MT. SHERMAN
(14,036 ft.)GEMINI PEAK
(13,951 ft.)April 19, 1999
By Tim Briese
My goal of climbing a 14er in each calendar month of the year was nearly completed, with only a climb in April yet to go. An April climb may not seem like much of a challenge, but April is usually one of the most wintry and stormy months in the Colorado mountains. I selected Mt. Sherman for this adventure because of its reasonable access and relatively gentle slopes of snow. If conditions permitted, I hoped to continue on from Sherman to climb the 13er Gemini Peak as well.
I looked forward to this climb for several weeks, waiting for a day when weather conditions and my schedule permitted. It had been quite a while since I had been on an outing into the mountains. My mental and spiritual batteries had run low and needed a lift from a wilderness outing. I found myself gazing wistfully at the mountains from my house nearly every evening. Finally the right day arrived.
It felt good to rise early and head into the mountains once again, just as the first light of dawn began to light up the eastern sky at 5 a.m. By 7:30 I was driving up the Fourmile Creek Road with the rounded snowy hump of Sherman’s summit looming to the west, the crown of the central Mosquito Range. The road was plowed only to a point about a mile short of the summer trailhead, which increased the distance and gain I had to tackle. After parking I headed up the old mining road on foot with my lab Allie, staying on bare ground where I could and plodding through snow where I had to. Fortunately the snow was rather crusty and hard so I did not sink in too much. There was a stiff westerly breeze blowing into my face but it did not have the cold bite of a January wind.
I bushwhacked up a snow-filled valley to the north toward the summit on a route somewhat to the east of the standard summer climbing route. One of the attractive features of Sherman’s gentle terrain is the plethora of routes available. Perhaps I was a little out of shape, or perhaps it was the strenuous challenge of hiking uphill on the snow, but I found myself tiring easily and was forced to stop for frequent breaks.
Winter climbing undoubtedly involves a greater mental and physical challenge than climbing in the summer. One must deal with the weight of extra gear, and also the extra effort involved when feet break through snow and slip backwards a little, something like climbing uphill on sand. It is tough going up but easy coming down. I carried my snowshoes along today but wasn’t sinking into the snow enough to warrant putting them on. In some places rocks were available to step on for more solid footing, but I had to be careful since some were covered with ice.
I passed below the old Hilltop Mine and climbed to a flat area near an old mining shed. From there I angled northeast toward Sherman’s southeast ridge, choosing to avoid the standard southwest ridge route on this windy day. From time to time the wind swirled around me in vicious gusts, driving clouds of wind-whipped snow crystals that slashed against me. Allie whimpered and cowered behind me to avoid their stinging force.
There were just enough rocks protruding from the snow for good footing which enabled me to climb quite rapidly from 13,000 to 13,700 feet. When I approached the top of the ridge I had to make a steep snow climb on all fours with the aid of my ice ax for the final hundred feet. When the slope relented I saw the summit about two hundred yards away, and quickly walked across solid snow to the top, where I arrived about 11 a.m.
It was quite exhilarating to achieve my April 14er, completing my goal to climb one in each month. As I sat on top enjoying the glow of the moment, I gazed about at the spectacular wintry views. Most impressive were the high summits of Massive, Elbert, and La Plata across the Arkansas River Valley to the west. I even caught a tantalizing glimpse of the beautiful Maroon Bells far beyond in the distance. The wind was ripping fiercely out of the west so I quickly found a spot behind some rocks for shelter while I took a short break.
After resting a few minutes I continued on toward Gemini Peak, which lay about a half mile to the north. I quickly descended to the broad saddle below and scooted across the wind-scoured tundra as I was buffeted by the howling wind. In spite of the brutal conditions I was thrilled to be in this magnificent place, with such spectacular scenery all around. The roaring wind spoke to me of the raw power and energy of Nature. I thoroughly enjoy hikes above timberline, in almost any conditions!
As I approached Gemini I curiously studied the distinctive shape of its summit. It consists of two prominent cones, each perhaps 100 feet tall or more, with the eastern one being the higher and more symmetric of the two. I quickly climbed to the top of the taller one and looked around at this unique place. I wondered how these twin summits formed this way. The terrain around Gemini was largely scoured free of snow, in contrast to the snow-covered summit of Sherman. After a couple of minutes I descended the taller summit and climbed to the top of the lesser one. This one was more irregular in shape but was nevertheless also an interesting place.
Soon I retraced my steps back across the saddle and headed toward Sherman. Instead of climbing back to the summit I skirted around its gradual eastern slopes to avoid unnecessary elevation gain. I was back on snow now, and fortunately it was quite solid. When I reached Sherman’s southeast ridge I began to descend rapidly down steep slopes of solid snow on its southern side. I stayed toward the east side of the basin as I descended in order to explore yet another new route. I took long, easy steps down across the snow part of the way and at other times I sat down and glissaded. The descent was very fast, for it took only an hour to return from Sherman to my truck.
I was physically tired out after the climb, but my mental and spiritual batteries were recharged. I gained a new respect for Mt. Sherman because this ascent was certainly more difficult than a summer climb. It felt good to achieve my monthly climbing goal, too, for several of these climbs were done in challenging winter conditions. I completed my April climb just in time, because a persistent stormy pattern began a few days later that dumped several feet of snow in the mountains during the ensuing weeks.
