Backcountry Climb/Descent #5: West Pearl Peak. If At First You Don't Suceed, Try, Try Again

Big weekend of climbing. It all started Saturday morning (or is it Friday night?) when my alarm went off at 4 AM so I could attempt to climb and ski from the summit of West Pearl Mountain at 13,356 feet.

With me as usual was my buddy Todd. This time, however, he brought along his yellow lab Kya, who brought to the table an unbridled enthusiam at this god-forsaken start time that neither Todd nor I could muster.

Todd, running a tad late, didn't pick me up until 4:30, and we reached the trailhead and started the climb an hour late. With only a 3,300 foot climb covering 4.5 miles on the docket, we didn't think the late start would hurt us, even though the temps were due to soar into the seventies and the snow could turn unstable relatively early in the day. Perhaps we grew a bit cocky from our Sopris trip, but we just assumed we could crank out the climb in a little over 2.5 hours, putting us on the summit by 8 AM and leaving plenty of time for a safe descent.

The climb followed a long, gradual trail from the start at 10,000 feet until we reached Pearl Basin at an elevation of 11,200. I didn't shoot many pictures of the initial ascent, but we did pass this beautiful waterfall that we had to stop and photograph.

By the time we reached the basin, I was in awe. With mountains rising dramatically in all directions from the wide, flat tundra on which we walked, you couldn't help but feel a bit insignificant. If I've leanred nothing else this year, it's that the mountains have a way of making one feel very, very small.

Top picture shows the route, not to mention just how alone we were out there. Bottom picture shows the long approach through the basin, West Pearl Peak barely visible in the distance.

Another pic of Todd entering the basin. In both shots, West Pearl Peak is the large mountain in the center of the shot.

Once we reached the northern flank of West Pearl Peak, we stripped off our skis, put them on our packs, and started the climb straight up the 50 degree north face. By now, it was shortly after 8AM, and as we booted up the wind-blown rib, we noticed the snow getting softer and softer under the rising sun. About forty feet up, I took a step and sunk in to my waist. Aside from being a major pain in the ass, this is an indication that the snow is really cooking, and quickly growing unstable. Even though we were only 750 vertical feet from the summit, I made the call then and there that we had to get off the mountain. Luckily, Todd was on the same page, so we put on our skis and hightailed it out of there before things got dangerous.

Lower X marks our quitting point. Upper X marks the summit at 13,356 feet.

Unfortunately, we had a 2 hour descent to think about the mistakes that cost us the summit. Didn't get up early enough. Too many breaks. Poor route finding. By the time we reached the car, we agreed that we owed it to overselves to come back on Sunday and get it right.

So at 3AM Sunday morning, Todd picked me up, and we were climbing by 4, nearly 1.5 hours ahead of Saturday's schedule. I didn't think it was possible, but the weather was even more beautiful than the day prior, with a star-filled sky hinting at the bluebird day to come.

This time, we climbed with a purpose, and reached the base of West Pearl by 6:15 AM. Again, off came the skis, and we started to boot up the steep north face. With Todd leading the way, it took us nearly 30 terrifying minutes to reach the first shelf. The snow was firm and stable, however, and we knew by this point we would make the summit. It was just a matter of one foot in front of the other.

After reaching the first shelf, we still had 600 feet to the summit. Todd and I decided to access the summit via the ridge line, rather than climbing straight up the face. The skis went back on, and at 12,700 feet, every step was exhausting as we climbed as far left as we could to access the ridge.

By now, the sun was rising directly behind us, over Mace Peak, shown below. Sadly, I ditched my camera for the second climb, as I wanted a lighter pack, so I don't have any images of the most beautiful view I've been blessed with since my arrival here last summer. Maybe next time!

We crested the ridge and summited soon after. The ridge was narrow, maybe only 10 feet in some areas. This left you feeling as if you were balancing on top of the world. At 13,356 feet, there were amazing views to be had in every direction: Mace Peak to the North, East Pearl to the East, Pyramid Peak to the South, and Candle Peak to the West.

After summitting, we took our time, geared up, and enjoyed some of the nicest turns I've had all year. We were able to ski all the way down to 10,800 feet, leaving us only a short walk from our car.

As we reached the trailhead, the three of us could take pride in our accomplishment. We had climbed over 7,000 feet in two days, with not much sleep to rely on for energy.

Here's Kya, basking in the success of her first 13,000 foot summit. She's an impressive dog, as she had to slog through some rather wet, heavy snow on both the way up and the way down. You're probably wondering, where was my puppy Maci through all of this?

Enough said.