Mount Sherman and Mount Sheridan in a row.

Iowa Gulch Trailhead

This fourteener was on my to do list for a while. Finally I got some free time for it. I left Denver by 4 am on a weekend and drove west on I-70 and then on highway 91. I got to Leadville at 6:30 am. I spent a few minutes trying to find the right road up to Iowa Gulch Trailhead. I found it ten minutes later and I drove on it. Took East Monroe Street and drove on it for a while until it became South Toledo. I felt lost for a moment but I found many abandoned mines which helped me finding the correct way up to the trailhead.

I got to Iowa Gulch Trailhead after driving four miles east, so I parked my truck there, near the huge basin below Sherman's west face. I was so happy of getting there. There were five or six more trucks parked already at the trailhead. I started getting ready with my backpack, stuffed my belongings inside my bag, my wallet and spare warm clothing in case the weather changes. I closed my truck's door, but I didn't realize that I dropped my wallet wide opened on the passenger's seat. I was so excited about the hike that I even forgot to pull the window up.

Climbing Mount Sheridan

I left the truck and started hiking up through the basin and then climbed by the gulch between Mount Sherman and Mount Sheridan. I passed a nice family on my way up, dad, mom and their small son. They were surprised for my fast ascent to Sherman, but the truth is I thought I was starting my hike kind of late, so I was rushing myself up through the gulch. We talked for a couple of minutes and continued hiking up. I got to the top of the gulch and saddle between Mount Sherman and Mount Sheridan fifteen minutes later. It was still early so I decided to climbed Mount Sheridan before Mount Sherman.

I run up by the ridge. The view was incredible so as the day, perfect weather, windless, clear blue skies. Got to the summit of Mount Sheridan (4,191 m/13,748 ft) at 8;45 am. I spent at least ten minutes up there, looking west towards Sawatch Range. I saw Mount Elbert, Mount Massive and other peaks in the distance. My next goals!

Climbing Mount Sherman

Can't forget those views!, I got back down to the saddle and continued hiking up immediately by Mount Sherman's south ridge. I hiked for about 30 minutes then the trail started to switchback until I got to a long ridge. Kept hiking up for a while, this time on late season snow until finally I got to Mount Sherman's summit (4,279 m/14,036). It was awesome being up there, on top of the 45th Colorado's fourteener. I walked on its long summit. Looked to the east and saw Gemini Peaks. I tried to climb them as well but something told me I didn't lock my truck up properly, so I headed down pretty fast.

Once back at the trailhead, I found my truck with its window down, my wallet on top of the passenger's seat, wide opened. Everything was ok. I drove back to Denver that afternoon, I was starving so I stopped at a restaurant near Frisco, got some lunch and drove east home. I was planing my next mountains to climb during the following week while driving. So, I came back to Leadville the next week and drove up to those huge peaks on the Sawatch Range. Just to the trailhead

Images

View Mount Sherman and Mount Sheridan in a row. Image Gallery - 17 Images