LoJ: #490 (Pre-LiDAR #478) / 13,197' Powell Peak

Powell Peak is sequenced with Taylor Peak. One way mileage and elevation gain is measured from the summit of Taylor to Powell. Round-trip mileage and elevation gain assume completion of the sequence as described.

Continue from the summit of Taylor, stopping a few times to peer down into the depths of some of these great couloirs and over the edges of the cliffs, looking down into the Loch Vale cirque. Take pictures if you dare. The hike over to Powell is never difficult but a little tedious at times as you walk over tundra, then rocks, then tundra, then rocks, etc. You get the picture. We only had to drop a little under 400 feet in elevation from Taylor so regaining the Powell summit is not arduous, just long. It becomes much rockier as you approach the Powell summit, with great blocks of rock impeding your progress. With a climber’s patience, bear along with the difficulties and soon stand atop the second goal of the day.

With good weather underway, it's tempting to spend a little extra time here, even though it's a long trip back, just so you can soak in the view. No wonder this area was made into a national park. The summit of Powell is a rocky perch that drops off and even seems to overhang a little bit over the Loch Vale valley far below. We took plenty of photos. So should you. Off to the west, the beetle ravaged forest around Granby were sadly visible. Other summits like McHenrys lay close by, but separated by a substantial notch, and Long’s Peak looms in the distance like a great monarch of the Rockies, its odd square top unmistakable.

The trip back is a long contour. If you do not wish to hike over the summit of Taylor, swing to the west side of it a few hundred feet below and then head straight north for Andrews Pass. As we neared the pass, we spotted a cow elk and her newborn calf. Neither seemed too worried about us and we were able to get very close for some photos. The little calf would always stay behind its mother, keeping her between us and it. Glissading down the Andrews Glacier is a fun ride, a little intimidating at first because of the steepness, but more manageable further down. If weather permits, take some extra time heading back down the trail to enjoy some of the other features like "The Loch." Cool your weary feet in its waters. You will likely begin to pass a variety of tourists now, up for their shorter day hikes. If carrying an ice axe, they may give you strange glances, if not even slightly frightened looks. Total time for us to return to the Glacier Gorge trailhead was 11 hours. That included a one hour break on the summit of Powell.

Powell Peak can be also climbed from a route that begins by Sky Pond. From "The Loch," remain on the trail to Glass Lake and Sky Pond instead of taking the turnoff for Andrews Tarn and Glacier. Before reaching Glass Lake, the trail gains one section steeply with a nice waterfall nearby. If you arrive early at Glass Lake, you'll see how it gets its name. And Sky Pond also offers beautiful, reflective photos of the upper cirque. The following is our account of our attempt to climb Powell from Sky Pond:

"After considering several options, we settled on hiking up a long talus slope to the saddle between Powell and Thatchtop and then an attempt on the NE ridge of Powell. While I had read a little about this ridge, I had not paid enough attention to what I read. More about that in a minute. The hike up the talus was steep, loose and difficult. 1,700 feet of gain were all work and no play and required a lot of time. When we were at Glass Lake, the sky had some puffy white clouds, but the day still seemed nice. We had hoped for better weather, but that was not to be so. By the time we reached the saddle at 12,600 ft., clouds were gathering into showers and it was misting on us. We proceeded cautiously south along the ridge which drops nearly vertically on the east side and on the west side, where we were, it sloped of dangerously. The exposure was complicated by the wet, brown moss/lichen that covered most of the rocks. It made then slick as snot, requiring great care just to progress a short distance. We had not come prepared with adequate climbing equipment."

"After making progress of only about 100 yards and spending 45 minutes to do it, we came to a section of ridge that was much more vertical and would require some real climbing. By now, rain was imminent, so after some options discussion, we all agreed the only life-preserving option was to retreat. So that meant a cautious retracing of our route along the ridge and then a descent of the interminable talus slope back to Sky Pond. Far below, as we descended, we could see hikers at the lake. I’m sure they wondered what we were up to as we sent rolling boulders down frequently. After a tedious descent, we arrived at the lake somewhat wetter from the drizzle that fell as we descended. There was at least one fortunate timing in all this. The real rain held off until we got off the ridge."

In retrospect and having looked more closely at a few sources, I've seen the north ridge of Powell rated anywhere from 4th class to a middle 5th class climb. It is indeed very exposed on the east side. If attempting this, get some reliable information. We would suggest Gerry Roach's pocket guide book of "Classic Hikes and Climbs" in RMNP. It's still available on Amazon or order it direct from Gerry.