Slate Creek, Gore Range (Colorado)

Part 2:

From the upper lake, it’s a bushwhack of 1.5-2 miles to South America Lake, in the upper basin. As Gore Range buskwhacks go, it’s not terrible. Like all eastern Gore Range buskwhacks, it is densely brushy and WET. There’s a pretty good semblance of a path around the south side of the lake. From there, there are some bits of boot-built tread and cairns, but you’re mostly on your own. There are two feasible routes: you can head high, traversing the lower slopes of Peak S all the way to the basin of South America Lake. We more-or-less followed this route on the way down. It involves a lot of talus, boulders, and snow, and my favorite: dense brush mixed with boulders. Or, you can drop to the ponds below the headwall, backtrack downvalley and cross the creek, contour around the north side of the ponds, and then mount a direct assault on the steep headwall leading to the lake basin. (This was our route on the way up.) This involves a lot of brush, a lot of wet, and a steep climb up grass and talus. I can give details about the route for those who are interested.













We arrived at South America Lake (11,600 ft.; unofficially so named due to its shape) early in the afternoon. Holy smokes, what a spectacular place SA lake and the upper Slate basin is: to my mind, rivaled in the Gores only by the upper Black Creek high country to the north (and not quite as difficult to get to.) We slowly contoured our way around the lake in grass, talus and brush, finally selecting a camp just about off the coast of Peru, near the inlet stream coming from the snowfield in the saddle between peak Q and Peak R. (One first reaches the lake at the tip of Chile.) The other major inlet stream is at the very head of the lake (Venezuela).








Unfortunately, by now, I am suffering from more severe altitude sickness than I ever had before. I’m vomiting and can’t hardly eat anything. I’m always queasy on day 1 and 2, and eating is a challenge, but this is disconcerting—we’re planning to be at or above 11,500 for the next 4 days, and I’m running on empty.

We manage to make camp before the storm, which arrives with a passion—we get torrential rain for much of the afternoon, and again after dinner. The tent is nearing the end of its lifespan and we’re taking some water, but we manage to keep things reasonably dry.

Day 3:

We decide to take a rest day (our schedule allows for one somewhere, although I was hoping to use it later to climb Mt. Powell). I’m in no condition to continue-- although not actually puking anymore, I can still barely eat. We explore the upper basin above the lake, and confirm that our planned route, over the pass to the north to the S Fork of Black Creek seems feasible: mostly class 2 (as near as we can tell) over mostly talus and snow. It could be corniced on the other side—there’s still a fair amount of snow. The light conditions are amazing, the lake is like glass. Marmots and pikas abound. (No pika pics this time: those buggers rarely sit still.)









Afternoon, it is stormaggedon, part duex. This time, it rains/hails torrentially for about 2 hours, with scary-close lightning. The most intense high-mountain storm I’ve ever experienced. The tent barely survives. Also, my son’s pad is leaking. (When the lightning is so close you can smell the ozone, you really need those couple inches between you and the ground!) Much of our camp is now a lake.

Beautiful photos, especially the one preceeding Day 4 description. I enjoyed the narrative as well.

To answer your question in your other thread I read these regularly, as I am constantly looking for new places that I might try to go.  Thanks for the great report.

Being sick is a pain, but at least you got out there in the beauty.

Unbelievable photos. Sorry you had to contend with altitude sickness, but clearly you made the best of it. Thanks for the TR.

Nice TR. Your photos make me want to put that on our list. Our very long list...

Just like my list of books I'm going to read...though one nice thing: as we've aged and shortened our hiking days, backpacking often involves whole afternoons lounging in camp with a book. Sometimes it feels "wrong" to be out there and just reading, but the light is lousy then anyway, and sitting for hours reading is a part of being on vacation! So this last week, I finished 4 books and started a 5th