Shavano Group
Date: 6/29/2019
Summits:
* Esprit (done on a different trip but included here for completeness)
* Shavano
* Tabeguache
* PT13712
* Jones
Distance: 12.5 miles 5700ft from Shavano TH
Start: 5:30am
End: 3:50pm
Partners: Kristi & Robby Grace
Stats do not include Esprit
This route provides some fun class 3 scrambling and an escape from the masses on what can otherwise be a crowded class 2 14er
Esprit 14ers.com Page
Shavano 14ers.com Page
Tabeguache 14ers.com Page
PT 13712 14ers.com Page
Jones Peak 14ers.com Page
First hiked Shavano and Tabeguache in the 1990s with Harold Stearns, Dan Lulchuck, Beth Tansill and Karen Young.
Morning sun and melting snow on the Shavano Trail
Just above treeline
Robby scouting our Jones Peak descent route
Lots of folks hiking the remains of the Angel
The morning was a little hazy. Kristi approaching Shavano's south saddle. Salida in the distance.
Alex & Kristi on Esprit's summit in the fall of 2023. From here we climbed Shavano in a snowy whiteout before retreating in thunder snow back to Salida.
A pitch below Shavano's summit with Taylor and Aetna
Reaching for the summit. Mt. Ouray in the distance
Chillin on Shav
Robby walking Shavano's north ridge... eyeing Tabeguache and the snow climb/glissade in our near future.
The snow was soft but supportive. No traction or flotation required.
Robby close to the Tabeguache summit. 13712 and Jones behind him.
Kristi close to the Tabeguache summit. Shavano behind her.
Peacing out on Tabeguache
cooling off my butt. it is officially glissading season.
Looking ahead to 13712 and the ridge to Jones. The ridge was fun and went at easy class 3.
From the summit of 13712... Kristi and Robby plotting our route back to the main trail from the Shavano Lake below.
Kristi starts the ridge
Looking back to awesome views of Tabeguache from the ridge. Tabeguache's north side looked skiable to the valley floor.
foot... almost... reaching
a fun little section
Kristi close to the Jones summit
We were greeted by a young family of sheep on the Jones summit
The descent from Jones was effortless... some of the best scree surfing ever!
Life's a Beach at Shavano Lake
Aggressive Glissading: Robby about to get Evil Knievel on what would be an almost crash and burn
Kristi opting for conservatism after watching Robby
Robby looking for options and being stingy with his vertical. He would eventually give in.
Would not want to fall on this steep snow field. We probably should have donned our micro-spikes and unslung our axes
On the exit from Shavano Lake Basin we aimed to meet back up with the main trail at 12000ft. 13712 in the distance.
The hike back to the TH did not seem to end... but the babble of the brook put our minds at peace.