My Dad, seen here, accompanied his cousin, Jake, a U. S. Forest Service ranger in Colorado, to the top of Uncompahgre Peak (14,309 feet) via horseback in the 1930s to change out the sign-in sheets at the top...
Since Dad had been there 60 years earlier, it was a thrill for me to backpack in the Uncompahgre Wilderness . Uncompahgre Peak towers over the Big Blue River Valley in Colorado as seen it in the far distance.
Here's the peak after 2 days of backpacking up the valley...
On day three of our backpack trip, we began the final approach and climb up to the peak, and though quite arduous, the feeling of accomplishment when reaching the peak is indescribable. Below you see me as we near the peak...
...and here's Len resting. Back in the 1930s when Dad was here, the trail still existed all the way to the top allowing Jake and Dad to scale the peak on horseback. The trail has now deteriorated near the top due to weathering of the friable rock, so we had to scramble up the loose rock the last quarter mile or so...
...and here we are at the top...
...enjoying the views looking back at the Big Blue Valley which we had hiked two days to get here...
Another view from the top. The single peak centered below is called Matterhorn (13,590 feet tall) since it resembles its more famous Swiss Alps cousin. The Wetterhorn is just beyond it to the left.
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