Noah's Adventures

Mount Daly has been tempting me ever since I first laid eyes on it. It’s an impressive sight, with its banded East face overlooking Snowmass Village. At 13,323 ft, it’s a full day’s adventure—16 miles and 5,000 feet of climbing with a class 2 scramble to top things off.

Kenny and I set off at the Capitol Ditch trailhead at 6:30 am on the morning of July 13th. We wove through the first few miles of mellow aspen groves before coming across a lush alpine meadow.

When the meadow opened up, we caught more glimpses of the mountains ahead. Our objective for the day greeted us on the left, and the impressive granite face of Capitol Peak stood in front of us.

We crossed another stream, gained another meadow, and dove into a forest of conifers, linking up with the Capitol Creek Trail a little after three miles into the day.

The next section of trail slowly gained the valley, leading us up to Capitol Lake through groves of dense pines and firs, with wildflower-filled meadows interspersed between. Halfway up the valley, we passed a crew of volunteers who were working on the trail.

Eventually, the forest gave way to a glorious alpine meadow, rewarding us with views of the surrounding peaks. We pushed onwards up the steepening path, winding up beside a forceful stream. Finally, we crested the ridge into the ultimate basin, following the trail across a meadow and arriving at Capitol Lake.

The Lake rests below the towering face of Capitol Peak, and is situated at about 11,600 feet and 6.7 miles into the trail. We made a mental note to come back on the descent for a swim.

After finishing up a quick snack, we began the summit push. Leaving the lake, we strode by a few chubby-looking marmots who wished us a safe passage. The trail steepens considerably after the lake. Winding up the path, we slowly gained the saddle between the two mountains, Capitol and Daly.

Now it was time for a scramble. We left the trail behind, and clambered along the west side of the ridge. The route then shoots directly up to the Southwest ridge of Daly. This involves climbing up a steep, loose section of scree and under a fascinating arch formation.

After crossing under the arch, we climbed up below the East side of the ridge. We made sure to stay about 20 yards below the ridgeline as it was quite steep and hard to reach.

After some time moving slowly over a mixture of dirt and loose rock, we climbed up to the true ridgeline, which we would follow all the way to the summit. For the most part, the West face of the mountain is more exposed than the East, which is more forgiving.

Towards the middle of the climb, we skirted around the West side of an outcrop, where the drop of the East face was impassable. Next, we came across a section of rubble, navigating through the relatively stable section.

The ascent was a slow process–the lower portion of the ridge was composed of loose soil and scree, whereas higher up there is better purchase, with undulating high points composed of more solid rock. The final push is a less demanding section, essentially a steep hike over rubble and talus.

We eventually came upon the final push. Retrospectively, I realized we had crossed a section of ridgeline that was lighter in hue than the rest–this was the unmistakable igneous intrusion, or “stripe” visible from the mountain’s East side.

A short climb up a section of loose talus, and we were standing on the summit of Mount Daly. It was an incredible feeling–being on top of such a recognizable peak, we told each other we’d never look at it again the same way.

We strode across the summit ridge, and ate a rewarding lunch. Taking in the view one last time, we started on the descent. The goal we set for ourselves was safety over speed.

On the return route, we followed our previous path, but were able to find some better alternatives. The downclimb was mostly uneventful, save for a wrong turn towards the bottom. We ended up stranded up on a steep cliff edge, and had to backtrack to safely make it down to the arch.

We retraced our steps through the arch, clinging to more stable rock amid the loose moon dust below. At last, we were at the saddle again. After dropping down to lake level, we figured it was time for a swim.

Needless to say, the water was absolutely frigid. Kenny and I both got fully submerged, but I wouldn’t say there was much actual “swimming” to be seen. Recharged, we put our shirts and shoes back on, and started down the valley.

The last five miles were a true slog. Our legs were shot, but we pushed on. With Kenny’s suggestion and my approval, we jogged the final mile of the route back to the car. It was a long mile.

The sight of the parking lot was truly heaven-like, and marked the end of a long and incredible day. Mount Daly was a stunning, challenging climb, and a peak that delivered an unforgettable adventure from start to finish.