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  • A rest before the summit push on Dallas Peak - San Juan Range, Colorado
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  • Overlooking Noname Basin from Twin Thumbs Pass - San Juan Range, Colorado
  • Upper Noname Basin - San Juan Range, Colorado
  • Nearing Noname Cabin - San Juan Range, Colorado
  • Twin Thumbs Twins - San Juan Range, Colorado
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  • Blustery day on Iowa Peak - Sawatch Range, Colorado
  • Morning snow at 15k, Cerro Ramada - Cordillera Ramada
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    Afternoon at 17k on Cerro Ramada - Cordillera Ramada, Argentina
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    The final ridge on Iowa Peak - Sawatch Range, Colorado
  • Summer summit on Longs Peak - Front Range, Colorado
  • A rest day at the Pachanta Hot Springs - Cordillera Vilcanota, Peru
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  • Rest stop on Cerro Lliani - Cordillera Vilcanota, Peru
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    Post nap surprise on Cerro Ramada - Cordiller Ramada, Argentina
  • Summit on Cerro Lliani - Cordillera Vilcanota, Peru
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    Ridge walking on Grizzly Peak - Sawatch Range, Colorado
  • Enroute the summit via the West Ridge on Pacific Peak - Ten Mile Range, Colorado
  • Mule train bound for Chilca - Cordillera Vilcanota, Peru
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    High Altitude Cerebral Edema? - Cordillera Ramada, Argentina
  • Bound for Chilca - Vilcanota Range, Peru
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  • Cumbre! Campa I - Cordillera Vilcanota, Peru
  • Roadside lunch with the best of company - Cordillera Vilcanota, Peru
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    Long ridge walk to the summit of California Peak - Sangre de Christo Range, Colorado
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    Crossing el Rio Colorado . . . in the afternoon - Cordillera Ramada, Argentina
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    Dealing with Fall snows high on Casco Peak - Sawatch Range, Colorado
  • Moonrise over Mercedario - Cordillera Ramada, Argentina
  • Still climbing at 20,900 on Cerro Ramada - Cordiller Ramada, Argentina
  • Talus on Halo Ridge, Mt. of the Holy Cross - Sawatch Range, Colorado
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    Deteriorating conditions on Mt. Arkansas - Ten Mile Range, Colorado
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    After the climb - Cordillera Ramada, Argentina
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    Taking in the view from the summit of Crystal Peak - Tenmile Range, Colorado
  • Topping out on Mt. Arkansas' North Couloir - Mosquito Range, Colorado
  • Glissade on Mt. Arkansas - Mosquito Range, Colorado
  • Hard snow morning on Teakettle Mountain - San Juan Range, Colorado
  • Spring snow announces the start of the climb on Dallas Peak - San Juan Range, Colorado
  • Crossing the Eolus Catwalk - San Juan Range, Colorado

Mt. Sherman

May 12, 2001 - Iowa Gulch (spring snow)

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Eric, Howard, Gary, and Diana atop Sherman

Everyone had a long weekend and we planned a climb of Sherman on Saturday and Columbia on the following day.  It was Spring and all of us camped on the approach road about one mile shy of the turnoff to the Black Cloud Mine.  The next morning we were able to drive a mile beyond the early season road closure before setting off on foot.  We made good time on the hard spring snow and were soon crossing the gulch and breaking out the ice axes for the climb up the draw between Sherman and Sheridan.  Crampons were not needed this day as the snow was prime for kicked steps and the group moved confidently up the snowfield toward the saddle above.  We detoured before reaching the saddle and made a direct climb for the summit on mixed snow and rock.

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Glissade!

It was a beautiful blue-sky day and we were not alone on the summit as there were a number of groups who had climbed from the Leavick trailhead.  We loitered on top for lunch before heading down the summer trail to the saddle and then dropping to the top of the snowfield between the peaks.  Ice axes in hand, we glissaded to the base of Iowa Gulch and then tramped across the rapidly softening snow to the road on the opposite side of the valley.  The snow on the road was still deep but the remaining sun crust would support neither boots nor snowshoes.  We trudged back down the road, cussing the collapsing snow and our well-weighted snowshoes all the way to the parked trucks.

 

 

 

 

Mount Sherman from the east in both summer and winter . . .