Day 61 - Black Canyon South Rim

Black Canyon South Rim looks over the same gorge as the North Rim but has a few especially scenic viewpoints that captured my imagination, causing me to spend all afternoon and night there. The best viewpoint to me was of the Painted Wall-- the highest cliff in Colorado at 2300 feet and marked with curving horizontal lines formed by ancient lava flows. If it wasn't for the heavy poison ivy covering the canyon bottom and routes down, I would've hiked down and camped at the river tonight. The painted wall is on the right side of the pics below.

The second highlight was Warner Point. You had to hike 3/4 miles to this point, the highest cliff to river point in the park at 2775 feet down. I climbed fifty feet down an edge and then up a spire floating out in the gorge for epic views. Some Danish boys climbed out seeing me there and then an older couple adventured out with me guiding them. I was happy to have lead people out beyond their natural stopping point.

The third and final highlight was a small scramble out to private cliff edge (safer than it sounds) to watch the sunset over the canyon. My first location was back at the painted wall but this was too dark. My second location at "sunset point" seemed like a good choice and it was.

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Day 96 - Banff Cirque Peak

OMG Canada. Today was my favorite day. The climb to Cirque Peak started with a lovely hike to Helen Lake, climbing quickly at the start but then gently roaming on the backside of the valley, above tree line and with views south to infinity. I made it quickly to the lake then continued on the trail to Dolomite Pass, scrambling on top of the ridge beyond Helen Lake. My destination : Once on top of the ridge (above my head), I hiked around another lake and up the sandy right side of Cirque Peak, following the route picture from the scramble guide. I eventually made it to a snowbank at the crest of the upper ridge. I figured walking below the snowbank to the nose would be safer for me with little snow experience, but I saw old steps cut up the near-vertical snowbank and I decided to go for it. Kicking steps with my right then left foot then propelling my hiking poles right then left deep in the snow above, I inched my way up a snow wall, keeping three solid contact p...

Day 62 - Colorado National Monument

Established as a national monument early in 1911, Colorado NM is known for its high canyon "rim road" and sandstone spires of Monument Canyon. The canyons of west Colorado are pretty--as they have more green trees and shrubs than the more famous Utah canyons. This gives them a more alive feeling, although the sandstone spires were formed many thousands of years ago by erosion. Rim Rock road curves up the the top of the canyon cliff, goes through several round tunnels and is lined with scenic viewpoints. The best views were in he Monument Canyon section, and included in sequence, the Coke Ovens, The Kissing Couple (behind my head), and the most famous of all: Independence Monument, the tall spire in pic 3 and viewed from the side in pic 4. The original promoter and caretaker of the park, John Otto, was the first person to climb Independence Monument and now it's a climbing right of passage. Every July 4 climbers ascend and mount an American flag at the summit. Fun! ...

Day 99 - Mount Robson

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