The Blanca MassifThe Blanca Massif

Blanca Peak 14,345’Blanca Peak 14,345’Ellingwood Point 14,042’Ellingwood Point 14,042’Little Bear Peak 14,037’Little Bear Peak 14,037’

Forth of July Weekend, 2004Forth of July Weekend, 2004

Looking back down the six mile trail, a rough ankle twister.

Then it started to rain.A lot.

CampsiteCampsite

I was soaking wet by the time I got to my base camp. I couldn’t get a fire started in the wet 40 degree morning, so I crawled into my wet sleeping bag and went to sleep. Later the sun broke out and I was able to warm up and dry out.

Little Bear Peak over Lake Little Bear Peak over Lake ComoComo

Prospectors cabin by the lakeProspectors cabin by the lake

Starting up for BlancaStarting up for Blanca

Blanca Peak in the early lightBlanca Peak in the early light

High alpine lakeHigh alpine lake

Snow reflectionsSnow reflections

Last of the upper alpine lakes before pushing up through the talus.

Looking up to climbers high on the Looking up to climbers high on the ridge.ridge.

Looking down on Little Bear from the summit of Blanca

Summit of BlancaSummit of Blanca

Not much of a view from Not much of a view from EllingwoodEllingwood

Looking rough on EllingwoodLooking rough on Ellingwood

I need a bath!

Looking back down the “trail” Looking back down the “trail” from the summit of Little Bearfrom the summit of Little Bear

The infamous “hourglass”. Any rock that shifted loose was funneled right down on climbers below.

Blanca and Ellingwood from the Blanca and Ellingwood from the summit of Little Bearsummit of Little Bear

Looking down to my campsite by Como Lake and out to the world below.

Not happy on the Not happy on the summit of Little Bearsummit of Little Bear

I expected this to be the last picture anyone would see of me alive. I wasn’t pleased about that.

I have never been so terrified climbing a mountain, and at this point I wasn’t sure how I was going to get back down.

Still, it all worked out in the end.