PT13060B & PT12903
Date: 07/18/2021
Partner: Heather Ryan
Distance: 4 miles
Elevation Gain: 3200ft
Summits: PT13060B(Class 4+), PT12903 aka "Chicken Choss Knob Prime Benchmark" (Class 3)
Duration: 8 hours
From camp we started on the same talus hopping route to Moon Lake as we did for Clark the day before. Everything was going great when 40 minutes in, just before the lake, Kristi pulled a rock loose knocking her backwards and badly bruising her booty. After attempting to shake it, off Kristi wasn't feeling it and descided to hang at the lake for a bit then head back to camp. We agreed that Heather and I would continue with the day's plan.
We continued our talus hopping and climbed a loose gully to the Clark-PT12903 saddle where we got our first views of PT13060. What we saw was a significant snow filled gully that lead to PT13060's class 4+ east ridge. We were excited to use the cramps and axes we had packed in. We were also stoked that we had guessed right on the gully being snow filled. When there's an inset north facing couloir in the Snowmass zone that has been called a 'mud gully' in September... it likely has snow in mid July. Summer coolie bootin in baby!
After climbing the couloir we scrambled up the ridge. Lower on the ridge, just above the couloir, there were some moves that were on the higher end of class 4... possibly low 5... I dunno? If you want, all of this can be avoided by dropping further south before making your way to the summit. We however, were there for the scrambling and were being stingy with our vert.
PT13060 has two summits... the true summit is the second (northerly) summit which requires some additional scrambling to reach.
After taking in the views and signing the register we scrambled back down the ridge, ripped down the coolie and made our way to PT12903... the final summit of the trip.
PT12903 was fun to climb... much more fun that sections of it looked. The summit offered spectacular views of high points we had stood on earlier in the trip. However, I will say that descending the northeast ramp back camp was some of the worst scree I have experienced... kinda gave us a 'rat in a glue trap' feeling. Just.Can't.Escape. So brace yourself for that if you decide to bag this high twelver that we dubbed "Chicken Choss Knob Prime Benchmark".
4m - 3200ft - 8hrs
PT12,903 in the morning light... but it would have to wait as we would climb PT13,060 first. Let the talus hopping begin!
Moon Lake and Daly
We would climb the south(right) side to the PT12903 - Clark saddle
From the saddle, Heather eyes PT13060 and the snow climb ahead. Glad we brought cramps and axes!
Descending the east side of the saddle was tedious. Surprisingly climbing it on the way back wasn't bad
The snow was soft and easy to climb
Heather and PT12903
Climbing the east ridge was fun class 4 scrambling with maybe... just maybe some easier low 5. There are easier route options that will keep things in the class 3 range
The first summit you reach is false. Scramble the fun ridge over the the true summit andn sign the register
Heather Hunking with Clark and Capitol
Taking in the views
PANO: The views!
Descending back down the east ridge
Glisading back down the soft snow
wasn't fun at all
We retraced out steps back to the Clark-PT12903 saddle and found a weakness to climb
We also had to climb this mess - wasn't as bad as it looks - I promise - maybe
Climbing above the Moon
Once at the top of the loose gully the ramp to the summit was fun
A view back to PT13060 from PT12903's summit
Daly and Moon Lake
We descended one at a time in pitches to avoid rock fall. After descending the gully the scree back to camp was as bad as I have experienced... rat in a glue trap.