocky road–a two-minute route mistake and a tribute to the morning’s darkness quotient.

I reached the end of the road (“upper parking area”), at 12,800′, at 5:40a.m.–still in the ink of the night. I dawdled some more, taking time to pull out the tripod and do some star photography. From here on, I would be on snow, following tracks (I hoped), and the best possible trail up to the northeast ridge might be difficult to discern.

Happily finding some promising footprints and ski tracks, I headed up toward the basin, stopping to put on micro spikes once the slope increased. As first light started to bleed across the landscape I was able to orient myself a bit better (up until then, I had only the dark mountain silhouettes above me), and I hooked up with the actual trail, which was mostly snow packed, but visible here and there.

I reached the northeast ridge proper at about 7:05a.m. and was well up on the ridge by sunrise (scheduled by the Universe for 7:31a.m.). With time out to photograph here and there (it is a spectacular ridge!), I finally arrived on Castle’s summit at 8:20a.m.

I left Castle for Conundrum at 8:40a.m. and was on the latter’s summit by about 9:30a.m. where I again spent a few minutes doing the photography dance. I left the summit of Conundrum at 9:40a.m. and was back on top of Castle once again by 10:30a.m.

Leaving Castle Peak at 10:40a.m., I was down to the upper parking area by noon and back at the truck by 1:15p.m.

Total time: 9 hours 15 minutes. Again, I deliberately kept things slow initially, waiting to get some visible spectrum waves by which to navigate. Once the good light started, I spent a lot of time stopping to set up the tripod, etc., etc.–so, the younger, fitter, and non-photographically burdened will go a lot faster, I’m certain.

Weather Conditions:

Super-duper late-fall weather! I peruse the weather forecasts obsessively, so this was no coincidence. (HINT, and my thought process: With snowy weather…Let a few days go by after a storm. This will allow a few good, sturdy folks to mark the trail for you with their footprints–or actually break trail in the case of a big snowfall. Next, pick a date one day before the next scheduled cold front arrival. This process will normally ensure good weather, the highest possible temperatures and, with luck, some photogenic pre-frontal cirrus clouds. Exception: Anyone under the age of 30 must climb the day immediately following a massive snow storm to ensure an open trail for us old timers.)

At the start, the truck gauge read 29 degrees with no wind and a clear, Orion-filled sky. At dawn, I could see that there were a few high cirrus starting to move in–all the better for photography, but a portend of the incoming storm programmed for the weekend. On the ridge and the summits, I had 10-25mph winds, with occasional bouts of calm to allow for shutter release on the tripod. On the descent later in the day, and once off the ridge and out of the gusty-cold mountain “breeze”, I could have hiked down in a lime-green Borat suit…sunny, winds fairly tranquil. Back at the truck, I noted a balmy 58 degrees. (At 11,000′, with no wind, and 58 degrees, you’d be surprised how hot it feels!)

Trail Conditions:

From the high parking area, across both summits, and back to said parking area, micro spikes and poles were the ticket. I was wishing for snowshoes for a few short sections across the flat basin, but they wouldn’t have been worth their weight to carry them for such a short stretch. If you were to descend from the Castle-Conundrum saddle on the steep snow slope, an ice axe would have been mandatory. (I carried one, but elected not to do the snow slope anyway.)

The hike up the road from the truck was almost completely snow-free until approaching the upper parking area, then I was on snow for pretty much the rest of the route, except when scrambling on the rocky ridge areas. In some ways the snow actually helped–it was easier to climb the scree, and the rock was mostly frozen in place. In other places, the snow made it sketchier–like post holing here and there across the basin and up the initial slope, and that short move about fifty feet below Castle’s summit (the latter harder on the down climb).

Enthusiastic skiers have already been testing the slopes below Conundrum. One even used poles that left elk hoof print impressions–either that, or a bull elk managed to summit both peaks then ski down.

Photography Issues:

–Instead of dawdling, I wish I had had more confidence in my route finding ability and pushed on earlier and faster. I would have been nearer Castle’s summit by sunrise with some better views for my camera lens. It is hard though, when one is alone, in the dark, and just a weeny bit unsure of the trail (mainly, the stretch from the high parking lot to the northeast ridge).

–Why is it that when you are ready to hit the shutter, the wind picks up, and just as you take the camera off of the tripod, the wind dies away?

–When I left my pack on Castle’s summit for my “dash” over to Conundrum, I elected to take only one lens on my camera: the 70-200. I was very sorry for this when I started to walk this spectacular ridge traverse, cliffed-out and snow-corniced as it was. This is an argument, I think, for a smaller, more flexible, camera system for this type of thing.

Unusual Events/Comments:

–I was alone today the entire time. Saw not a soul on the 4WD road, at the trailheads, or on the mountain. Solitude and meditation.

–So far, Sunlight Peak is my favorite 14er. Castle and Conundrum, though, now come in at second place. With the late fall, semi-snowy conditions, this climb was just challenging enough to keep me thinking, fun, and gorgeous. (I’m sure my feelings will change as I work through peaks like Capitol, Wetterhorn, Maroon, etc.)

–Don’t ever buy gasoline in Aspen. The Shell station in town was charging $4.54 a gallon when the Boulder price is currently at $2.99! Unbelievable. I had to buy three gallons to make sure I could get to Leadville and their much cheaper fuel.

—Colorado 14er Senior Challenge summit count: 24 of the basic list of 58 (p. xxiii in Gerry Roach’s 14er “Bible”, Colorado Fourteeners, 3rd Ed.); 30 of the long list of 73 (pp. 347-348, with South Wilson added, also in Roach’s “Bible”.

Selected Images:

The view up into the basin…The bright star to the left is Sirius. You can also easily see the constellation of Orion and the Pleiades star cluster. Conundrum Peak is directly below the “V” in the constellation of Taurus. I wish my eyes could have seen this well in the dark of the night–sometimes the camera can do a little better.

Orion Above Conundrum Peak. Elk Range, Colorado, 2014

Sunrise from the Northeast Ridge of Castle Peak.

Sunrise on the Ridge. Castle Peak, Colorado, 2014

First light on Castle Peak (high left) and Conundrum Peak (across the basin). The real Conundrum summit is just right of the small, snow-filled saddle. The couloir leading to that little saddle is reputedly a great early spring snow climb (Conundrum Couloir).

First Light. Castle and Conundrum Peaks, Colorado, 2014

Climbing the Northeast Ridge. My thoughts: “I hope that damn tripod doesn’t blow over in this breeze.” Oh, and, yes, I should have that helmet on…just forgot about it. The axe never got used as the snow slope down from the saddle would likely have led to a whole lot of post holing through the basin.

Climbing the Ridge. Castle Peak, Colorado, 2014

The last meters leading up to Castle’s summit. The mini-Hillary step was not too bad going directly up the rock on the ridge (just right of the arrow). I came down onto the snow via the small slot (indicated by the arrow) which was a bit sketchier.

Castle Peak Summit. Castle Peak, Colorado, 2014

The classic summit hero shot on Castle peak–studio photographer style.

Castle Peak Summit Portrait. Castle Peak, Colorado, 2014

Looking down from whence I came, with landmarks noted.

The Basin. From Castle Peak, Colorado, 2014

From Conundrum’s ridge, looking back at Castle’s northwest ridge…quite the wall of scree, luckily most of it was frozen in place or covered with a bit of snow. This connecting ridge was quite airy and spectacular. And judging from the tracks, it is also obviously a great launch point for expert skiers with no fear of death.

Castle’s NW Ridge, #2. From Conundrum Peak, Colorado, 2014

A view from Conundrum of the trail that climbs up to the notch on Castle’s Northeast Ridge Route.

The Trail. From Conundrum Peak, Colorado, 2014

That little pile of snow across the gap is the real Conundrum summit.

Conundrum Summit. Conundrum Peak, Colorado, 2014

From Conundrum Peak, looking north at the high peaks of the Elk Range–the very challenging summits of Maroon, North Maroon, Snowmass, Pyramid, and Capitol, are all visible.

Elk Range, High Peaks. From Conundrum Peak, Colorado, 2014

A rest stop on the way down Castle’s Northeast Ridge Route. Micro spikes were the bee’s sneeze for the day’s climb.

Down the Ridge. Castle Peak, Colorado, 2014

A French gendarme stands guard. Easily passed on the left (à gauche).

Gendarme. Castle Peak, Colorado, 2014

The upper parking lot, filled with snow. That last long switchback was also mostly snow-filled as you can see and not easily passed even in 4-Low. I saw tracks where a Jeep had turned around about mid-way along the steep, narrow track. It had to have been a Jeep as anything longer could not have done it. I am guessing the passengers got out and watched for that one.

The upper “Parking Lot”. Castle-Conundrum Peaks, Colorado, 2014

Looking back up into the magical Castle-Conundrum basin from far below. The farthest high peak in the middle is Conundrum–so this would be your first glimpse for someone hiking up by the light of day. Castle Peak is out of sight to the left. This scene was my “Adios”–what an adventure!

The 4WD Road. Castle-Conundrum Peaks, Colorado, 2014