Pyramid Peak (14,018) by Brian Schultz Monday July 20, 1998
After success on Capitol Peak I was hoping for more of the same on this one. I spent a somewhat restless night in Basalt and rose early for the drive to Maroon Lake. There wasn't a soul stirring around the parking lot or lake when I arrived, and at 5:25 I headed out by myself again. The trail was excellent and although I was cautious in looking for the cutoff to Pyramid, when I saw the Bells getting closer I knew I went past it. Not wanting to backtrack, I bushwhacked across the valley looking for the route and ended up facing a long, steep, very loose couloir. There was no notch at the top so I was certain I was in the wrong place. I spent a long time debating whether I should take a chance and go up it. I saw other footprints and knowing it could cost me the climb decided to go for it.
After much exertion and constant slipping in the scree, I reached the top and lo and behold- a bird's eye view of Pyramid and its amphitheater! And best of all, a way to get to it. I could see the saddle of the Northeast Ridge, my route choice for this climb. I think I was on the northwest ridge (not sure?) and a downclimb on more steep scree was necessary to get into the basin. When I reached the basin I kept on going because it was getting late. It's mostly flat terrain rock hopping here but the Capitol climb and backpack the day before took a toll on my body and I was sluggish. But the weather was great- like the past two days it was hot and the skies were clear.
Below the northeast ridge saddle is a choice of gullies; the right one was steep and full of snow and it didn't look right for going up. The one to its left seemed less steep but also snowfilled; it's the one I took. It turned out to be very steep and I sunk deep in its soft snow. My ax helped me get out several times. After a while it merged with another gully (evidently the main one) further from the left and I trudged up to the saddle once again on steep scree. I was so tired at the saddle I had to take a break. I expended a lot of energy to get to this point and hadn't even gotten to the climbing part yet.
Although I wasn't tracking my time, it was somewhere around noon. This would normally be the turnaround time at such a late hour but since the skies were clear, I made up my mind to continue. I ate lunch and rested while taking in the views of the Bells and the remaining route up Pyramid. It looked intimidating and seemed a long ways off. I was also getting nervous.
Refreshed, I pushed on and shortly saw two climbers on their way down. As we neared each other I recognized the familiar faces. Connie and Sarah, whom I met the day before on Capitol, greeted me and wondered why I was running so late. They carcamped and heard a vehicle going by in the morning and figured it might be me, knowing I was doing Pyramid also. I was glad to see them and explained my blunder. They were the first people I'd seen in 7 hours! I kept my visit short, I really wanted to make the summit and figured I was on borrowed time already. They said the ledges were loose and took a long time to maneuver.
The ledges were indeed loose and much caution was required when grabbing for holds but I wasn't nervous when I worked up the ridge. I didn't find the exposure to be too much of a problem. Just finding the way up became my concern as there were several spots where I had to find holds, needing both hands and feet for upward progress (mostly higher up the ridge). These were the class 4 sections. Whenever I found myself in a tough spot I usually worked to my left. After what seemed an eternity of ledge climbing, I climbed a final steep section and stepped onto the summit. The time was 1:40, a very long 8 hours and 15 minutes from the parking lot.
I was tired but I felt great- this was two hard peaks in two days! I signed in and admired the long dropoffs all about me. I noticed some threatening clouds to the west. Took some photos and rested a bit and was about to head down when suddenly another solo climber arrived. I never saw him behind me on the way up. He stayed less than five minutes and departed, with me following him and the time 2:00. I was glad to have company going down because of the difficult moves on the descent. After we passed the class 4 spots he bounded on down ahead of me at a pace I couldn't keep up with. But I didn't mind- the hardest part was over and I wasn't in a hurry. I actually enjoyed the ledges because I knew the dreaded scree was coming again below the saddle. Another rest break at the saddle and down the scree gully I went with my knees now hurting in a big way.
I stayed in the main gully all the way down, bypassing the one I came up. The threatening clouds I observed to the west while on the summit appeared when I got in the amphitheater. I was still in the open when thunder started rumbling. The danger quickly passed with no lightning or rain and this grateful climber reached the steep slopes to head down into the valley only to realize I didn't know the way down! This was the way I was supposed to come up but missed earlier. There was no defined trail here and the terrain was rugged. I never thought to ask Connie and Sarah which side to take so I started right, worked to the middle and finally noticed a path to my left. That was it. I was glad to be off the scree but this was no picnic either. Lots of brush to fend off and roots to stumble on. I slipped once and told myself I would never do this peak again.
When I finally reached the Maroon Lake trail I saw the big cairn I missed in the morning. How could I not have seen it before? I was told later that I was on the higher trail to Crater Lake, thus the error. I pulled into the parking lot at 7:30 for a 5 hour 30 minute climb down from the summit. This was an amazingly long 14 hour day, me succeeding mostly because the weather held out. I could barely say the same for my body, I was stiff all over and exhausted. Pyramid is the hardest fourteener I've done and also one I never thought I would do, especially in 1995 when I started them. Just reading the guide books threw a scare into me and now three years later, here I was with two class 4's in a row. A huge accomplishment for me.
Apparently, we were the only four climbers on Pyramid today. After visiting with some North Maroon climbers (also successful) in the parking lot, I drove to Carbondale anticipating a much needed rest day.