MONITOR PEAK
(13,695')August 26, 2008
By Tim Briese
Aug. 25, Backpack to Ruby Lake: 3 1/2 miles, 2600' elevation gain, 4:40 time
Aug. 26, Climb of peak from camp: 5 1/2 miles, 2800' elevation gain, 10:00 roundtrip time
Aug. 27, Pack out to Needleton: 3 1/2 miles, ~ 0 elevation gain, 3:20 time
Total: 12 1/2 miles, 5400' elevation gain
After climbing Mt. Emma and the three Trinity Peaks Brian and I headed to Durango to regroup for our next adventure. We planned to meet Jason and Angie in the morning and ride the train to Needleton and backpack to Ruby Lake for climbs of Monitor, Animas, and hopefully, Peak 15. There was just one problem. My arthritic knee was very swollen and painful, almost pushed to the limit by the our three days of heavy activity. We faced the dilemma of whether or not to continue with our plan. I did not want to prevent us from reaching these peaks so spent the evening icing and resting the knee. I assured Brian that I might be slowed down but would not be stopped by this issue so we decided to carry on as planned.
We met Jason and Angie in the railroad parking lot in the morning and soon boarded the train and were off to Needleton. We arrived there at 11:30 and after unloading and packing up we walked across the Animas River bridge twenty minutes later. Virtually all the other hikers who got off the train with us headed south on the trail to Chicago Basin but we turned north and headed for the Ruby Creek trail. We went north along the east side of the Animas River to a large meadow and found the beginning of the obscure trail using Roach=s excellent directions. Brian and I had been on the first part of this route when we climbed Pigeon Peak in 2002 so were familiar with it. The brutal and unmaintained trail climbed steeply to North Pigeon Creek, gaining 1300 feet of elevation in just over half a mile. After the creek crossing we continued up more brutally steep slopes on a ridge above the creek to a junction of sorts, marked by a columbine carved on an aspen tree. We turned left and followed the trail on an ascending traverse around a shoulder on the main ridge between North Pigeon and Ruby Creeks. Thunder rumbled and rain began to fall, and it continued off and on for the next three hours. The Ruby Creek trail was faint and confusing in some places but was not the horror I had read about, in spite of many steep stretches and the need to downclimb a six foot rock step and climb over numerous logs. It was generally easier to follow than I expected. We were wet and chilly when we arrived at the shore of Ruby Lake at 4:30. This splendid lake lies in a basin at about 10,800 feet elevation. Our original plan was to continue up the drainage and camp in an upper basin at 11,600 feet to be in a better position for our climbs in the morning. The rain was still pattering down, though, and after a short discussion we concluded it would be miserable camping up higher above timberline and decided to stay by the lake under the shelter of some big trees where we could start a fire to warm up and dry off.
Our lower camp put us in an inferior position for climbing Monitor and Animas in the morning, so I thought perhaps we could make up for lost time by starting in the dark. The wet condition of our equipment and the trail rendered that an unpopular idea, though, so we left camp in the morning at 6:10, at about first light. We hiked along the north side of the lake and then climbed steeply up out of the drainage on a trail that was so rough and faint that it would have been difficult to follow in the dark after all, as it turned out. Once above the trees we followed a strong trail on gentler terrain through willows up to a level meadow about the size of a football field directly below Peak 13 and Monitor Peak. We left the meadow at about 11,600 feet and bushwhacked to the left up steep grassy slopes toward our goal. After climbing several hundred feet the grade eased for a while as we approached Peak 13. The view of Turret Peak and Peak 15 across the valley to the south was stunning. We climbed on scree and talus slopes up to a wide ramp on the lower west face of Peak 13 and turned to the right and climbed the ramp toward the Peak 13/Monitor saddle. From the upper end of the ramp we contoured below the saddle across three rough gullies on Class 3 and occasional Class 4 terrain. After climbing out of the last gully the worst was behind us and we scampered up an enjoyable Class 2+ slope to the summit.
We arrived on top at 11:30 and relaxed for a while enjoying the spectacular views all around. Here in the heart of the Needle Mountains we were surrounded by Pigeon Peak, Turret Peak and Peak 15, and Jagged Mountain, to name a few. Clouds were rapidly darkening so our plan to run the ridge over Peak 13 to Animas was in serious doubt. Several things were working against us today, including the later start from the lower camp, deteriorating weather, and perhaps most of all, my ailing knee. I was really dragging and climbing slower than normal on the ascent because of pain and weakness in the joint. I probably could have made it over to Animas if we had beautiful weather as we had on the Trinities a few days before, but it would have been time-consuming. In the end we decided that climbing Animas was not to be today, so after a wonderful hour on the summit we began our descent.
Jason and Angie scooted down ahead while Brian and I methodically made our way back down the slope from the summit and across the gullies. They waited for us at the ramp, where we told them not to bother waiting further for us so they flew on down the slopes below and soon disappeared from sight. I slowly descended the steep grassy slopes with Brian, in a fair amount of discomfort, and was pleased to reach the meadow before rain began to fall and make the grass slopes slippery. Soon thunder broke loose and rain began to come down as we hiked back down to camp, where we arrived at 4:10. After the rain stopped later it was pleasant chatting around our campfire that evening.
It was disappointing to miss Animas Peak on this climb. Brian and I discussed going after it again in the morning, or even Peak 15, but decided that due to the uncertainties involved it would be best to save them for another time when I was at full speed and the odds of success were better. I appreciated his understanding about this. We have generally had excellent success over the years in climbing the peaks we have attempted, partly from choosing to climb when the odds of success are solidly in our favor, but occasional failures are nevertheless inevitable. Such is the nature of mountain climbing.
Jason and Angie elected to stay another day to climb Turret Peak while Brian and I headed back to Durango. After enjoying the early morning sunshine and beautiful Ruby Lake for a while we packed up and left at 9:10. The trail seemed a little easier to follow on the way down, except for one spot where we had to look around a bit to find the correct way. We climbed back over the logs across the trail and back up the rock step and continued back down the steep trail to Needleton, where we arrived at 12:30. We sat and relaxed by the Animas River and chatted with other backpackers a while before the train arrived and took us back to Durango. On the train ride I visited at length with one of the conductors and learned many fascinating facts about the Animas River canyon and about the train itself. We feasted at the Ore House that evening, and the next morning Brian headed north to climb Rolling Mountain while I took off for home.
