From: ajs@hpfcla.HP.COM (Alan Silverstein)
Date: Wed, 13 Aug 86 18:49:30 MDT
Subject: Re: Trip reports on the San Juans
Newsgroups: hpnc.general

Monday, July 21: Handies Peak (14048')

We got a decent night's sleep a mile down the road from American Basin. The next morning the sunrise was a pretty pastel red. Down-valley, Redcloud Peak was sprinkled with a delicate tracery of fresh white snow, a phenomenal sight.

We packed up and drove up to the American Basin turnoff. There was a large, rock-hard snowdrift across the road just at the start, at 11320'. So we had to hike from there, starting at 0635, adding maybe a mile and 500'. We passed a Basque sheep rancher's tent, several of his horses, and later dodged a huge number of his sheep.

We decided to split up at about 11800'. I elected to go directly to the summit up the west face of Handies, while Dave followed the trail a while further. Unknown to me, he later cut up the face rather than take the trail all the way around to the south.

(Splitting up isn't the safest thing to do, but it's still a lot better than climbing solo. We cover for each other in that we know each other's route and are on the mountain together, with established meeting times and places. And we each get some solitary climbing time and route-finding.)

Handies is a nice climb because it's easy both up and down. Going up you ascend directly on firm rock ribs, ledges, and grassy slopes. There was even some decent snow for awhile. The peak is almost always in sight, and the basin drops away below you. Even though it was increasingly cloudy, then started to snow, and I was sure I had to rush to make it to the top not too long after Dave, I enjoyed it.

I reached a rounded ridge at 13700', then went south to the summit. I arrived in blowing snow, temperature 39 degrees, surrounded by heavy clouds, at 0912 (taking 2:40 to climb 2730'). There was no sign of Dave, precious little shelter on top in the lee of a small cairn, and very limited visibility. The top is not impressive; it's a long, broad, sinuous ridge.

While munching lunch I studied the south ridge with binoculars, wondering where Dave was. Well, for once I beat him to the top -- by all of 17 minutes.

Handies is reputed to have one of the best summit views in the San Juans. I waited a while hoping for good photos, but departed disappointed at 0947, following Dave down the south ridge. The first 1000' or so is a real joy, a fast galomph down on fine gravel scree.

After a while I cut north again on the west face and found some glissades on old snow. Fast as I dropped, Dave still met me at the trail (road) down in the basin. It's apparently closed (by a sign, no posts or fences) at about the right place to start up anyway.

We were back at our vehicles by 1115 (1:30 coming down). If we'd been more gung-ho, I suppose we really could have gone up the night before for sunset. It would be a decent peak on which to have that experience, if you checked out the route (trail) down before it got dark.

At 1215 we continued up the 4WD road to Cinnamon Pass, 12640'. It's a pretty drive with a nice view of Handies, and only 2.4 miles and 20 minutes to the pass from there. Coming down the back side is rougher, and it's a long drive on dirt roads to Silverton -- 15.8 miles, taking 1:10. I'd have liked to stop for more pictures and scenery, but it was raining and we were late to catch the train...