Telluride’s Backyard: Ballard Mountain

14 Jul Telluride’s Backyard: Ballard Mountain

Ballard Summit

Ever noticed? The too-familiar tends to be ignored. I’ve lived in Telluride since 1985, and for the past eight years Ballard Mountain is the most prominent point just out my office window. I hike nearly every day in the Summer, and often in the Winter; I’ve relished the views from the top of Ajax, Palmyra, Iron Mountain, Mendota. I’ve hiked and run Imogene, Sneffels Highline, the Waterline, the Eider Creek Trail. But somehow I never got around to climbing Ballard.

Oh, I’ve often thought I should; but it’s so close, I can do that anytime.

I wasn’t even planning to climb it last Friday. Our friends Ted and Vanessa Hoff were coming up to Telluride to spend a few days with the express plan to climb Wilson Peak. I’ve climbed Wilson many times in the past but not for several years, so I was looking forward to another ascent of this iconic mountain. A busy schedule at Cottonwood Ranch kept Ted at home, but Vanessa came up anyway, ready to do Wilson for the first time. Heavy rain Thursday afternoon and the forecast of more of the same and the possibility of lightning the next day, dampened (pun intended) our enthusiasm. When I suggested Ballard as an alternative, Vanessa responded with a hearty “Yes!” She had no desire to hike for hours just to get lightninged off before the summit. Ballard Mountain didn’t require the same commitment as Wilson, hence a smaller disappointment if we didn’t summit. The sweetener was the fact that though the ultimate elevation is higher on Wilson Peak, the vertical to hike is nearly the same: about 4000 feet.

Me, Vanessa and Gina the Dog

So we got a relatively relaxed start on Friday morning, with Gina the Dog, who would not have been invited on the Wilson climb, another sweetener for our revised plan. It was cool and pleasant walking up Bear Creek, and being in the trees after we crossed the creek made the steep climb up the west slope much more bearable (speaking of “bears”, we saw a good sized one through the trees fairly close to Bear Creek) than it would have been if we had been out on the open slope. And Gina the Dog was in heaven.

We only saw one other group on our way up, so it was easy to stop and revel in the views, photograph wildflowers, try to spot the picas and marmots whistling at us; in short to enjoy the beautiful morning in solitude. When we broke out onto the summit ridge the views in every direction were astounding. How could I have waited so many years to do this climb! The views down into Deertrail Basin can’t be had from many other vistas, and the familiar views to the Wilsons and north to the San Sofia Ridge acquired an altered familiarity. We pushed on to the Ballard summit, aware of the clouds moving in, but not so fast that we couldn’t savor the joy of being at the highest point in our immediate world.

Vanessa saluting Wilson Peak

We got off the high ground as the clouds built and we heard the occasional peal of thunder. We had pleasant lunch on a rock field, took time to photograph fields of columbine, and were nearly back down to Bear Creek by the time the rain and lightning really hit, congratulating ourselves for a good choice. Wilson Peak by this time was totally covered by dark ominous clouds.

Columbines, log

At home, we dried off the pup, changed shoes, and rode the 1 1/2 miles to Telluride Brewery on bikes, had a pint and picked up a growler of IPA for dinner, then rode home. Two happy and slightly tired climbers.

And now, as I write this at my desk, I’m looking out the window at beautiful Ballard, content in the knowledge that one more corner of my adopted home is a bit more familiar.