Friday morning I guided a couple from Texas up the Northwest Ridge of La Plata Peak (14,354′). While it’s nothing more than a walk up, I’ve always enjoyed this peak. The views are fantastic, including the Apostle group to the south, which is said to be home to one of the finest couloirs in Colorado on Ice Mountain.

Our day started under a thick fog, which really kicked in around 12,000′. Occasionally it broke to reveal early morning light on the surrounding peaks, but not until we started up the final ridge at 13,100 did we get out of the clouds. The temps stayed cold the entire time, with some graupel hitting us occasionally. We didn’t linger too long on the summit, as it appeared some thunderheads might have been rolling in. The descent went quick, although the continous pounding on your knees gets old after a couple miles. This hike gains 4300′ of vert in 4.5 miles, so its a pretty consistent grade, with very few flat sections.

This is a great intro to 14er’s in our area, as it’s not technical but still requires some effort to get to the top.