Handies

In the days following our R2R2R effort, we spent some time in recovery mode by taking the mountain bikes out for a spin around the South Rim the following morning (Monday) and Mesa Verde, the next day before dawdling our way up and over to Silverton, CO. Objective: Handies Peak, one of Colorado's 14'ers and the high point of the Hard Rock 100 coming up on the agenda this July. I thought it'd be a great way to get some beta on the terrain albeit in a vastly different winter environment, but nonetheless, I was very interested in seeing it.

This is as close as I would come.

At a tad over 13,000ft, we arrived at a saddle across from Handies overlooking an enormous basin (American Fork, I think?) and a severely wind-loaded, high-angle, concave 1,000ft slope dropping down into it. A strong storm had moved through the area overnight and blown through just as we arrived at the saddle, but the high winds persisted and the new snow was being blown over this precipice in volumes and had been since some point the night before. We'd had a great morning. No need to ruin it. With miles of untracked snow behind us, we turned around and savored an area of the San Juans all to ourselves under beautiful blue skies.