"New Spot per Month Challenge - 2024!"

[jibler]

may have some things in the works after all....

Got extra notch for September - Apache Peak!

i did manage to pull an overnight permit for thursday for Brainard at Long Lake - which I "run pass option'd" into a day run. If some recall i just did this same thing last sept for a pauite/audubon run. Worked so well i figured another go worth it. and just like then - I actually had experience in this drainage - I rode a bike after closure up and hike to lake isabella circa 2003. Funny that if you didn't tell me that there was a way up apache - i wouldn't have believed you. i remember that day back then it was all i had to get to glacier anyway.

gotta give shout out to Wildwanderer's report for the "follow the green" comment about that upper upper section. That gets gnarly on that final section. but seems there is something of a recognizable way forming up there too. if only roughly. there aren't necessarily crux points - but i did find important "nodes" that you best hit right.


silly me - i was at one point thinking of tagging on navajo. people are just skirting the side of this thing - right? i didn't see any way up that final tower top. I say most impressive peak on front range now that i get closer look.







but just like last year this one stands to add a clutch latter half credential for the year. makes me glad i got that campbell jam in this week too - that actually straight up helped this mission. and makes me now realize i need to get running start to really get up Longs right. at this point that's pretty much endgame in this range.


___

this may be the point for an aside. back in the day everyone was talking about Breaking Bad. but i took my time. i waited a few years and then deep dove.

Point being - wait until your time to strike. keep cool s**t on reserve until you want it. That's what i have been doing with Indian Peaks and Rocky Mtn Nat Park!! I am only recently breaking into my indian peak piggy bank.


Friggin RMNP is like my ultimate retirement fund. i am keep tons in stock up there.



____


ok but i digress


one note for the people would be that on way in i banged left around the small lake where trail goes up towards isabella glacier to right

figured this small ice field couldn't stop me.

and it couldn't but halfway across i realized that the thing was by this time of season just block of ice/snow and that angle was rather severe. only consciously and with effort did i keep myself from just slipping down into the lake.



but that was the jumping off point it turns out. no need to get higher towards glacier.



in summary - holy crap that was fun. i always give myself points for memory - but 20 yrs had actually obscured how impressive that entire area around apache/isabella is.


and also - i think it needs stating - you know the whole reason this thread exists is to encourage you to try this month / spot thing. I think its genius - has done wonders for my exploration game.

[jibler]

what is a jibler to do?


being roped into big road trip down to finally see my uncle's place in Guffey

but is there anything going on down that way for a quick "new spot" tag?


now i see that ironically Spinney Mountain - of Spinney Mountain State Park - is not actually in the park? and isn't even public??

otherwise that woulda been perfect!

[jibler]

Guffey

but is there anything going on down that way for a quick "new spot" tag?

answer - not really. sort of similar to that other person's comment about area around trinchera -- there is nothing but private land kinda like everywhere down there


but cool area never nevertheless. i had forgotten reading about old lava fields around there - them hills are from old caldera!!! and all around great visit. my uncle has popping view of pikes from west there from porch too.

i checked the perimeter of his acreage just to get my legs moving --- was bummed that this cool hilltop that was calling my name was on another's property just in front of me!

[jibler]

ok once I confirmed no action around Guffey - did have backup plan to clock in a mountain before we left.

and let me preface by saying I appreciate this little space so thanks for putting up with it!


But yes - the new spot challenge has one minus - it can spread you a little thin? case in point - if i hadn't pulled that apache job - i may have had more juice to go more nuts here.


as it was - I was looking hard at Powell and Holy Cross - were wide open. But --among other things -- i saw all that windy ass road driving and thought about road trip to guffey coming up.

Solution?

Homestake Peak baby!

I put this off way too long actually. and i would say taking that sweeping east ridge should just be standard. Because almost banged right up from the hut and lake to top. That woulda been miserable relatively - less views steeper ascent.


Yes i wasn't kidding though - i really get off on these sept/october hikes. Look at those rust colors! And they say Octobers no good. come on.











yes i now say Homestake is quite a noble peak indeed people.

[jibler]

OK buckle up people - series of shocking headlines coming your way...



Did in fact clock in one more New Spot for October actually! Yet the place is a bit of a Grey Zone - so I will end up having to leave the details a bit vague. But also a mysterious one perhaps?? Because - this place - foothill outside Denver - is just forlorn lonely and windswept and mysterious enough to possibly be our Brocken? The haunted mountain from German lore where the witches do their thing.



Nice to know there's still somewhere nearby like that.

But yeah here's the double ironic thing about that though --- this mystery mountain may actually be where i'm clocking out of the New Spots for the year?!


Up until like a week ago i was charging full steam ahead at Buffalo Peak in Rampart for November - but this snow storm sort of threw everything up in the air there. i have feeling that hike is one that is a battle when dry. but a bunch of snow / slick conditions taboot?


but more than that even - eh - I long for nice clean wins to end the year - kick it like i used to -- and in that thought i'm now thinking hard about a nice return for 2nd time to Long Scraggy for November - and then finally getting back to Bear Mtn outside Boulder for 1st time since Dec 2018!

Because that's the thing about the New Spot Challenge folks - it is really the Cool New Spot per Month Challenge. if it doesn't bring it - it doesn't belong.

and i sort of feel i have strip-mined the front range of max coolness? i mean - even buffalo may not actually be that great. (although if it was like my thunder butte trip scales could actually tip other way as it does have killer view seemingly)


So yeah - weird note to end on here potentially i guess? But i'm captain of this ship so there you go. Plus the keen eyed would see that i did pick up a november and december 2023 new spots - so wrapping October 2024 nevertheless pulls in a complete year cycle too.

[jibler]

yes folks the circle is about to come full circle tomorrow - i guess


becuz i'm heading back to Long Scraggy for 1st time since December 2021. and likely hitting Bear Mtn since December 2018 next month. So will be a classy victory lap.


YET --

i'm even now consumed with searching the google earth to find one more ("Cool") new spot.


--Evergreen mtn ?? there's a bunch of homes near it!

--Mount Herman?? Doesn't seem as cool as Eagle Peak - and full views may be compromised. Kinda same for Bloggett down there. (and there is a rule in the New Spot Challenge to keep the viewsheds different for whole year)


plus a bunch of options up north of boulder - but those all seem like long drives for pretty simple day hikes. The old "Hike to Drive Time Ratio"




Worth noting is that i was raised here - so sort of miraculous i found anything - let alone several years worth.




Really that buffalo peak was last off-season on radar but that road and area snowed up just enough to be discouraging. hell at this point i'd rather keep that as some kind of option for the future anyway.


EDIT - oh and i meant to mention - this also means that i am leaving off the books the Staunton State Park! Talk about controversial decisions - amirite?


but hear me out here - for me - eh - that whole park just looks south - at the best of times/places. so i've always sort of seen that place as having limited value? is it really all that great?


especially when facing off against Long Scraggy. I have a feeling Long Scraggs can just blow the doors of the entire Staunton State Park in terms of even a repeat experience. Right?

[jibler]

ok for all the chatter - i did end up bagging Elephant Butte yesterday.


was all set to hit up that Long Scrag mission but woke up feeling eh

but then felt like letting that nice day go to waste would be shame.


there was mini issue on my end becuz i had been banging around 3 sisters park circa 2003 or something.


but pretty sure that butte wasn't even public then? felt pretty new- i think i'd remember.



this also means the the insanity does roll over for that final chapter. and would like to crank out something huge now to wrap. i wonder if december meeker or lady washington is absurd??

[jibler]

ok went for the wrap move today for 2024!

Fairview peak north of boulder. worked out great! was colder than it coulda been consideringi let the whole month go by

but i got itchy finger about getting this done - may have gotten in too deep actually becuz top was snowy just from last night - a bit slicker there....


...but most heinously totally slammed view-wise to the west! only 91 mile away pikes to south was clear - which ironically is further object visible.



was nevertheless all around fairly hardcore adventure and worth it. have never been in lefthand canyon period before. is reminiscent of the rampart burns.




may need to return with some end notes - but yes that's the full turn -- every month covered!

[jibler]

ok yes gonna drop a few year end notes. i cannot stress enuf how much i think this is a good way to go about things.

one thought - did anyone catch this cool looking catwalk on this peak south of homestake??



i could see a mission to roll up that shoot being super awesome. what's that about?

___


and a small matter of view snobbery. i had not been to bloggett, eagle or herman. but a careful reflection of each in a pre-hike scan fest revealed that eagle really does kick ass. it get the 2024 super star award for unexpected excellence (and repeatability)




but now i feel like i killed that whole neighborhood - maybe ornes can draw me back.



yet through it all - pikes and longs escaped my grasp. the pole stars now. they gonna fall. hell not much left on the table.