Luke Plumley completes Larimer County

Discuss Colorado's Peaks

Luke Plumley completes Larimer County

Postby JoeGrim » Sun Aug 28, 2011 6:35 pm

Luke Plumley today became the 4th completer of Larimer County, the county with the second most ranked peaks in all of Colorado. He finished with peaks in the northern Rawah Wilderness. At the same time, he also became the 2nd to complete all ranked peaks in Roosevelt National Forest, just a few days after friend Mike Offerman. Way to go, Luke! Now though, you are required to give us some highlights, including favorite peaks, most challenging peaks, etc. :-)
User avatar
JoeGrim
 
Posts: 214
Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:02 pm
Location: Loveland, CO

Re: Luke Plumley completes Larimer County

Postby ChrisRoberts » Sun Aug 28, 2011 6:47 pm

Well done Luke, Larimer takes a whole lot of determination!
ChrisRoberts
 
Posts: 23
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2011 6:44 pm

Re: Luke Plumley completes Larimer County

Postby PaulStratmoen » Sun Aug 28, 2011 7:05 pm

Congratulations Luke! And you did it on your birthday too. 8) Happy birthday!

That's a huge list. I imagine it has some interesting access issues. :toothless:
User avatar
PaulStratmoen
 
Posts: 46
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2010 2:22 pm

Re: Luke Plumley completes Larimer County

Postby mikeofferman » Sun Aug 28, 2011 7:57 pm

Excellent job Luke! Hope you had cake on top of 10833!
mikeofferman
 
Posts: 141
Joined: Tue Nov 21, 2006 8:47 pm
Location: Windsor

Re: Luke Plumley completes Larimer County

Postby petekrz » Sun Aug 28, 2011 8:09 pm

Joe...i'm glad you posted the initial congrats. I talked to Luke and knew he finished on the 10ers...but wasn't sure where they were at.

Luke...congrats on finishing a huge list. It was a pleasure to climb a handful of them with you. Sharkstooth and the Julian/Terra Tomah day were two of my favorite Larimer County hikes with you.

Is JeffCo next?

Pete
petekrz
 
Posts: 29
Joined: Fri Nov 10, 2006 4:56 pm
Location: Evergreen, CO

Re: Luke Plumley completes Larimer County

Postby Ryan Kowalski » Sun Aug 28, 2011 10:10 pm

Congratulations Luke! That is one massive list for sure. I am sure I will be picking your brain for details on the good ones in the future.
Ryan Kowalski
 
Posts: 60
Joined: Sat Nov 11, 2006 9:17 pm

Re: Luke Plumley completes Larimer County

Postby Steve Knapp » Mon Aug 29, 2011 7:56 am

Well, it's about time! :-D

I thought this list would fall pretty quickly when you returned to Colorado, but I think you've been savoring it. A great county with many fine peaks. The 25-peak Poudre Park quad is a project by itself. I love the variety in Larimer, from the litle known 5ers and 6ers you can easily climb in the winter to the awesome 13ers in the Park.

Nice job Luke!
Steve Knapp
 
Posts: 171
Joined: Fri Nov 30, 2007 3:52 pm
Location: Highlands Ranch, CO

Re: Luke Plumley completes Larimer County

Postby TWorth » Mon Aug 29, 2011 8:22 am

Congrats Luke! The Shipman Park area is a nice place to visit, I believe Mike O finished up the Larimer list there a few years back. Only place in Larmier county I've been truly lost on a hike. Will be interested to hear about your most challenging, favorites, etc as everyone has their own picks. Odds are I'll be the next one to join you on completing the Larimer list if I don't get too distracted by other areas, which always seems to happen.
TWorth
 
Posts: 215
Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2006 4:27 pm

Re: Luke Plumley completes Larimer County

Postby Brian Kalet » Mon Aug 29, 2011 9:46 am

Congratulations, Luke!
Luke's climb of 10833 also yielded a completion of the Rawah Wilderness Peaks.
User avatar
Brian Kalet
 
Posts: 200
Joined: Mon Aug 28, 2006 9:42 am
Location: Fort Collins, CO

Re: Luke Plumley completes Larimer County

Postby John Kirk » Mon Aug 29, 2011 10:09 am

Congrats Luke!!!
User avatar
John Kirk
LoJ Architect
 
Posts: 1605
Joined: Sun Jan 02, 2005 1:04 am
Location: Lakewood, CO

Re: Luke Plumley completes Larimer County

Postby lukePlumley » Mon Aug 29, 2011 6:39 pm

Thank you everyone for the congratulations. Larimer is a very fine list to work on. I had planned to finish it off this spring, but the mosquitos up in the Laramie River Road areas were just incredible this year! Therefore I decided to stall a little bit and finish on my birthday instead.

Coming up with a list of least favorites is pretty easy. My very least favorite peak is 8037 on the Buckhorn Mountain Quad. That summit is covered in rusty old junk. While admiring the junk on the summit, some old guy snuck up behind me. He scared the hell out of me, and Buster and I took off running full speed down the snowy slope to the north. He never did catch me, but I was just waiting to hear gunshots or a chainsaw coming after me! The Rist Canyon area in general is pretty difficult. Those are definitely the worst access peaks in the county, and the local residents are definitely the nastiest. I had to run from several of them, but I have not been caught yet!

I always enjoy a good bushwhack, and the toughest of this is found near the Long Draw Road. I did a group of 6 9ers and 10ers with Buster in a single loop hike there, and that one was brutal and wet. Probably the toughest day I had in the county.

As far as favorites go, there are many. One of the best is McHenry's Peak. I think the neatest place around is the area between Spearhead and McHenrysPeak, and the standard Stone Man Pass route to McHenrys is fantastic. The day I spent up there with Pete and Dave is still one of my all-time favorites.

A second favorite is the great Turkey Roost Traverse. This 7 peak Loop is everything a peak bagger could ever ask for! You simply climb peaks from your truck to the northern horizon and back. There is good bushwhacking, big wild country, fantastic scrambling, interesting route finding, and of course the threat of angry ranchers with german shepherds. We also had a few angry bulls to deal with!. Many thanks to Mike for re-doing this one with Dave and I.

As mentioned, there are many access issues in Larimer. Most of them however are way out in open country, and houses are few and far between. I love to do these under a full moon, and the peaks east of 287 are perfect for this! The greatest night hike of all though was to Specimen, N Specimen, and "Poudre Peak" in the middle of the elk rut. Those horny elk were everywhere, and I was sure I would eventually be gored or trampled in the dark. Fantastic!

Last but not least is a group of peaks that don't get mentioned much, but if you have not yet climbed E and W Desolation Peaks, do it ASAP (Joe this means you). The hike from Chapin Pass is very easy, and the little scramble up the East summit is unforgettable!

Pete, you asked what is next, and I really have no idea right now. I plan to play around for the rest of the year, then begin something seriously next spring. Summit County is a likely goal, or maybe a pioneering first in Jackson County if Brian or Steve doesn't get there first..... Time will tell. I will definitely have to continue to feed the LIST ADDICTION. As always, thanks for that John!

Best wishes to Tim and John in getting this completion in the near future. After that though it could be awhile?

Mike, no cake on 10833, but Corrinne surprised me by packing in some delicious Yuenglings to celebrate instead!

Thanks again to all of you and please feel free to ask anytime for route details or poaching help!

lp
lukePlumley
 
Posts: 199
Joined: Fri Nov 10, 2006 4:16 pm
Location: Silt, CO

Re: Luke Plumley completes Larimer County

Postby ChrisRoberts » Tue Aug 30, 2011 5:19 pm

lukePlumley wrote:Last but not least is a group of peaks that don't get mentioned much, but if you have not yet climbed E and W Desolation Peaks, do it ASAP (Joe this means you). The hike from Chapin Pass is very easy, and the little scramble up the East summit is unforgettable!

Agreed, the Desolations are wonderful and forgotten peaks. E Desolation is my favorite peak so far, nothing else has even come close.
ChrisRoberts
 
Posts: 23
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2011 6:44 pm

Re: Luke Plumley completes Larimer County

Postby Haikudude » Thu Sep 08, 2011 1:29 pm

Congrats on completing a formidable list, Luke!
Haikudude
 
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Jan 06, 2010 6:07 pm

Re: Luke Plumley completes Larimer County

Postby lukePlumley » Sat Sep 10, 2011 8:37 am

Thanks Haikudude!

The list isn't so formidable. I see you are already 1/4 of the way there.....go for it!

Hey, what happened in the Watershed? DId the Tundra Police come after you? :roll:

lp
lukePlumley
 
Posts: 199
Joined: Fri Nov 10, 2006 4:16 pm
Location: Silt, CO

Re: Luke Plumley completes Larimer County

Postby Haikudude » Sat Sep 10, 2011 11:29 am

Ah, funny you should ask about the Watershed. Actually went out last night. Parked at Long Lake about 6:00 pm, took the trail up and over Niwot Ridge, dropped down into the fobidden zone about sunset right on schedule. Got up on Albion going west, beautiful moonlight ridge walk. Got to Albion summit about 10:00 pm, there was a south wind and saw thick clouds rolling up from the south. It occurred to me that at night things could get real bad real fast with weather so I aborted on the other 2. It was a good call, it wasn't stormy but Kiowa and Arickaree were wrapped in clouds an hour later... would not have been fun. Might take my chances during the day perhaps with the other two via Niwot ridge over to above Airplane Gully and down.

Yeah, I'm going to keep chipping away at Larimer.. we'll see how it goes! Thanks for the encouragement.

Thomas
Haikudude
 
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Jan 06, 2010 6:07 pm

Next

Return to Colorado Peaks

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 15 guests