4/14/2023 0 Comments Wetter grand canyon south rim![]() I passed another signed junction leading over the shallow pass towards Uncompahgre (which I would be taking on the return), and continued through the meadow to the start of a rocky moraine at the base of the Wetterhorn, my first stop for the day. ![]() Back on the trail, things went a bit smoother, and as the sun rose over Wetterhorn and Matterhorn, I had my first views of the peaks for the day. So I set off cross country straight up slope to regain the trail- not the best start to what was promising to be a long day. The trail I was following along Matterhorn Creek petered out and I checked my GPS, quickly realizing my mistake. I hiked in darkness along the well traveled trail, and with my head down, blew past the first signed junction where I needed to turn right. I left camp around 4:30 and hiked the 0.7 miles to the main trailhead in about 15 minutes. I slept at a pulloff on the dirt road, and woke up at 4AM to give myself time for the long day. ![]() I made it up the not too horrible 4WD road to Matterhorn Creek Trailhead, stopping 0.7 miles from the official start where the road gets significantly worse. But with a bad ankle, stamina would be the true test for the day. Thanks to the “Heat Dome” sitting over Colorado, it seemed as if the weather wouldn’t be an issue. But with a bit of stamina and a blessing from the weather gods, both can be done (+/- the Matterhorn) in a long day. Despite their proximity, they are typically climbed separately given the 2,000’+ drop and miles of high plateau in between. Wetterhorn, a shorter nearby 14er to the west, is genuine class III by it’s easiest route. The easiest route to the summit is rated class II, but is virtually class I, following a trail all the way to the summit. It’s north face is a wall of dramatic cliffs, but the east and south slopes are more gentle with tiers of rock, likened to a melting layer cake. Uncompahgre is the highest mountain in the San Juans, and 6th highest in all of Colorado. Trailhead: Matterhorn Creek (lower 4WD TH) Wetterhorn Peak 14016′ and Uncompahgre Peak 14308′
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