Handies Peak
Climbing 14ers
Handies Peak Loop
Started at the Grizzly Gulch Trailhead and came down into the American Basin. Hiked the road back to the car. This makes a nice 11 miles loop! June 24, 2022.
Handies Peak
up Grizzly Gulch and down American Basin - on Sept 6, 2020
Handies Peak
from the American Basin - on June 17, 2020
Handies Peak - Perseverance after Failure - Climbing 14ers in the San Juan Mountains - 6.17.20
I failed to reach the summit of Handies Peak on my first attempt. Yet it never really felt like failure. I knew that I was going to be back. And that trip, which some would find to be a disappointment, lit a spark deep inside my soul.
It was such a profound experience for me, giving me a sense of limitless possibilities. Possibilities that someday, I would be back to summit this mountain and finish what I started.
There was no way that I could go on this trip and not attempt to climb Handies Peak again.
Top of Handies Peak
This mountain holds a special place in my heart. So I knew it was a very important day. It was my day to conquer this mountain.
I wanted to have the full experience, so I decided to climb the American Basin route to the top. I had already attempted the route from the Grizzly Gulch side last October. I parked the car about a mile from the trailhead, because of a deep creek crossing that covered the road that I did not want to chance driving across.
Creek Crossing Before American Basin
I changed into my wet shoes and I was getting ready to cross, when a family in a jeep stopped and looked at me very curiously and asked if I needed help. I just grinned and pointed down to my funny looking wet shoes and told them “No thanks, I’ve come prepared.” I imagine I looked a little strange standing there in my wet shoes. But I knew there might be a lot of snow ahead and I wanted to keep my hiking shoes dry for as long as possible.
After I crossed the cold waters of the creek, I was in a familiar place where I had been twice before. My family had driven to this area while we were exploring the jeep trails. I felt a calmness set in as I soaked in the breathtaking views of this paradise. A paradise with lush, green grass, surrounded by rock formations which rose up along the basin walls.
When I reached the trailhead box, I lifted the heavy lid, added my signature, and the adventure officially began.
The last time I attempted to summit Handies Peak, I didn't view it as a failure. I thought of it
as more of a process, a challenge I went through to learn more about myself. But today was the day that I needed to finish what I started and climb to the top.
Wildflowers in American Basin
Along the way, wildflowers showed their emerging colors of red, yellow, and purple bringing even more life to this majestic place. One reason that I wanted to take this route is because of Sloan Lake, a turquoise alpine lake with such clear water, it seems unreal. I had met a couple of hikers coming down the mountain who told me that the trail didn’t go by Sloan Lake, that you couldn’t even get to it.
And they said, “You’ll see when you get there.” So I kept following the snow tracks on the obvious trail and I did not see Sloan Lake. That is, until I passed it. So I checked my Garmin inReach map and found that I was short cutting the trail and heading straight up the side of the mountain.
Yet this is where I was guided by all the footprints. I realized that I was not off track, but I was on an alternate route. Snow blocked the trail near Sloan Lake and no one was on that route.
Some snow left in American Basin
So I found myself scrambling up a steep incline, like going the wrong way up a slide on a playground. It was difficult, but not impossible. And up ahead, I could see where my path intersected with the main trail. Once on the main trail, the path was easy to follow, and there was no snow left to cross.
Although this hike was shorter (7.5 miles roundtrip) than the day before, the incline was extremely steep. The switchbacks helped, but were very arduous, and at times you just went straight up the mountain. I was now reaching the point where I remembered looking up from below and thinking that the rocky mountain tops seemed to touch the endless blue sky.
When I reached the saddle, I could see for miles in every direction, lit up by the golden sun. The whole world seemed to be opening up before me. I had to pause to soak in the beauty of my surroundings. But I wasn’t there yet, so I kept moving, putting one foot in front of the other because I knew that I was going to make it.
It really took me by surprise when I reached the top. I couldn’t believe it! I kept looking for a higher place or more to climb, but I was there! It felt like one minute
I was climbing, and the next the summit appeared out of nowhere.
Near the top of Handies Peak
Summit Photo on Handies Peak
As great of an accomplishment that it was to summit on this bluebird day, I knew in my heart I wasn’t done. I had to go back down the side of the mountain where I had stopped eight months ago.
I needed to finish what I started. And I was curious to know how far I was from making it to the top on that day. I descended down the mountain on the opposite side, and soon I was in a familiar place. It took less than five minutes to reach the point where I had ended my adventure and turned around last October.
It’s unbelievable how close I was to the summit on my last adventure. I sat down on that familiar rock, the rock that I had pulled myself up on during my previous journey. I closed my eyes and remembered the howling wind, blowing snow so hard that I could barely see in front of me. I remembered my legs being covered, knee-deep in snow, and my feet sliding down the mountain without any traction to go any further. Without a doubt, I know I made the right decision on that day to turn around. I knew I could come back and finish another day.
It was time to finish what I started last October, so I turned around and I went back up the mountain. It took me five minutes to get back to the top. And I tell you, I had a difficult time leaving. Handies will always hold a special place in my heart. I can see myself coming back and if I’m fortunate, maybe climbing again with family and friends.
I felt so at peace in the solitude of being the only one at the summit. I had this special moment all to myself.
Before long, I knew it was time to get back down the mountain, but not before I made a promise to myself. That I would make this a slow journey, not because I was tired, but because I wanted to make this day last as long as I could.
I felt grateful for each and every moment of this hike today. So blessed, even with the physical exhaustion, to be able to come back and summit Handies Peak from the American Basin side. As I paused along the way to catch my breath, I intentionally took five or six extra breaths just to soak in the magical qualities of each moment, stopping just a little longer in awe of the beauty that took my breath away. I paused to hear the music - the birds singing, the marmot's chirping, and the water cascading down the mountain. I paused to smell the fresh air and touch the crisp, wet snow. I paused and just held my gaze, soaking in the vibrant colors all around me, trying to create an imprint in my mind. A memory that I could recall later in life to take me back to this magnificent place.
If only I could tarry a bit longer, I would have, but I knew that I had to keep moving. This was my second day in a row of climbing mountains and my body was starting to feel it. When I arrived at the trailhead box and signed myself out, I couldn’t help but have a bittersweet feeling. Joyful and proud of my accomplishment, but also sad that this adventure had come to an end.
In this fast paced life, so often we rush from one thing to the next. I saw so many people pass me going up and down the mountain and it seemed like they were in such a hurry. Maybe they were trying to complete their journey in a certain amount of time to challenge themselves. But I sure hope they paused every now and then to take it all in. Because throughout this day, I wanted each and every moment to last a little bit longer.
I think in our daily lives sometimes we have to pause and let the moment linger. Let that moment stretch out a little bit longer. To remember to feel and experience life without a sense of urgency to move on to the next thing. To fully take in the details of our surroundings and see what is truly in front of us.
“The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must be felt with the heart.” Hellen Keller
Handies Peak is definitely my favorite. I’m not sure why, but it’s always been Handies Peak. That’s the one that draws me in and fascinates me. Just to be near it, makes me feel more alive. I feel such a connection, like I am a part of it, and it is a part of me. Every time that I am here feels like a timeless gift, waiting for me to unwrap the possibilities to be felt and explored. During my experiences on Handies, I have felt so many emotions: joy, fear, excitement, frustration, and surprise to name a few. I love its graceful beauty, its limitless challenges, and its silent power to amplify what I am feeling.
It’s a reminder to not let a day go by without meaning, without feeling. Follow your heart and chase your dreams, knowing that you are living the life that you were meant to live. Find that thing in life that gets you excited. Find something that you can look forward to every single day that makes that day worth giving your best self to live life to its fullest.
From the summit of Handies Peak
Route from the American Basin to Handies Peak
