Mount Edwards - 13,850 ft

Date: 7-10-2005

Climbers: George & Abby Barnes

Route:  East Slopes, Class 1

RT distance:  3.8 miles

Elevation gain:  2,270 feet

Coordinates of TH:  39° 38.26'N, 105° 45.97'W

Coordinates of summit:  39° 38.18'N, 105° 47.63'W

USGS Quadrangle:  Grays Peak

Trip Report:

Abby and I were looking for a shorter hike close to home, so Mt. Edwards from the Waldorf Mine sounded like a good pick.  The 4WD road off Guanella Pass Road was overrun with ATVs so it took nearly an hour to reach the mine.  There wasn't much snow left in the valley, so we opted to leave our ice axes in the Jeep.

Some lazy route finding took us too far south on the Argentine Pass road, so after reaching the two small lakes at 11,900 we cut west and made our way up the slope between patches of willows.  Upon reaching an old mine at 12,400 we stopped at the base of a snow gully and put on gaiters.  Snow conditions were ideal, so we decided to go straight up the snow field.  The slope angle is so relaxed that a fall could have easily been arrested with no axe, and we later glissaded down the gully.

After a break on the Edwards-McClellan saddle we were ready for the final 300 feet to the summit. 

The summit rewarded us with views of Ruby Mountain, Bierstadt, Evans, and nearby Grays and Torreys.  The Steven's Gulch peaks looked like anthills, with no less than a dozen people on their way to/from each summit.  We hadn't seen any other hikers during our ascent, though the solitude was often interrupted by sounds of gunfire in the basin... a new experience for me.

Our descent was accelerated by a 600 foot glissade down the snow field we climbed earlier.  This would be Abby's first glissade, so we chose a tandem glissade down the gully after practicing axe-less self arrests.

On our way out we found a much more attractive route through the basin.  A very old, overgrown mining road allowed for easier travel and brought us directly to the Waldorf Mine.  It also avoided a couple stream crossings we'd found during our ascent.

Roach comments that this route was a good opportunity for a wildflower clinic, and our hike was no exception.

Mining ruins litter the approach to the mine, everything from box springs to cast iron machinery.  The Jeep is a welcome sight, and we're soon on our way to refuel in Idaho Springs.