June 2024--Steep, Sharp, Slippery Scree: Climbing Hayden North

Photo by Paul Venturo

The loose rock in this picture is called "talus." Scree is a type of talus consisting of very small pieces of rock. We encountered both scree and talus during this ascent.

During our stay in Ouray, Colorado, we decided to hike Hayden Peak North. We got up at 4:00 in the morning and drove to the trailhead. Route-finding became difficult right away, because the trail was narrow, steep, and covered in dense vegetation. Once we got above tree line, though, it became much easier. We collected quartz and agate and pointed out the occasional pika. At last we neared the summit—but before that was one final hurdle: a steep scree slope. The scree slid and jostled us around as we labored up. But then, suddenly, the scree ended and we were at the summit! The view took our breath away—the San Juans are the most beautiful mountain range in Colorado. After hanging out for a couple minutes we slogged back to the car. But even though we were tired and hungry, we smiled. We had conquered Hayden North.

A Colorado summit doesn't usually allow this kind of relaxation. Despite the difficult scree ascent, the summit was nice enough for Mom and Dad to take a bit of a snooze!