距女兒家車程在三個多小時內的14ers僅剩Sawatch Range的Mt. Harvard、Mt. Columbia 、Mt. Shavano、Tabeguache Peak 、Missouri Mountain和 Huron Peak 等六座,計劃今年夏天攀登完畢。前一陣子因山上積雪未融,不敢前往;前天(26)晚上查一下天氣,中午兩點以前還適合爬山,當下決定就擇一座較軟的Huron Peak試試,當作今年的首座14ers,同時察看一下雪況。
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Huron Peak 海拔14,003呎( 4,268公尺 ),在科羅拉多的14ers排名第52(倒數第二)。它位在同是14ers的Mount Belford山群西邊,隸屬於Sawatch Range,正處於Sawatch Range的中央地帶,它也位在 Collegiate Peaks自然保護區內。在14ers中此山相對的是比較好走的,由CFI( Colorado Fourteeners Initiative)修築的登山步道維護得很好,幾乎沒有危險地形,加上沿途壯麗的景色,是一條熱門的登山路線。此山鄰近的市鎮東南邊有Buena Vista,東北邊有Leadville,西北角則有Aspen。
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攀登等級:Class 2
山頂高度(海拔):14,003呎( 4,268公尺 )
登山口高度(海拔):小車行車終點Winfield--10,250呎( 3,124公尺 )
4WD行車終點Trailhead--10,560呎( 3,219公尺 )
爬升高度:小車行車終點Winfield--約3,800呎( 1,158公尺 )
4WD行車終點Trailhead--約3,500呎( 1,067公尺 )
距離(單程):小車行車終點Winfield--4.75哩( 7.6公里 )
4WD行車終點Trailhead--2.75哩( 4.4公里 )
登山口:South Winfield Trailhead
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星期六(27)晨五點家中出發,先取道I-70州際公路西行,行約90哩後由Exit 195出口接CO-91公路南下,經觀光小鎮Leadville續沿US 24南下。約20哩後遇Chaffee County 390 road右轉,再行約11.3哩抵達Winfield,一般小車通常停此;我開的是Toyota的4WD--4Runner,所以續沿路左的小路前進。這一段4WD的小道我無法形容它的難走,雜亂凸起的斗大尖銳石塊、大大小小的窪地、僅容一小車通行的車道,這可是我開過最難走的一條道路吧!短短2.1哩(3.3公里 )的路我開了將近半小時,抵登山口South Winfield Trailhead時已是8時40分,停車場停滿了車,在美國對爬高山來說這時間是太晚了,高山上午後的Thunderstorm是亂恐怖的。
Parking lot
我於08:50由登山口出發,同時出發的有一票6~7人老美老、中、青組合山友,另一組2男1女約二十幾歲山友,我們沿登山步道緩上,先經一小段矮樹叢後即進入森林中。
Trailhead
Huron Peak trail
09:00距登山口約0.5哩處橫度一條小溪澗後步道轉為“之”字形無止境的在山坡上盤升,我逐漸甩脫那一群老、中、青山友,當然那三位年青山友也甩脫了我。
Waterfulls
Huron Peak trail
09:35在穿越一稜線透空處,海拔約11,700呎,南眺有名的The Three Apostles(North Apostle、Ice Mountain、West Apostle)。
Near 11,700 ft. looking south at the Three Apostles
09:45出森林線,甩掉我的三位年輕人在上頭稜線上。
Out of the treeline about 11,900 ft.
Looking up from the treeline
Just out of the treeline
10:00上到Huron山腳下的一片盆地,海拔約12,300呎,步道兩旁開滿野花,碩大的Huron就盤坐在西南邊,盆地步道有兩處仍積滿白雪未融的雪原,各約20公尺,由上穿越過。
Near 12,100 ft. approaching the basin below the summit
Near 12,100 ft. approaching the basin below the summit
Looking east across the basin ,Browns peak is on the left
Snowfield on the Basin below the summit
Snowfield on the Basin below the summit
10:18穿越過盆地後開始朝Huron的北坡陡升,陡升前越過一小片沼澤地,小澗雪水不小。
Waterfulls
Waterfulls
10:23遇一年輕父親背他看似未滿週歲的小寶貝剛登頂下來在路旁休息,等孩子的媽。在美國這種溫馨的場面時常遇到。
走過一段較為陡峭的石階和泥濘(雪水溢出)的步道後,切入Huron和Browns Peak連稜的西面廣大坡面“之”字形朝南向Huron的山頂方向爬升,隨著海拔的提升,喘息聲也愈加急促。
Hiker too !
A large slope on the west side of the ridge that connects Browns Peak and Huron
Huron's west slopes
Trail and the Huron slope
Hikers making their way down from the summit
The summit as seen from the slope
Browns peak as seen from the trail
Mountain view from the basin below the summit
11:15登頂Huron和Browns Peak連稜的稜線,此點正在Huron的北方,海拔13,450呎。
At 13,450 ft. where the trail meets the ridge,continue west to reach the final pitch
Looking down the ridge that connects Browns Peak and Huron
此點距山頂還有1/4哩,尚須爬升550呎。步道隨即切入Huron的西北坡上升,此路段最近才加以整修,很容易辨認。但有部份路段石塊鬆動,且是碎石坡,走起來有點難度,有些山友下山時是採取爬行才得以安全下撤呢!如此上升到近13,950呎時步道又切上稜線。
Hikers making their way up this rock terrain
The final pitch
11:45步道回到稜線,海拔已經13,950呎,山頂在望,順稜直上即是山頂。
Looking up from just below the summit
Along this ridge to the summit
Hikers making their way down from the summit
11:50登頂Huron Peak,海拔14,003呎(4,268公尺),我的第23座14ers(紀錄的第22座,因為Mount Cameron雖超過14,000呎,但未列入正式記錄)。
The summit of Huron
Me on the summit of Huron
Missouri Mt (center) and Mt Harvard (beyond & right) from the summit of Huron Peak
Mt Yale & Princeton from the summit of Huron Peak
Three Apostles as seen from the summit of Huron Peak
Mt Harvard from the summit of Huron Peak
View to south from Huron's summit
Looking down the north ridge from Huron's summit
View to north from Huron's summit
View to north from Huron's summit
Hi!Guy,你坐在我的腳上了。
Mountain view from the summit view to south
Mountain view from the summit view to north
12:23下山
13:30走走拍拍下,下到Huron山腳下的盆地。
The Three Apostles from the Huron Trail
15:00回到停車處,整裝後又顛簸了二十幾分鐘的4WD小道接上Chaffee County 390 road,循原路回家,到家已是下午六時三十分。
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