Windom Peak
Date to Climb: June 27, 2009
Date Climbed: June 28, 2009
Elevation: 14,082
Range: San Juans, Needles
Latitude: 37.62120, Longitude: -107.59190
Route: West Ridge ll, Class 2+
Round-Trip Mileage: 5 (from Chicago Basin)
Pre-Climb Comments
See Sunlight.
Post-Climb Comments
Since we did not do Windom as planned the day before with Sunlight, Amy and I woke at 3:30 and were walking by 4:00.
Jake was going to spend the day at camp. We tethered him to a tree so that he could lay inside the open tent, but still have access to the outside. When we left that morning he acted as if he did not want to go with us, which made leaving him easier.
Rested and nourished we made excellent time getting to the upper Chicago Basin and over to the base of the mountain. Our ascent was quick until about 13,800 feet at which point we found all the rock covered with a thin sheet of ice - verglass. The slick rock made typically easy moves especially dangerous and slowed us to a snail’s pace. After a few harrowing moments we finally summited at 7:30.
Windom Peak
The descent was just as slow and difficult as the climb until we finally climbed below the ice. Again, we were able to move quickly. Practically running down the slopes we could see Nick waiting in a distance at the start of the approach to Mount Eolus.
Mount Windom - June 28, 2009 