Different Mountains
by Angie
This fall-winter season we attempted the high point of Texas and a snow climb in Colorado.
The differences are startling. We summited Guadalupe Peak at 8,751 ft. (with elevation gain of 3,000 ft.) in November and failed to summit Quandary Peak at 14,265 ft. (with the same elevation gain) in December.
As you can see from the pictures below, the highest peak in Texas was cold, but there was no snow, no danger, it was still sunny during the day, and we summited the peak in 4 hours. At Quandary Peak, a storm blew through Breckenridge, dropping more snow than was already there. There were avalanches warnings and the temperatures were below 0, but we decided to make our summit bid anyways. We made it 1.5 miles up but then started hearing avalanches. It was bitterly cold and windy, and we decided to turn back. We hiked for 4 hours in snow shoes and only made it halfway. The Texas mountains have nothing on the dangers of the Colorado 14ers, but they do offer some very different scenery.
While in Guadalupe, we visited the Gypsum sand dunes – pure white sand in the middle of a desert. We also visited a 100 year old ranch house built along one of the original stagecoach mail routes of the old West. Colorado may be more geographically west, but Guadalupe definitely feels like the old West. Cacti, desert shrubs, sand and empty Texas horizon as far as the eye can see.
Even though we failed to summit Quandary Peak, we received one very nice surprise while in our Winder Wonderland. Horton – “The Quandary Dog” joined us on our quest for the summit. Horton is an 8 year old yellow lab who lives at the mountain’s base, climbs the peak daily and has saved several lives during snow storms. Horton chose us to journey with that day and never left our sides, even when the going got rough, really rough. We hope Horton chooses to join us again we try for the Quandary summit next time. More on Horton here- http://climbing.about.com/b/2008/09/12/horton-the-quandary-dog.htm
Gaudalupe Peak
El Capitan
Me, Ryan and Horton climbing Quandary
Frisco, CO
