Scott - Jul 5, 2009 10:42 pm Date Climbed: Jul 2, 2009
Spalding
We climbed this as part of our climb up Mount Evans on the same day.
Mount Evans is a pretty peak, but I had long put off climbing it because it has a road to near the summit. In March 2005, I had attempted a winter ascent of the peak via Guanella Pass, Mount Bierstadt and the Sawtooth Ridge, but I wasn’t feeling well and returned not long after climbing Bierstadt.
Mount Evans was chosen for a climb this weekend because the weather forecast was bad in the afternoons and I thought Mount Evans would be short enough for the kids ages seven and five) to get up and back before the threat of thunderstorms materialized.
Kessler, Shaylee, Kimberly and I started the climb at Summit Lake, which was still frozen. We had originally planned to climb Mount Warren first, but we decided to head straight to Mount Spalding so we could get over Mount Evans as soon as we could. If the weather was still good by the time we got back down to Summit Lake we would climb Mount Warren.
As we started the climb we watched several marmots and mountain goats on the slopes of Mount Warren near Summit Lake. After watching them for several minutes, we headed off and climbed to the summit of Mount Spalding where we had a good rest and snack.
Kessler, Shaylee and I slid down a snowfield (we had brought plastic garbage bags just for this purpose) and then headed down to the saddle and up the ridge to Mount Evans. The Mount Evans Ridge was slower than expected and it took more time than we had thought it would, partly because much of the trail was covered with snow and so we climbed the rocky ridge more directly in order to stay off the snow.
The weather was good to the time we were in the summit area, but by the time we reached the summit it was snowing pretty hard and it was cold and windy. We touched the summit and went down a short distance to seek shelter in the old building near a parking lot (as mentioned there is a road close to the summit). We waited out the storm while eating lunch and the skies cleared.
We headed down the steep northeast face of the mountain, but were hit with another storm. It made the going very slippery and the kids did not like this part. We climbed down through the hail and rain storm as quickly as we could and walked the short section of road back to Summit Lake.
Overall, it was a nice and scenic climb, but the weather on the return was not good.
Climbed solo as part of a long ridge tour from Echo Lake - Goliath to Rogers to Warren to Spalding to Gray Wolf back to Echo Lake. Great warm spring day with plenty of sunshine! The road was still closed giving the place an eerie solitude.
mattpayne11 - Apr 27, 2009 2:33 am Date Climbed: Jul 13, 1986
Standard Route: Date Climbed: July, 13 1986
Long time ago...
colinpence - Apr 7, 2009 12:40 am Date Climbed: Jul 4, 2008
Spalding and Gray Wolf
This patriotic climb included several members of the usual suspect group practicing our ice ax skills.
argothor - Jun 29, 2008 8:00 pm Date Climbed: Jun 29, 2008
Spalding from Summit Lake
Quick hike up Spalding from Summit Lake. Meant to go to Gray Wolf and take lots of pictures but my camera malfunctioned before I got to Spalding's summit, so I summited and then headed back to the lake. Will have to head up again for the pictures from both Spalding and Gray Wolf.
MountainHikerCO - Mar 1, 2008 8:42 pm Date Climbed: Aug 8, 2000
Nice Views
This was my 10th time climbing Spalding. The first time was on an unrecorded date in 1983. Many of the climbs were done as an Evans - Spalding loop. One time was in combination with Gray Wolf. A few times were just Spalding. There are many nice views from this mountain.
Kenneth.alone - Jan 5, 2008 8:53 pm Date Climbed: Mar 1, 2004
Alone in the snow
Nice snow hike, made soup on the summit and shared it some very unprepared Canadians.
MattK - Dec 28, 2007 5:47 pm Date Climbed: Jul 23, 2006
Spalding
Wife, dog, and I.
Jerry S - Sep 27, 2007 12:35 am Date Climbed: Sep 22, 2007
End of long day
Started at summit lake parking lot, went up Evans, across the sawtooth, up Bierstadt, back across the sawtooth and finally up Spalding to get get back to the parking lot.
The top of Spalding is nice and you get much of the same view as from Evans. Tons of people on trail from parking lot to summit, but still an enjoyable hike.
GW
HylianHero - Sep 16, 2007 1:53 am Date Climbed: Aug 12, 2001
From Summit Lake
Steep hike up to the summit. A few people walked by and didn't even know that there was another named summit. Nice view of Evans.
rkymtn - Sep 9, 2007 10:49 am Date Climbed: Sep 8, 2007
From Evans
Climbed with Haliku to complete the Bierstadt/Evans cirque. A good end to a reasonably long day.
Haliku - Sep 9, 2007 9:39 am Date Climbed: Sep 8, 2007
Three for Three
Climbed with rkymtn as part of our goal to do Bierstadt, Sawtooth ridge and Mt. Evans. Since Spalding was along the way back...
___
7-16-05
Numerous cars and many people at the Guanella Pass TH when I arrived. Thankfully they were all going up Mt. Bierstadt. Once I turned left after crossing the creek I had the route to myself. The numerous paths through the willows and peat bogs all headed in the same general direction. The west slope is a workout with a lot of minor rock outcrops. I had a close encounter (>20 ft) with a mountain goat along the way to the top. Summit register was missing.
rpace - Sep 3, 2007 3:29 am Date Climbed: Sep 1, 2007
Long day
Started from West Chicago Creek trailhead, aiming for Mt Evans and Gray Wolf Mountain. Was delayed due to "map" issues, so settled for Mt Spalding and Gray Wolf Mountain instead. It was still a 16.2 mile trek, although through beautiful country.
Roam Around - Jul 23, 2007 12:34 pm Date Climbed: Jul 22, 2007
great day
great blue sky the whole day! Combined with Gray Wolf.
Kruck - Jul 16, 2007 10:54 am Date Climbed: Jul 14, 2007
Tag
Tagged en-route to Evans. This was a nicer-looking mountain with better views than Evans, itself, I believe.
Scott - Jul 5, 2009 10:42 pm Date Climbed: Jul 2, 2009
SpaldingWe climbed this as part of our climb up Mount Evans on the same day.
Mount Evans is a pretty peak, but I had long put off climbing it because it has a road to near the summit. In March 2005, I had attempted a winter ascent of the peak via Guanella Pass, Mount Bierstadt and the Sawtooth Ridge, but I wasn’t feeling well and returned not long after climbing Bierstadt.
Mount Evans was chosen for a climb this weekend because the weather forecast was bad in the afternoons and I thought Mount Evans would be short enough for the kids ages seven and five) to get up and back before the threat of thunderstorms materialized.
Kessler, Shaylee, Kimberly and I started the climb at Summit Lake, which was still frozen. We had originally planned to climb Mount Warren first, but we decided to head straight to Mount Spalding so we could get over Mount Evans as soon as we could. If the weather was still good by the time we got back down to Summit Lake we would climb Mount Warren.
As we started the climb we watched several marmots and mountain goats on the slopes of Mount Warren near Summit Lake. After watching them for several minutes, we headed off and climbed to the summit of Mount Spalding where we had a good rest and snack.
Kessler, Shaylee and I slid down a snowfield (we had brought plastic garbage bags just for this purpose) and then headed down to the saddle and up the ridge to Mount Evans. The Mount Evans Ridge was slower than expected and it took more time than we had thought it would, partly because much of the trail was covered with snow and so we climbed the rocky ridge more directly in order to stay off the snow.
The weather was good to the time we were in the summit area, but by the time we reached the summit it was snowing pretty hard and it was cold and windy. We touched the summit and went down a short distance to seek shelter in the old building near a parking lot (as mentioned there is a road close to the summit). We waited out the storm while eating lunch and the skies cleared.
We headed down the steep northeast face of the mountain, but were hit with another storm. It made the going very slippery and the kids did not like this part. We climbed down through the hail and rain storm as quickly as we could and walked the short section of road back to Summit Lake.
Overall, it was a nice and scenic climb, but the weather on the return was not good.
chicagotransplant - May 18, 2009 9:50 am Date Climbed: May 17, 2009
Circle Tour from EchoClimbed solo as part of a long ridge tour from Echo Lake - Goliath to Rogers to Warren to Spalding to Gray Wolf back to Echo Lake. Great warm spring day with plenty of sunshine! The road was still closed giving the place an eerie solitude.
mattpayne11 - Apr 27, 2009 2:33 am Date Climbed: Jul 13, 1986
Standard Route: Date Climbed: July, 13 1986Long time ago...
colinpence - Apr 7, 2009 12:40 am Date Climbed: Jul 4, 2008
Spalding and Gray WolfThis patriotic climb included several members of the usual suspect group practicing our ice ax skills.
BigCountry - Oct 3, 2008 6:39 pm
Late summerNIce hike from SUmmit lake
mountainloverCO - Aug 13, 2008 5:54 pm Date Climbed: Aug 13, 2008
From Summit LakeHit up Spalding on the way to Evans. A quick and easy hike...
cp0915 - Aug 3, 2008 7:03 pm Date Climbed: Jul 3, 2008
from Evans7/3/08: From Evans, then on to Gray Wolf Mountain.
10/3/10: With Bryan and Brian via Mount Evans (via the SNAVE). I then headed to Mt. Warren, Rogers Peak and Goliath Mtn.
smudge - Jul 24, 2008 5:25 pm Date Climbed: Jul 22, 2008
Evans loopGreat loop...evans to spalding...with my mom!
argothor - Jun 29, 2008 8:00 pm Date Climbed: Jun 29, 2008
Spalding from Summit LakeQuick hike up Spalding from Summit Lake. Meant to go to Gray Wolf and take lots of pictures but my camera malfunctioned before I got to Spalding's summit, so I summited and then headed back to the lake. Will have to head up again for the pictures from both Spalding and Gray Wolf.
MountainHikerCO - Mar 1, 2008 8:42 pm Date Climbed: Aug 8, 2000
Nice ViewsThis was my 10th time climbing Spalding. The first time was on an unrecorded date in 1983. Many of the climbs were done as an Evans - Spalding loop. One time was in combination with Gray Wolf. A few times were just Spalding. There are many nice views from this mountain.
mjroche - Jan 7, 2008 8:39 am
Darkstarnice couloir route if the cornice is gone
Kenneth.alone - Jan 5, 2008 8:53 pm Date Climbed: Mar 1, 2004
Alone in the snowNice snow hike, made soup on the summit and shared it some very unprepared Canadians.
MattK - Dec 28, 2007 5:47 pm Date Climbed: Jul 23, 2006
SpaldingWife, dog, and I.
Jerry S - Sep 27, 2007 12:35 am Date Climbed: Sep 22, 2007
End of long dayStarted at summit lake parking lot, went up Evans, across the sawtooth, up Bierstadt, back across the sawtooth and finally up Spalding to get get back to the parking lot.
The top of Spalding is nice and you get much of the same view as from Evans. Tons of people on trail from parking lot to summit, but still an enjoyable hike.
GW
HylianHero - Sep 16, 2007 1:53 am Date Climbed: Aug 12, 2001
From Summit LakeSteep hike up to the summit. A few people walked by and didn't even know that there was another named summit. Nice view of Evans.
rkymtn - Sep 9, 2007 10:49 am Date Climbed: Sep 8, 2007
From EvansClimbed with Haliku to complete the Bierstadt/Evans cirque. A good end to a reasonably long day.
Haliku - Sep 9, 2007 9:39 am Date Climbed: Sep 8, 2007
Three for ThreeClimbed with rkymtn as part of our goal to do Bierstadt, Sawtooth ridge and Mt. Evans. Since Spalding was along the way back...
___
7-16-05
Numerous cars and many people at the Guanella Pass TH when I arrived. Thankfully they were all going up Mt. Bierstadt. Once I turned left after crossing the creek I had the route to myself. The numerous paths through the willows and peat bogs all headed in the same general direction. The west slope is a workout with a lot of minor rock outcrops. I had a close encounter (>20 ft) with a mountain goat along the way to the top. Summit register was missing.
rpace - Sep 3, 2007 3:29 am Date Climbed: Sep 1, 2007
Long dayStarted from West Chicago Creek trailhead, aiming for Mt Evans and Gray Wolf Mountain. Was delayed due to "map" issues, so settled for Mt Spalding and Gray Wolf Mountain instead. It was still a 16.2 mile trek, although through beautiful country.
Roam Around - Jul 23, 2007 12:34 pm Date Climbed: Jul 22, 2007
great daygreat blue sky the whole day! Combined with Gray Wolf.
Kruck - Jul 16, 2007 10:54 am Date Climbed: Jul 14, 2007
TagTagged en-route to Evans. This was a nicer-looking mountain with better views than Evans, itself, I believe.