Sunlight Peak (14,059), Windom Peak (14,087), and Mt Eolus (14,083) by Brian Schultz August 25-27, 2001
My return to the Chicago Basin would be a solo venture. I was a little uneasy about going in alone to this remote stretch of backcountry but figured lots of people would be around in case something happened. And in my pack was a cell phone which I knew from the last trip would work, at least at the higher elevations.
I did the long two day drive from Minneapolis to Durango, leaving on Thursday and arriving late on Friday. On Saturday morning I ate at McDonalds before boarding the only train that stopped at Needleton (fall season hours). My car had very few people in it and I found the ride to be much more relaxing this time than two years ago but, quite frankly I expected more people to be backpacking from Needleton. Only four others on the whole train disembarked- two women who were going to Chicago Basin and not climbing, and two fellows. One of the guys was meeting friends already up there and the other was doing a solo backpack for nine days to climb thirteeners. I should have known then the Chicago Basin would be sparsely populated but for some reason assumed the throngs must already be up there.
I began at 11:15 with weather as fine as one could hope for. The thirteener guy, from Durango, told me the whole area up here was hit by a snowstorm a few days ago but you'd never know it from looking around- no trace of recent snow was seen on the trail or even higher up on the peaks. I hiked alone for about three hours until the thirteener guy caught up and paired with me. I packed enough clothes and food for four nights and could really feel the extra weight on my back. My camp destination was the Columbine Pass cut-off because of wanting 3,000 feet elevation gain for the fourteeners and to be close to Jupiter Mountain, a thirteener I also wanted to climb. Several backpackers on the way out commented on their wonderful fourteener climbs and other than a long lunch break I reached the Columbine Pass trail at 3:20. The thirteener guy and I parted ways there.
Crossing the creek was a bit dicey with the heavy pack but I managed to hop the rocks without slipping and headed up into the trees to make camp. I had lots of time to finalize my climbing plans and adjust to the unexpected solitude- everybody must be higher in the basin because there wasn't a soul around me. I walked up the Columbine Pass trail a ways to check out the route for Jupiter Mountain and down to the creek several times to filter water. It would've been nice to have a campfire but they're not allowed in the Chicago Basin.
After eating, I turned in early expecting a good night's sleep but it didn't quite work out. Within an hour I was jolted awake by scratching sounds at the tent and about jumped out of my skin thinking a bear was going to burst in. Whatever it was, it kept scratching until I slapped my hand on the tent floor to scare it off- probably a marmot but I wasn't sticking my head out to check. I bunched myself in the middle of the tent to avoid being too close to any side and hoped whatever it was didn't have a big mouth. Just as I was about to drift off it came back and started scratching again but the worst came later when something bigger and heavier was walking around. I just lied there stiff as a board, hoping it would leave. It did but then the other creature returned over and over until I finally hollered at it to get the hell out of there while rapping the side of the tent and shining the flashlight. That seemed to do the trick and the rest of the night was quiet but I didn't sleep well.
After breakfast I started for Sunlight Peak at 6:20 and just to make sure no critter would rip into the tent while I was gone, I'd packed up EVERYTHING and hung it in a tree. The weather was perfect as I hiked up near the waterfall and past the "no camping above" sign. I grunted up the steep trail and admired Eolus' reflection in small water pools before reaching the lake at 7:20. Continuing around the lakes on the good trail and gaining the high basin of Windom and Sunlight, I found what Tim and I missed last time, namely the route over to Sunlight. The trail was good and contoured the left side of the basin before entering the red gully.
I climbed up the steep gully and along the ridge to the first rock window. This is the one you're not supposed to climb through but I did anyways. I foolishly followed some very steep ledges up high to a spot with two options: Go up or go back. Roach writes about the committing move on Sunlight's summit, but the committing move here was, in my opinion, even more difficult than that of the summit. The friction move required stepping up with one foot and pushing off with the other to gain momentum, while pulling up and hoping there was something solid to grasp above. A slip would be very undesirable in this exposed area and I pondered the move a long while before doing it. Although I was successful, it would have been far wiser to downclimb back to the window and climb up to the second one.
The difficult move put me just a few strides from the summit register, which was empty when I reached it at 9:15. I dropped my pack and scrambled up the blocks to claim the true top, then returned to sit alone and enjoy one of my favorite summits. The weather was clear in all directions for viewing the spectacular San Juan peaks but, eager to climb Windom I left at 9:40. I took the correct descent but had one very difficult class 4 move in an area that I paced back and forth attempting to find an easier way down. Safely back in the red gully I contoured around the left side of the basin to avoid losing too much elevation and angled up the boulders to Windom's ridge. The scramble up the rocky ridge was time consuming but I persisted until finally stepping up to the neat summit blocks of Windom at 11:20, one hour and forty minutes from Sunlight. It was good to be back.
I ate lunch and studied Jupiter Mountain, hoping a route was possible from Windom. The longer I looked, the more sure I was that it could be done by dropping down to the Windom-Peak 18 saddle and traversing low from there. But I lost interest and decided to just stay put and soak up the beautiful warm weather. I found it odd that no other climbers were here or seen on Sunlight but I wasn't complaining- I had the summit to myself for an hour and ten minutes before leaving at 12:30. When I descended I thought about climbing Peak 18 but gave up on that idea too and made my way back into the basin. At the lakes I stopped to take some pictures of two goats. Across the lake a group of climbers was resting- I found out the next day they climbed Eolus, which I also could have climbed today with such perfect weather but instead headed back to camp and got there at 2:45.
I should have climbed some more because I got bored out of my skull sitting around the campsite. Because of that I changed plans and decided to get up early in the morning, climb Eolus and pack out after just two nights. I felt pretty good about the decision when the stalking creature returned that night to terrorize me again.
After hanging everything up in the tree one more time, I began at 5:05 in the pitch dark for Eolus, hoping it was early enough to grab the summit, pack up, and catch the train. I crossed the stream with a flashlight in one hand and trekking poles in the other and quick-stepped up the trail. Near the waterfall I took a different trail to the left which I didn't take yesterday or remember taking two years ago but it led to the same large flat rock area above it. When I got there nothing seemed right- it was the strangest feeling to know where I was in a general sense, but because it was still pitch black I couldn't see a thing except the nearby trees. The flashlight was no help. After walking around in circles, I couldn't even find where I came up. I thought for sure I'd have to wait until first light but walked a little more and amazingly stumbled right into the "no camping above" sign. That gave me a huge lift.
I puffed up the steep trail again but didn't go to Twin Lakes. In the early morning light I descended to the stream and hiked up the other side to rejoin the Eolus trail, a nice little shortcut I spotted yesterday while on the way to the lakes. The well marked trail led up into the basin under Eolus and over to the bottom of the Eolus-North Eolus saddle where, after a steep scramble to the saddle, the fun climbing began. The humpy ridge to the Catwalk seemed a bit harder this second time, probably because I was more aware of the danger of falling. The ascent of the face went much easier by staying more to the left instead of zigzagging up the middle like we did two years ago. Scrambling the steep, exposed ledges was fun and I pulled onto the summit at 8:10. It was a great feeling to have accomplished Eolus alone and I wanted to enjoy the beautiful weather on top longer but ...there was a train to catch and I only stayed 15 minutes.
Below the saddle I finally talked to the first person I'd seen since parting ways with the thirteener fellow two days ago. It was hard to believe I spent the whole day yesterday without talking to anyone, and summited all three fourteeners without seeing anyone climbing on the peaks until just now. Especially in August! This fellow from Houston told me he set up camp in the lower basin also, but on the opposite side of the creek from me. I showed him an easier approach to the saddle and minutes later passed a second climber coming up the trail. I made it to the lakes at 9:35 and back to camp at 10:28. I packed up and departed at 11:05, glad to get away from the night critters and looking forward to a steak dinner in Durango. I allowed four hours to get to Needleton and figured to need them all when the pack immediately began straining my back. After stopping to make a few adjustments, it was better and I trudged down the trail at a pace faster than expected.
I passed the solo climber (from Needleton two days ago) and his friends, also on their way out. Many people were hiking up the trail and I thought to myself how lucky I was to have three days of beautiful weather in the Chicago Basin and wondered if they'd fare as well. Realizing there was plenty of time to catch the train, I stopped by the rushing creek for a long break before getting to Needleton at 1:40, way ahead of schedule.
While waiting for the train, lots of people streamed over the footbridge of the Animas River, including the women who got off the train with me on Saturday. One fellow made efficient use of his time by needing only one night in the backcountry- he packed in yesterday and climbed Eolus, this morning he climbed the other two and packed out. I was impressed. The ride back to Durango was slow and most of us backpackers stood in the open car talking, which greatly annoyed the conductor. He said we backpackers were all alike (totally disregarding the rules to sit down) and sighed as he walked on through. We finally reached the station and I raced to get a motel, clean up and get to the Ore House for dinner. Despite the unwelcome night visitors, this was a good climbing adventure in the Chicago Basin.
Needleton to Camp (11,000 ft)- 4 hours 5 minutes
Camp to Sunlight Pk- 2 hours 55 minutes
Sunlight Pk to Windom Pk- 1 hour 40 minutes
Windom Pk to Camp- 2 hours 15 minutes
Camp to Mt Eolus- 3 hours 5 minutes
Mt Eolus to Camp- 2 hours 3 minutes
Camp to Needleton- 2 hours 35 minutes