Roundtrip Mileage/Elevation Gain -- 8.0 miles/3,600 ft.

This was the first day of a trip that Ian, Jeremy, and I had planned for most of the summer, and was my very first trip to the San Juan Range.  Jeremy had gone down on the previous day to climb Sneffels, and he met Ian and me in Gunnison after his climb of Mt. Sneffels. 

We hit the road for Lake City very early the next day.  Unfortunately, Jeremy didn't have the Jeep full of gas when we left Gunnison, and we were literally sucking fumes by the time we rolled into Lake City about an hour later.  I didn't think there was any way that we would make it to Lake City, and I don't even want to know how close we were to running out of gas.  Fortunately, we rolled into Lake City and the Conoco on the edge of town kept the pumps on all night.  We fueled up and headed up Henson Creek Road toward the trailhead.  After a very bumpy ride up the four wheel drive road, we reached the trailhead and geared up for a pre-dawn 5:45 start.

After a short climb into the basin, we got our bearings and enjoyed the absolute beauty of the area.  We steadily picked our way up to the ridge with no problems, and began the arduous trek up the ridge to the summit.

The first few hundred feet of gain presented no real problems for me.  Unfortunately, this was a day on which I had very little confidence in my footing at several points.  About halfway up the ridge, I was completely uncomfortable with the trail, and I decided to quit holding Jeremy and Ian back and to let them go on.  I just wasn't ready for this peak, and I knew that the exposure was going to get worse.  Even though I had made real progress in my desire to move to some harder and more exposed climbs, I realized that Wetterhorn just wasn't meant to be just yet.  I'm pretty sure that I'll get this one someday -- but the circumstances are just going to have to be different.

I hiked back down to the saddle and enjoyed a mid-morning lunch while keeping an eye on Jeremy and Ian moving up the ridge.  After an hour or so, they rejoined me back at the saddle and we hiked back out to the trailhead.

Even though I was unable to summit the peak on this day, I really enjoyed the hike and look forward to getting back into the basin and attempting the climb again.  I think I'll be ready for it the next time!  A big part of my comfort level is knowing what is ahead of me -- and the next time I go, I'll know.

Me at the trailhead, bracing myself for our 5:45 a.m. start. Our first view of Matterhorn Peak as we break out of treeline. Me with Matterhorn Peak in the background. The morning sunlight reaches stately Wetterhorn Peak. Wetterhorn Peak strikes an imposing pose in the morning sunlight. A look back down the trail from where we came. Our first upclose view of the Wetterhorn summit, and the southeast ridge on the left. Just below the saddle. Me on the southeast ridge. I turned around just a few hundred feet beyond this point. A look up the ridge. Ian and Jeremy on the ridge. Jeremy heads up the ridge. A look back down the ridge from just below where I turned back. Rock spire on the ridge (left), Matterhorn Peak (center), and Uncompahgre Peak (right). View of Wetterhorn summit from saddle. View of majestic Uncompahgre Peak from Wetterhorn saddle. Afternoon clouds on Matterhorn.