Mountains As Therapy - Mount Richthofen Trip Report

Let the Therapy Begin

Surprise! Every once in a while life throws you a plum. Make sure you catch it, and then make sure you savor the sweetness.

I don’t remember ever having a more stressful time in my life. The past few months have been difficult and life-altering to say the least. Luckily I have managed to get through the turmoil with the help of truly great friends and many climbing adventures. Road trips to Red Rocks, breathtaking peaks and complicated technical mountain climbs have been the norm for this season. I have eaten them all up and craved more. My climbing adventures add structure to my life and therapy for my mind.

This past weekend, I had a routinely extraordinary climb with a good friend. We decided to do Mount Richthofen in the Never Summer Range. Tracy was excited to go to a new area and I was excited to visit my old haunts from college. We decided to bivy in the Poudre Canyon instead of getting up early to make the long drive to the Never Summers. However, since I hadn’t been there in 20 years, I wasn’t sure where to go to camp.

We found some dispersal camping on the road to Pingree Park. I couldn’t believe our good fortune finding an empty spot so close to Highway 14. But as we started to unpack our bivy gear it became obvious why the spot was empty. 200 yards away the boys were having a party. A very boisterous one. From another direction came the sounds of a woman in the throes of ecstasy and not very particular about who heard her. Time to move on. Luckily we found a very nice camp spot not too far down the road with a gurgling stream and some built in firewood.

The next morning we headed up to Cameron Pass and the Lake Agnes road, recently opened. We shared the parking lot with the CSU Adventure Club van, although the Adventurers were no where to be seen. The trail up to Lake Agnes was full of hard packed snowdrifts, but we managed to stay on top quite easily, vindicating our decision to leave the snowshoes behind. Once at the Lake, we could see our objective: it looks quite daunting. The north face of Richthofen heads the cirque made up of Nohku Crags, Static Peak, Richthofen and Teepee Mountain. It is a wonderful vista and good for the soul.

We were concerned about the amount of snow but happy to learn it was very firm. Too firm to be comfortable walking on the steep slope above the Lake. Falling into the semi-frozen water didn’t seem too appealing. We tried to stay on the rocks above the snow, but soon decided to don the crampons and follow the snow around the Lake.

From here we made our way up the rolling cirque to the base of the 4th of July bowl. The snow was firm and the footing was great. Off in the distance we could make out the CSU Adventure Clubbers practicing snowcraft. I was very relieved to see that they weren’t on our route. The slopes were moderate and we were making good time. The weather seemed to be cooperating. It was a beautiful day in the mountains.

About ½ way up the bowl, Tracy suggested we cut to the left and head directly for the false summit. I agreed and away we went. The northwest face of the false summit was very loose. It was some delicate, balancey 3rd class scrambling. Occasionally a rock would move ominously and threaten to pull the whole house of cards down the mountain. I barely touched a basketball size rock and down it went at speed. I yelled and Tracy took cover but fortunately it went right and missed her. I was even more careful after that. I watched as Tracy dislodged a stack of rocks and one little piece, due to leverage and physics, launched 20 feet into the air like a rooster tail. What a despicable place! We learned on the descent that the west ridge was similarly loose and so our shortcut probably saved a little time.



We were very happy to see the false summit. The ridge between the false summit and the summit block was straight forward, if not a little exposed. In a few spots the slopes dropped off dramatically. From this vantage point the summit block looked imposing indeed.





As we carefully made our way across the narrow ridge, mindful of the steep drop-off on either side, Tracy told me that she had been fighting a migraine headache all day. Her vision was off; as was her balance, and she was in pain. Once again I marveled at the supreme toughness of this woman. Not only did she delicately climb the northwest face with her symptoms, but did so at altitude and in very good time. But when we neared the base of the summit block, it seemed like too much of a challenge and she proposed turning back.




Not willing to turn around after having come so far, I went ahead and scoped out the rest of the route. The summit block is surmounted by a 3rd class gulley, but in the current conditions it was more like a technical mixed climb. I convinced Tracy that it would go, and she came over to take a look. I was so glad she did, and I knew she would make it to the top. We managed the gulley quite nicely and shared a summit hug.



What an amazing summit! Although the Never Summers have a disturbing reputation for looseness, they also have a sterling reputation for beauty. The whole of Rocky Mountain National Park spreads out to the south with Long’s Peak in the near distance. The Rawah wilderness is north, and west one views the Gores and beyond. Closer at hand, the steep flying buttresses of Richthofen fall gracefully beneath you. Nokhu Crags, Static Peak and Teepee Mountain hulk nearby. Roosevelt National Forest lies to the east. We drank in the view made sweeter by the difficulties in getting to this incredible spot. The only downside was the beetle kill trees marring the hillsides.





After a few minutes of summit therapy and a quick snack, we were off. The gulley was a little problematic on the descent but offered excellent photo-ops. We hammed it up for the camera and soon my battery died. The narrow ridge went by quickly, as did the slog back up the false summit. Now we were downclimbing the chossy west ridge towards the saddle. It was still delicate work but easier with the gravity assist.

Near the saddle we decided to glissade. This was one of the best parts of the day. From the saddle to the Lake was like this: Wheee, giggle, giggle; walk walk, wheee, giggle giggle,; walk walk, wheeee giggle giggle, walk. Three long and fast glissades took us down probably 800 feet of mountain in maybe 10 minutes. Tracy had said at the summit that it would take us 2 hours to get down. I was skeptical, but as it turned out the glissades cut a huge amount of time off our descent and were a blast as well. As we neared the Lake, we were treated to an incredible sight: A soaring Bald Eagle making the rounds in the sky. When I come back in the next life I want to be a raptor.

The trail down to the car passed in a blur and soon we were back in the parking lot with the CSU Adventurers. I couldn’t wait to pop the top of a Guinness and was not disappointed when I did. Tired, wet and happy are three of the best words when strung together. The feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction after climbing a tough mountain is unrivalled by anything I have ever felt in my life.

On the long drive home I had plenty of opportunity to reflect on the day’s events and enjoy the tired happiness I felt. I think it is impossible to figure out why we do this: why we put ourselves in dangerous and difficult places and label it fun; why we work so hard to attain a goal that is worthless or foolhardy to some if not most. Why? This is something I do not dwell on nor care to figure out. All I know for certain is the soul-satisfying therapeutic value of meeting the challenge of the mountains and the camaraderie shared with a good friend who understands. It is the days like this that really are life. All the other stuff is clutter. I can’t wait for the next therapy session.

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