8/26/10: Handies Peak Sunrise

Handies Peak (14,053 ft)
Round-trip distance: 5.6 miles
Elevation gain: 2,700 feet

My early morning hike to the summit of Handies Peak was serene and surreal. The near-full moon illuminated my path ahead, and there was no sound in the calm air but for a distant waterfall. When I reached the saddle between Handies Peak and Point 13,580, I was hit by a stiff, cold breeze crossing the ridgeline.

My watch showed 6:29 as I stepped onto the summit, exactly two hours since my departure from my camp in American Basin. Literally just a few seconds later, the sun poked above the mountains to my east. I videotaped and photographed the event, as minute by minute the sunlight crept into new corners of the San Juans, illuminating the sea of mountains around me.

Point 13,744, Niagara Peak, Jones Mountain (above), Whitecross Mountain (below).

I was especially struck by the wall of mountains forming the southern border of American Basin: Point 13,744, "American Peak", and Jones Mountain. On my hike down, I made a detour to catch the early morning reflections of these peaks in Sloan Lake at 12,900 feet.

This hike was a great experience, and a fitting finale to my 2010 Colorado vacation.