There is probably little left of the unknown in terms of mountaineering
exploration in the Colorado Rockies. Yet, in perusing the pages of the current
edition of the Guide to the Colorado Mountains (CMC Press, 2000), one finds on page 159 the curious
and intriguing route description regarding two 13,000-foot mountains in the
Tenmile Range.
This route notations reads, "Wheeler Mountain (13,690´) is separated
from Fletcher by a very slow serrated ridge with climbing problems along the
way. We have not heard of a climb combining the two."
This description is all the more surprising when one realizes that
it first appeared in the sixth revised edition (1970) and has been repeated
verbatim for thirty years in five subsequent editions of the guide book.
Considering the intensity of peak bagging in the past decade, someone
must have accomplished this traverse. The guide book notation seems too powerful
to ignore as it beckons and invites exploration. However, there are several
good reasons for not attempting it.
Difficult geography
The high peaks and points of the ridges forming the head of the Monte Cristo
Creek Valley include Fletcher Mountain (13,951´), the 13,800´ east
point of "Drift Peak," and the two 13,880´ summits of "Drift
Peak." Between it and Wheeler Mountain runs an incredible mile and a half
of serrated ridge teeth guarding two high points of 13,698´ and 13,600´.
Peak baggers have an interest in this group of mountains: Both Fletcher
and Drift are on the list of Colorado's Hundred Highest. Fletcher can be combined
with Drift or nearby Quandary Peak; however, Drift is most easily climbed from
Mayflower Gulch on the opposite side of the range.
On the other hand, Wheeler Mountain is not only farther from these
two mountains and separated by the difficult ridge, but it is also further down
on the list of Colorado's highest peaks. It does not make a good peak bagger
combination with Fletcher or Drift. Most will probably climb Wheeler as a single
objective or in more logical combinations with mountains to the south from the
Montgomery Reservoir access.
Making the traverse
In September of 2003, I made the determined effort to complete
this traverse solo and clear the apparent unknown of the guidebook description.
I actually had an advantage, because I had summitted many of the peaks and points
above the Monte Cristo Creek Valley in previous years.
Point 13,698´’ is an especially nice climb by its east ridge from a small
lake in the upper valley. Its summit has no cairn, but it is eight feet higher
than Wheeler. The same holds true for Point 13,600´ on the ridge to the
south.
I had also previously traversed Fletcher to Drift, which, if one stays
on the exact ridge, forces a delicate down-climb of some thirty to forty feet
on hidden footholds of lower fifth-class rock to a prominent notch, then reclimbing
broken rock up the final ridge to the summit of Drift.
Additionally, I had climbed Wheeler Mountain several times by the
most direct route up the north ridge from Monte Cristo Creek. I would use this
route for the descent with an unexpected detour to finish the traverse.
I left the Blue Lakes parking area at the late time of 8:30 a.m. for such a challenging traverse. I
tagged the summit of Fletcher at 10:40 a.m.
The southeast ridge climb of Fletcher gave an intimidating view of
the length of the traverse before me. Wheeler Mountain at the south end of the
valley seemed an eternity away. The rows of teeth on the serrated ridge between
Drift and Wheeler looked as formidable as the battlements on a fortress wall.
I descended the easy talus ridge from Fletcher to Pint 13,800´ on a faint
path. I climbed the broken rock of the ridge crest to the point overlooking
the prominent notch. Although I ahd down-climbed this section of rock before,
I thought the better course this time would be to back off and search for another
route. I lost considerable time in turning back and traversing ledges on the
side of the ridge to get to the base of the notch. I then climbed the familiar
upper ridge to the first and then second of Drift Peak’s 13,880´ summits
at 12:45 p.m.
The descent of the south ridge of Drift was on unfamiliar talus. It led to
a 13,720’ point marked by a stick in the rocks. I down-climbed the ledges and
cracks of a stretch of pink quartzite rock to the 13,560´ notch that seemed
to mark the beginning of the one-and-a-half-mile serrated ridge.
The ridge
Initially, I faced a forty-foot wall that was partially coated with snow and
ice from a fall storm. I had to turn the corner of the wall lower down, and
then regain the 13,640´ to 13,680´ ridge of the two leaning teeth.
The descent carried across two more teeth to another 13,560´ notch.
Instead of facing another rock wall, my nemesis was now the ominous-looking
three terrible teeth guarding the north ridge of Point 13,698´. I climbed
the rock slabs of these teeth, were at one point I had to squeeze myself through
a narrow chimney. The route continued on the steep rocks of the upper ridge
to the summit at 3:10 p.m. I knew
I could escape the ridge form this summit by its east ridge to the lake in the
upper valley if necessary.
I decided to press on, which led to a winding route among a row of six 13,600´
teeth. At the end of this row, the ridge leveled out at 13,480’ and then descended
to another 13,360´ notch.
I had spent considerable energy by the time I reached this notch. I was further
disheartened because I now faced a march of nine teeth on the north ridge of
Point 13,600´. Fortunately, the wind that had been blowing for most of
the day and had carried my cap away earlier now abated. The march of nine teeth
was a tiring stretch of climbing over and around and between—one tooth after
another to the summit at 5 p.m.
I now had Wheeler Mountain in full view for the first time, but I wasn’t sure
if my remaining energy would be enough to get me to the summit. I descended
the talus ridge to the 13,360´ saddle below the north ridge of Wheeler.
I could have ended the trip there, but the easy ridge descent and the incongruity
of the solitary tooth at the saddle that I didn’t have to contend with revitalized
my efforts.
The north ridge route has a gully climb to the right of the first
ridge buttress and then a climb left of the second ridge buttress on the edge
of the northeast face. Both of these sections bore a similar coating of snow
and ice. Allowing for these conditions, I gained the summit at 6:15 p.m.
I knew darkness would catch me, but fortunately not before I descended
to the saddle and the last light in the Monte Cristo creek Valley. It is a very
tedious descent through he willow-filled lower part of the valley. The willows
forced me on a course to the south side of the reservoir at the foot of the
long ridge of North Star Mountain. I had never been on this side of the reservoir
before, and the terrain required careful route-finding. I was especially glad
I had had the foresight to pack my headlamp, for it was the only light. I climbed
the cliffs above the spillway and looked down on my car in the parking area.
I opened the car door, and the traverse was finally over at 9:55 p.m.
Perhaps someone before has completed the Fletcher Mountain to Wheeler Mountain
traverse, but the accomplishment has escaped recording. Future editions of the
Guide to the Colorado Mountains may still note the “very slow serrated ridge with climbing problems along
the way,” but the book will no longer need to add, “not heard of a climb combining
the two.”