UN 13768 by Brian Schultz Friday October 1, 2010
Roundtrip mileage: ~12.5 miles from Gold Park
Elevation gain: 4,450'
The dark clouds in the afternoon yesterday might have portended a weather shift but the same great weather of the past week was looking to continue for at least another day. I drove from Poncha Springs to the Homestake Creek road north of Leadville on Highway 24 and rattled along the washboard road to Gold Park. I parked at the bottom of the 4x4 road to Holy Cross City (marked #759 on the Trails Illustrated topo map) just west of Gold Park at 9,320'. Four wheel drive vehicles can continue further along the Homestake road to a higher trailhead instead of driving up #759.
I started up the extremely rough #759 at 7:35 AM. The lower section of the road is one-way only for vehicle traffic and is well signed warning of likely vehicle damage. I reached the higher trailhead junction in forty minutes and continued per Garratt & Martin's directions toward Holy Cross City. The road is heavily bouldered as it approaches the left turn to Holy Cross City and I had a bit of trouble locating the trail to Hunky Dory Lake, somehow managing to walk by without seeing a wooden structure on the right side of the road where the trail picks up. I did find the trail slightly further when the road makes its sharp upward left turn to Holy Cross City- at this bend in the road I dropped down to the right to pick it up.
The trail is excellent to Hunky Dory Lake, which I reached at 9:30, and continues to two lakes at 12,160' in the Seven Sisters Lakes area. UN 13768 can be seen from here. After leaving the comfort of the trail, a northwest bearing from the right side of the lake leads up lots of grassy ramps and benches to the steep cliff walls above. I tried to find the crux ramp through the cliffs that Tim Briese described in his trip report and finally settled on a ramp that looked doable as I worked to the right. It wasn't until my descent of the ramp on the return that I realized I'd used his same one.
The ramp topped out above a lake at 12,750' and I scrambled around the left side, staying close to the lake at first before taking a higher route on slabs and boulders. The contour of the lake led to talus slopes below UN 13678 and from there it was straight up the slopes to just below the summit. I turned left under 13768's face, a short fun class 3 scramble, and followed the south ridge to the top, arriving at 1:00.
I heard voices from Holy Cross Ridge but didn't see anybody on that summit or on the ridge. I kept my summit stay short knowing it would be a long haul out and departed at 1:20 on the south ridge. This ridge worked out well and I followed it down to a comfortable exit point to rejoin the talus slopes below. It was a slow descent to the lower lakes at 12,160', where I took a short break before hiking nonstop to the car and arriving at 5:30.
A very enjoyable climb today on UN 13768 and it wraps up one of the best climbing weeks in Colorado I've ever had, especially from a weather standpoint. The warm temps and storm-free days persisting so late in September, as well as the fall colors still peaking, will not be forgotten any time soon.
Trailhead to summit- 5 hours 25 minutes
Summit to trailhead- 4 hours 10 minutes
Start to finish- 9 hours 55 minutes