Mount Eolus

El. 14,083 ft

[INTRO PHOTO]

July 2, 2005

Fellow adventurers: Eric Sigler and Phil Klotzbach

Photo caption.

Posted:   Last modified:

Introduction

For Independence Day, some of my friends and I went on a spectacular and grueling backpacking trip into the Needle Mountains of southwest Colorado. Our goal was to bag Mount Eolus, Mount Windom, and Sunlight Peak, some of Colorado's tougher 14'er peaks.

We left at 7:43 AM (49 degF), reached Animas River at 9:20 AM (67 degF, dewpoint of 36 degF). We reached the Needle Creek trail junction at about 11:50 AM, then spent about 30 minutes filtering water and eating lunch. We started up the Needle Creek basin at 12:20 PM.

About the Mountain

    Located in the ?? range ... previous climbs (and/or reports), interesting facts. Summarize the trip (backpack vs. day hike, training vs. social hike vs. serious mountaineering)

Give highlights?

Approach 

    This peak . . .  interesting facts about the trip down and/or backpack in, camping, etc.

Ascent

    Details of the climb (if starting from backpacking)

Summit Experience

    Time on top, 14'er #, weather, interesting features, interesting people.

To get the full immersive experience, I've prepared a 360 degree panorama:

[Panoramic photo]

W                                          N                                     E                                      S

Click on the panorama to see the full size [size Kb].

Or you can view it interactively using this panorama viewer [size Mb -- warning, this will take a while to load on a modem connection].

If you have trouble viewing this file, you can also download this executable, save it to your desktop, then double-click on it to view the panorama. The executable file contains a viewer that should work regardless of your web browser.

    From left to right, the main features are:

1. blah blah valley

    [ Group Photo]

[ Crazy shot ]

[ Views of other peaks ]

Traverse to next peak

I took a couple video clips which may be viewed using Windows Media Player. If using a modem, the broadband version will take very long, so a reduced-quality dial-up version is available:

    Clip 1: Broadband [size Mb] or Dial-up [size Kb]

        These files are in Windows Media Player format, so they should load automatically if you're on a Windows computer. There is no sound (in case you were expecting some).

Descent

Statistics

Splits:  

Purgatory -> Footbridge over Animas River        1:43:26

Footbridge -> Needleton Trailhead                    2:21:16

pumping water at Needleton Trailhead, eating   0:32:27

Needleton Trialhead -> Chicago Basin                2:48:24

break

climbing to top of Mount Eolus                          2:49:34

at summit                                                        0:09:22

descent back to camp                                      1:53:59

ascent of Windom Peak                                    2:40:16

traverse to Sunlight Peak                                  2:11:53

descent to camp                                              1:51:13

breaking camp                                                 0:50:27

Chicago Basin -> Footbridge over Animas River   5:43:32 (includes about 20 min breaking the other camp and about 20 min filtering water)

Footbridge -> Purgatory                                    1:21:45

Total:  26:57:43

Option sections - history of peak, wildlife, route info and alternates, map, gear, food

Might try to include feelings, sounds, smells - other thoughts about life and mountains, goals, etc.

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