Ruby Peak

Went back up to Crested Butte with my family for Labor Day Weekend, and that meant another hike with Josh Futterman. He suggested a climb to the summit of Ruby Peak, to which I readily agreed.

We got an early start, driving up the rutted mining road to a decent place to pull off and park and hitting the trail by 7:30.

The cascades from the runoff from Green Lake were gorgeous, and the overcast skies provided perfect lighting to capture them.

I didn't stop to shoot much else on the way up, especially once we hit the saddle.  The wind really picked up there, and the trail got much steeper to reach the summit.  But in fairly short order we were there, taking in great views like this one towards East and West Beckwith Mountains.

Mount Owen just on the other side of the saddle is a good 500 feet taller than Ruby.  We had no intention of trying to summit it as well, with the clouds looking a bit ominous.

We hung out at the summit for a bit hoping the sun might break through at some point, but eventually gave up after a last shot looking back down towards Lake Irwin.

I'm always amazed at the vibrant colors in high alpine lakes.  That glacial silt really does wonders.  And the book Crested Butte Colorado: 65 Scenic Day Hikes is right -- Green Lake is really much more blue than green.

When we got back down to Green Lake, we noticed another pair of hikers walking along its shore.  Turns out they had taken more chances with the rutted road than we had, and driven their pickup to within about half a mile of the lake.  So I'm not sure how much hiking they actually did.

The switchbacks to the saddle between Ruby Peak and Mount Owen were pronounced and much appreciated.

The sun kept threatening to burn through on our return trip, but never quite managed.  So the conditions were still excellent for shooting more of the cascades.

Josh and I were both amazed at how many wildflowers were still blooming above 10,000 feet.  Our best guess is that they were aided by the moist summer.

I found this sign to be an interesting contradiction.  Someone valued their claim on the land enough to post it, but not enough to maintain the fence the sign was hung on.  Regardless, when you see signs like this proper etiquette is to remain on the trail or road, which we did.

The hike is about 7.5 mile long with about 2,500 feet of total elevation gain.  We took a solid five hours to complete the trek, due to frequent photo stops and an extended stay at the summit.  The 65 Scenic Day Hikes book gives it a six-star rating, its highest.  Even with clouds as our constant companions, it was easy to see why.  The wildflowers, cascades, lake and summit views combine for a truly terrific hike!