Mount Antero

Two days ago, I climbed Mount Antero, the tenth highest peak in Colorado at 14,276 feet.  One of the peaks in the Sawatch range between Salida and BV, it's named for a Ute chief who ruled one of the local bands a long in the 1800s.  The mountain is also well-known among rock hounds for the huge chunks of aquamarine and other precious gemstones you can find there - there's even a huge piece of aquamarine from Antero in the Denver Museum of Nature and Science!

I climbed with Hagen, a buddy from Runners, and his dog Maggie - we got an early start but still walked for 8.5 hours and just about 16 miles to get to the summit and back.  It was a really nice way to get out and do something other than sit on a raft or in an office, and the day couldn't have been more beautiful.  I'll let these pictures testify to that.

We took the dark blue route on the left side of the map (courtesy of summitpost.org).

Hagen on the 4WD road that goes almost all the way to the top.  We hiked up this road most of the time.

Getting to treeline.

Looking north just above treeline.

Hagen in front of Boulder Peak with its cool red color.

Our pretty state flower.

Shortcut: we decided to head up this gully instead of follow the road around a bunch of switchbacks.

More beautiful wildflowers.

Looking east into the Arkansas River Valley from the road.

Our route.

Hagen, tiny in the surrounding landscape (looking south).

The end of the 4WD road, and the summit in sight.

Maggie romping in the snow.  She never seemed tired.

Yours truly, on the summit!

Looking north from the top.

Looking southwest from the summit.

Looking east from the top.

Northward view of Mount Princeton (14,197 ft).

The summit team!

My favorite view up there.

All photography copyright Kendall DeLyser.