Off to Colorado for the second time this summer. There’s something about these mountains, something in them, that I find irresistable.  This walk, however, wouldn’t offer the same sublime tranquility that the Four Pass Loop did earlier this summer. Most of the weekend would be spent above treeline in the oft-times inhospitable subalpine tundra zone–one of the classic biomes of these mountains. Equally alluring and inhospitable, we were put to the test by a merciless wind and a sporadically trail-less route. Yet we returned to the trailhead much richer people for it.

It wasn’t until after huffing full packs up 2,500 feet to the first pass on a perfect bluebird morning that I had been shooting all day without a memory card. Doh. I need to switch that setting on my camera. Better late than never, however. And better yet that at the last minute I had decided to pack a backup memory card, just in case. Good thing. This is from the top of that nameless pass, just southwest of the iconic Wetterhorn Peak that we would be circumnavigating. This is looking northwest and down towards Wetterhorn Basin, the valley we would call home for the night. The squaretop juggernaut, visible in the center of the photo, is Coxcomb Peak. Our route, and the second of four passes, would be encountered the following day and would follow the canyon directly in front of it. Playing around with the 10-stop ND at 12,800 ft:

With storm clouds building to the west (slightly out of frame), we decided to zip things up and begin our descent into Wetterhorn Basin:

We made it down below treeline just as the first cold, fat drops of water began to fall from the sky. With a little hustle we found a cozy little campsite in a grove of spruce. And although the storm never amounted to much, it still gave us quite the sunset show. From Wetterhorn Basin, looking southeast towards the mighty Wetterhorn itself:

The opposite direction, looking down the Wetterhorn Creek drainage:

The color in the sky continued to dazzle well after sunset, and thankfully there were many photogenic scenes to take in from within 200 yards of camp. Looking back to the southeast towards an unnamed peak:

After a decent sleep we woke to the always-enchanting call of coyotes. I wasn’t planning on shooting this morning but perhaps that gave me a little inspiration. A little Wetterhorn Creek waterfall from near camp:

We took our time taking in some coffee and the sunrise from camp. Although we had two passes to endure today, their proximity to one another and a clear forecast gave the morning a leisurely feel. Here’s Mandy and Ellie heading up towards Coxcomb Pass. This climb kicked the living shit out of me, and set the tone for what would be a rare, brutal day for me.

Five-photo panorama of Coxcomb Peak and surroundings, from Coxcomb Pass. Frigid, gusty wind gusts kept us from enjoying the view for very long:

Sneaking a peak at Wetterhorn’s north face from Coxcomb Pass:

Beginning the descent towards the Middle Fork of Cimarron River, with “Redcliff” watching us from above:

Glancing back at Coxcomb Peak:

Another view of the aptly-named Coxcomb Peak, with one of our route’s trail posts showing the way:

After surmounting our second pass of the day under foreboding skies, a superb view of the Matterhorn-Wetterhorn massif opened up for us. Ellie, meanwhile, seemed more interested in the distant calls of Pikas:

Mandy walking the “Brontosaurus Back”, our favorite part of the loop. The view of The Trifecta, from L to R: Uncompahgre, Matterhorn, and Wetterhorn Peaks:

We settled in for the night along the E. Fork of the Cimarron River, and were treated to another outstanding sunset:

Home under Uncompahgre Peak:

Mandy discovered a pretty sweet area down-valley from our camp that I thought would be prudent to shoot on our last morning. First light hitting Matterhorn:

We begin the arduous climb up our last pass:

The dregs from the previous day I was thankfully able to shake off. The relatively sane grade of this old mining road made this our easiest pass of the weekend:

Over the pass and back down to the woods. One last look at the Matterhorn-Wetterhorn massif; this time, from the south side: