Mt. Shavano and Tabeguache Peak

Before meeting my friend Scott in Salida, I squeezed in a quick hike: Mt. Shavano and Tabeguache Peak.  I slept in my truck at the trailhead, or at least I tried to sleep in my truck--there were several groups that drove up and started hiking in the middle of the night that kept me from sleeping much.  After a few hours of sleep, I got up at 4:30 to get through the hike and be back to town in time to pick Scott up in time.  11.25 miles and 5,600 feet of elevation gain later, I was back to my truck with two new fourteeners under my belt.

After hiking for over an hour in the dark (by the light of a headlamp), it started getting light around 5:30 as I reached the edge of tree line.

The moon was still out as the sun began to rise.

After leaving the trees behind, there were a few hundred yards of shrubs and scraggly trees before  getting to alpine tundra.

Looking back toward Salida

Monarch Ski Area in the distance.

View from Mt. Shavano: Antero Peak, another fourteener, in the distance--I think.

Looking back at Mt. Shavano from the top of Tabeguache Peak.