Colvin & Blake - 4/8/2012

[CPalmatier]

We decided on Tuesday to close the store on Sunday, thinking that we wouldn't do much Easter business. I took the opportunity to get out one more time before Memorial Day and the busy season. Two more would put me halfway on my list, so I picked Colvin & Blake. The forecast was just OK, and I wasn't expecting a lot from this trip, as both are lower peaks and I wasn't expecting much from the views. The day turned out to be a pleasant surprise .

I got to the parking lot a little later than I wanted (what else is new ), grabbed my gear, shuffled my Stevie Ray Vaughan collection, and set off. I signed in at 7:15, first one of the day. The walk up Lake Road was uneventful, and I made the Gill Brook Trail in seemingly no time. I made good time on the frozen trail, no mud or snow/ice to speak of until the AMR property line, where there was some ice and a snow spine here and there. I stopped just before the Elk Pass/Nippletop junction to put on the microspikes, which I ended up wearing until about the same point on the way back down.

Hit the Colvin summit about noon where I met 2 groups, a pair on their way back from Blake and another pair that had been behind me and caught me at the summit. I took some pictures and pressed on to Blake. The snow spine stayed intact across the whole ridge with the exception of most of the back side of Colvin where it was in the sun.

The maps don't do that col justice! Steep decent for ~1000', then right back up to Blake. Made Blake @ 2:20 where I met Krummholtz on the summit. He had come up from Elk Lake. He had planned on staying in Panther Gorge, but was reconsidering when we met on the summit. After chatting a bit, I offered him a ride back to his car if he wanted to hike out with me. He accepted, and off we went.

The hike back out was nice and sunny, didn't see the precip that was in the forecast. The hike down was pleasant, but long, especially Lake Road. We made the car by 8:30. All in all a very good day.