Mount Lindsay 7/5/2011

Total Mileage: 8 miles
Elevation Gain: 3500 feet
Starting Location: Lily Lakes TH
Time: 6 hours 20 minutes
Party: Solo

I've fallen behind in my archiving 14er summits. Early in July I climbed Mount Lindsay located in the Sangre de Cristo mountain range. It was a beautiful day and the weather held out the entire time. The Lily Lakes trailhead requires quite a journey to arrive. The last 20 miles or so is on a dirt road and takes about one hour to drive. Right before I hit the dirt road I hit a bunny rabbit while driving about 70 mph. It slightly dislodged my already damaged bumper and I had to thread a plastic bag through the holes in the bumper liner to temporarily reattach it. Eventually I arrived at the trailhead.

Lily Lakes Trailhead

I got all my stuff together and after about 4 minutes of hiking I was treated to this:

Tremendously scenic day right off the bat.

The first portion of this hike takes you up through a gulch right along side a babbling brook.

A closer look at the cave seen in the last picture. At least 6 US presidents are believed to be buried here.

Up through the gulch I reached a large basin that I would meander across to begin the real climbing of the day. At the start of the basin I caught my first glimpse of Mount Lindsay.

Mt. Lindsay dead center and the basin I would cross and climb out of. 

From the same spot I could see two 14ers looking to my right. Blanca Peak and Ellingwood Point.

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It seemed as I got closer that Mount Lindsay looked taller.

Looking from about halfway to the saddle above the basin. 

Out of the basin, on the saddle with the rest of my route in view. 

The next picture is actually on the way down but shows the steepness and some perspective of the remaining route up. There are people above me who are being very careful not to kick rocks down on me.

There were a few loose spots, a few steep spots, a few breaks for water, and a few minutes later I was standing on the summit of Mount Lindsay.

14,042 feet! 

Liitle Bear Peak, Blanca Peak and Ellingwood point all visible. All are above 14000 feet themselves as well

I stayed on top for about 20-30 minutes and made my way down snagging one last photo before heading back down the basin following the gulch back out.

These are my wife's favorite pair of sunglasses I own. She says they make me look really cool.

Pretty uneventful hike down. This was by far one of the more scenic mountains I have ever climbed. I am writing this about 2 months after hiking it so I don't remember a lot of details. Definitely one that I would do again.

Notes to self:
-When writing about killing bunnies remember to post pictures
- bring helmet
- never lose these sunglasses