After my brief foray to sea level, I'm back in the mountains! Mount Thomas was my fourth of July selection, chosen not only for being a good hike but also because the moderate elevation and mild terrain were a good way to ease back into high country. Thomas is on the Red Table plateau, a unique Colorado feature that rises from the land in a sea of orange and red stones. Colorado folks might recognize the familiar rock bands and color, as they are the same stuff the fabled Maroon Bells are made of. I tried to mimick some sweet air drums on the summit as a tribute to my uncle Tom, but alas the pictures came out far too silly (and trekking poles make poor drumsticks). While Thomas was a long but gentle hike, Mount Deming was a mystery, wrapped in an enigma, coated with a thin varnish of riddle, and buffed with the finest wax of intrigue.
You see, little is known about Mount Deming--as far as the guidebook trade goes. I had no solid info on routes there, so I'd be picking one out myself. Fun! The day turned out to be an epic 15 mile, 8 hour, adventure with the routefinding a bit more tricky than I would have expected. After following a longish pack trail, I climbed a ridge via a 3rd-4th class rock pillar, which turned out to be totally unnecessary, as just to the right of the pillar were several grassy slopes more suited for ascent. Nonetheless, the ridgewalk was an exciting traverse, highlighted by a deep notch that had to be climbed with some technial savvy. After that, it's a straight shot to big ol' Deming, a fine mountain who doesn't see a lot of visitors. The log book had one previous entry from the last month, that of Jennifer Roach--wife and co author (along with her husband Gerry) of dozens of Colorado guidebooks! DOH! Just when I think I've found a unique jewel of a mountain--oh well, maybe she won't be writing about it. The moment reminded me of Indiana Jones, where the bad guy who rends people's still-beating hearts from their chests says, "Once again you see there is nothing you can possess that I cannot take away." Hopefully that's not the case!
After seeing moose, deer, elk, marmots, pikas, and enough bear scat to know I had been seen by a few Black Bear, I finished up the hike and got home in good time. Next up: Holy Cross, Powell, and Fool's Peak.
