Ascent to Tremont Mountain-Turned back on 2017-06-03| Other People: | Solo Ascent
Only Party on Mountain | | Date: | Saturday, June 3, 2017 | | Ascent Type: | Unsuccessful - Turned Back | | Motorized Transport to Trailhead: | Car | | Point Reached: | Tremont Mountain - Turned back | | Location: | USA-Colorado | | Elevation: | 10000 ft / 3048 m | | Remaining Elevation: | 388 ft / 118 m (39% left to go) |
Ascent Trip ReportI had already completed Vistor Point, Raslton Roost and point 9320. I had little food in me again and there is NO FOOD in the state park. I was only meaning to scope out how to get this peak and find the route but when I saw it was only another 1000 feet of vertical and mile or so bushwhack I set out. Knowing I would crash, I chugged my last Gatorade and that was a mistake. Once again, I am finding that swallowing air causes a type of indigestion that when I am hungry and exerting puts a pressure on my heart that kicks in tachycardia. More on that later....
I followed the trail up to the junction with the mountain bike trail called mule deer and followed it back to the west towards Tremont Mountain. It was a shallow climb and I thought what the heck maybe there is less bushwhacking than I thought...but the trail simply slides back down to Gap Road. But about half the way down Mule Trail (which runs parallel to Gap Road and perhaps 100 feet above it) I found an old 4 wheel jeep road that the rangers had cut trees down to make it inconspicuous but I saw it and it headed up the mountain! So I that is when I changed plans and decided to go for it and not just scout the route. The jeep trail is easy and gained another 200 feet or so but then headed southeast away from the peak and my GPS said I needed to head SW to find the peak, so I left the nice road with say another 700 feet to climb. Here the bushwhacking became nasty. Steep and a lot of obstruction and not good sight distance. I had the feeling of my heart racing in my neck and swallowed air and realized I was triggering tachycardia.
I slowed my pace and made it up more than half way to around 10,000 feet when I realized I could not slow my pulse and I was at risk at triggering a-fib. Alone, bushwhacking with no-one knowing where I was, with not enough calories in my body and tired from earlier summits....I knew it was time to turn around. Not a good place to go into a-fib and get light headed especially with the upper top scrambling that is necessary. THe views of the big prom gem Thorodin are tantalizing. Now that looks like a very technical scramble to the top! I slowed my pace, started back down and tried to get my pulse back to normal. It would not - so I made the right call coming down and eating, hydrating, and not pushing my luck with the ticker.
on the way down I found a new born squirrel on the ground that had fallen from his nest. Sad but nothing I could do. I put my bearings into action and hit the old 4 wheel drive trail near the bottom and hiked out.
I want to return for this peak with a buddy and as my first hike of the day and tag this peak.
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| Summary Total Data | | Total Elevation Gain: | 600 ft / 182 m | | Round-Trip Distance: | 2.2 mi / 3.5 km | | Grade/Class: | 2, 2+ | | Quality: | 3 (on a subjective 1-10 scale) | | Route Conditions: | Maintained Trail, Unmaintained Trail, Bushwhack | | Weather: | Pleasant
50F | | Ascent Statistics | | Gain on way in: | 600 ft / 182 m | | Distance: | 1.2 mi / 1.9 km | | Route: | See TR bushwahck | | Start Trailhead: | Gap Road upper caly parking 9400 ft / 2865 m | | Descent Statistics | | Distance: | 1 mi / 1.6 km | Ascent Part of Trip: Denver-7
Complete Trip Sequence:
Total Trip Gain: 6542 ft / 1994 m Total Trip Loss: 4166 ft / 1270 m |
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