5 replies to this topic

[Martin]

Hi everybody!
This summer, we greatly enjoyed a 6-day camping trip in the Wild Basin; visited many of the lakes and made it to Mt. Alice through the Boulder-Grand pass. The latter part of the trip was especially enjoyable despite the fact that we couldn't see a thing from the peak because a thick cloud managed to reached it just before us. We soon realized how easy it was to loose our bearings in these conditions and had to rely on a GPS device to get back to the camp...
Anyway, we liked the trip so much that my friend and I plan to fly back from Texas for 3 days in September to hike up to the Andrews peak through lake Verna. Which brings me to my question for you experienced RMNP-climbers who's been to this mountain:
Do you have any advice or suggestion regarding the South Slope hike?

Thanks a lot,
Martin

[mike offerman]

I was up there a few weeks ago.

From the Lake Verna campsite, you just basically head straight North. There are a few cliff bands to work your way around, but nothing too serious. Aim for the small Tarn at 11,500. Once there, it is just tundra and then talus to the top. Point 12,241 just to the East is a ranked RMNP peak, easy stroll up from the saddle.

Good luck, it is a beautiful peak!

[Martin]

Mike, thank you much for the precise description. The 12,241 peak to the east is probably "Ptarmigans Beak" (from Foster's book).

[mike offerman]

Yes it is "Ptarmigans Beak". The 8' summit cairn that Lisa talks about on Andrews is no longer there. A smaller one has grown from the rubble...

Enjoy your trip!

[Martin]

Yep, we really enjoined the hike; it's a pretty cool mountain and one of the best views I've seen in the park. I just was surprised that lakes Nanita and Nokoni were not visible (although, Solitude was well in the view). It was during our hike to these 3 lakes a couple years ago that we decided to go to Andrews pk to see them from above. I guess, we'd have to make a traverse to Ptarmigan Mountain, but we started too late from Cat's Lair to do that.

Cheers.

[mupsall]

Martin, on 14 September 2010 - 06:42 PM, said:

Yep, we really enjoined the hike; it's a pretty cool mountain and one of the best views I've seen in the park. I just was surprised that lakes Nanita and Nokoni were not visible (although, Solitude was well in the view). It was during our hike to these 3 lakes a couple years ago that we decided to go to Andrews pk to see them from above. I guess, we'd have to make a traverse to Ptarmigan Mountain, but we started too late from Cat's Lair to do that.

Cheers.

A YMCA of the Rockies group did the hike up the East Inlet trail to Verna, up to Andrews, over to Ptarmigan, down to Nokoni, up to Nanita (and back past Nokoni) before heading out the North Inlet trail in one very long day back in the early 1990s. I was so tired by the finish I slept the whole drive back to Estes.