Old Man Mountain

Summit, Old Man Mountain. Estes Park, Colorado, 2014

As a kid, Dad and the brothers and I used to do a lot of scrambling around the rocks wherever we might find them…the head of Camelback Mountain and Papago Park in the Phoenix area, Vedauwoo up near Laramie, Wyoming…wherever.

Sometimes we pushed the limits (later, in my rock climbing years, I would learn that we had sometimes ventured onto Class 4 and even very short, easy Class 5 sections). These outings were sometimes scary but always fun–like pure, joyful, unbridled, play, in spectacular surroundings. Even as an older (elderly!?) human, I still find this activity fun…but now I also find these same places to be rich in photographic opportunities.

Colorado is a wonderful location for “scrambling” as it is called–something of a niche sport in itself. You could define it as that transition zone between hiking and technical roped climbing–you’ll need to use both hands and feet carefully in sections, but the difficulty doesn’t generally require a rope (a helmet can be useful, though). Typically, you are on Class 2, 3 and 4 terrain. (What does this mean? Go HERE for definitions.)

One fun, easy introduction to scrambling is Old Man Mountain, near Estes Park, Colorado. You can be up and down, going slow and enjoying the scenery, in maybe two hours or so. The easiest way up is probably Class 2, but you can adjust the difficulty simply by choosing different lines–all the way up to Class 5 if you want (bring a rope for that!). The views of Lumpy Ridge and Longs Peak are wonderful and the summit is an airy lunch perch.

This little peak is sort of a spiritual center for many–including the first Native Americans, so walk lightly. On the right path, you may even see a memorial to Bill Horn, who died in his mid-twenties back in 1983 (if you know who he was, let me know…Google searches found nothing).

For more specific information on how to find the “Old Man”, historical background, and the trail, try the SummitPost.org website.

If you are interested in pushing your scrambling skills to yet another level, you can sample the Colorado possibilities in Dave Cooper’s book, Colorado Scrambles, Climbs Beyond the Beaten Path.

Be safe and have fun!

Maria, Scrambling #4. Vedauwoo, Wyoming, 2014