Kilted Hike, My Side of the Mountain

**hallmarktex** · 18th June 10, 10:26 AM

As mentioned in another thread, my family and I spent last week in a remote cabin high in the Colorado Rockies. It's about 30 miles outside of Creede and just a few miles below the source of the Rio Grande River. I've been going there for well over 40 years, but it never gets old for me.

The last couple of years I've made a hike from the cabin to the continental divide. It's about 20 miles round trip (over hill and dale) and starts at 9400 ft. MSL. This year I was pleased to be wearing my new digital camo kilt made for me by Sydnie at Flamingo kilts.

Here I am at the summit with the Western side of the divide behind me. I'm at 12,740 according to the USGS topo map.

This is the view looking back down the route I took to the top. There's a creek at the bottom of that valley called Little Squaw which serves as my anchor to keep me on course. There are no trails that far out, just dead reckoning and reading the terrain.

It took right at twelve hours for the whole trip. Exhausting, but a real blast! This is the second time I've made this trip kilted. Hiking kilted is the only way to go!

**Eleazar** · 18th June 10, 10:52 AM

I miss Colorado. Thanks for the pics.

**wildrover** · 18th June 10, 01:15 PM

Awesome! Is that along the Colorado Trail, by any chance?

Good use of fencing, by the way

.

**hallmarktex** · 18th June 10, 02:05 PM

Originally Posted by wildrover

Awesome! Is that along the Colorado Trail, by any chance?

Nope. This is in the Weminuche wilderness area and not close to any trails. There is the Fern Creek trail that cuts across my route of travel, but that's as close as I come to anything previously defined.

The stick in the second picture was put into a stack of rocks some time before I got there. The funny thing is that at this altitude wood will literally last for years without rotting, so I have no idea how long it was there before I showed up.

Good use of fencing, by the way

.

Thanks!

**Woodsman** · 20th June 10, 04:32 AM

Sounds like a fantastic hike. How was the temperature and the wind at that elevation?

**hallmarktex** · 20th June 10, 11:32 AM

Originally Posted by Woodsman

Sounds like a fantastic hike. How was the temperature and the wind at that elevation?

The wind was high and temp was on the cool side at the top. I had a hat I'd worn for the hike, but when I got to the top I found the wind so high that I had to hold it on my head the whole time. I ended up taking the hat off and turning it upside down with a head sized rock in it so I could set it aside to take pictures and such. Fortunately, the digital camo material the kilt is made from was heavy enough to stay down without much trouble.

It was a pleasant day temperature wise and I'd been warm throughout the entire hike wearing a t-shirt. As I got within about 500 feet of the summit I felt the need for the sweater I have on in the picture. Very shortly after starting back down the sweater came off again. There was a noticeable change in the temperature once away from the peak.