We set up camp the night prior to the climb at the Angel of Shavano Camp ground. While the others dodged Jade's flaming wrath, Shayne and I went to scout out the trailhead. We had originally planned to start at Jennings Creek, but on the way up we noticed a sign saying that the trail had been closed due to recent deaths on Tabeguache Peak, we never did find out the details but I imagine the trail closure was either due to lightning strikes or a decent down McCoy Gulch, this left us with the Blank Gulch Trail. It was a longer trail and not as accessible as Jennings Creek, but we didn't have any other options.

The next morning we broke camp and headed up to the Blank Gulch trailhead. The road is passable for most vehicles, but the last mile gets a little tricky. Its not to bad if you take it slow. When we arrived, we unloaded the gear and started the hike. The trail can be done in one day, but we decided to camp about halfway up the trail.

The first half of the trial is a beautiful hike as it winds its way through a thick forest, we passed a few primitive camp sites then crossed a small creek. The trail follows the creek until you reach 11,200ft. At this point the trail make a sharp right and the scenery quickly changes. Camp was set up here. We found a nice clearing about 50ft west of the trail. After setting up camp, a few of us bush whacked to the creek to fill our water bottles for the climb in the morning. We ran into a nice couple who had found a premo spot to camp, they were probably a quarter mile from the trail at the base of the angel. We chatted with them for a few minutes then left them to themselves.

The next morning we got a bit of a late start. I want to say we hit the trail at 8:30 but it might have been closer to 9. From 11,200 the trial steep'ens slightly for about 3 quarters of a mile until you break tree line. Once you break tree line, you get a nice view of the trail (Class 2) that leads to the saddle. By this time our once large pack had split into three pairs. Shayne and Troy in front, Ron and Myself about 50 yards behind them and Darren and Jade bringing up the rear about 50 yards behind us. As we pushed to the summit, everyone started to split up. Troy was blazing his way through the switchbacks to the saddle, Ron had pulled away from me and caught up with Shayne, while Jade and Darren fell a little farther behind. When I reached the saddle I received a radio message from Darren stating that he was done. The altitude had gotten the best of him. Jade on the other hand was still on his way up. I took a little nap on the, fifty yard wide, saddle and when I awoke Ron and Shayne were halfway up Shavano's south ridge, Troy was not in sight and Jade was still trying to work his way up through the switchbacks.

I figured that I would pass Shayne and Ron on there way down, but was quite surprised when I stumbled upon Ron, wandering aimlessly just below the summit. I asked him what he was doing and he replied "I lost the trail!". I asked "have you been to the summit yet? and were's Troy?". Ron said that he hadn't seen or heard from Troy and that he hadn't reached the summit because he couldn't find the trial. My reply was "trail?..... your on a Talus field above 14.000ft, who needs a f' ing trail? The summit is right there!", as I pointed to the 60 ft pile of rocks behind him. He replied "ok... I'll just follow you!". About 10 minutes later we found a well rested Troy and a light headed Shayne on the summit. Shayne was just ahead of Ron and I but Troy had to have been up there for at least 45 minutes and I could have sworn I heard him snoring as we approached.

As we reached the summit of Shavano, Jade was approaching the summit of Esprit Point. He decided that he was too far behind us and with the storm clouds building above, the 13er might be his only shot at a summit. It was a good decision on his part. The four of us spent another 30 minutes on the summit, then noticed the storm seemed to be heading our way. We made a quick decent down the angels snow-less left wing. I figure it saved us about 30 minutes. but it turned out to be and unnecessary move. The storm that looked like it was heading right for us stayed to the east and we just received some light sprinkles. We passed a few Big Horned Sheep on the way down as Shayne and I were discussing how we wished that we had gone and done Tabeguache while we were up there, but while on Shavano's summit the weather didn't look as if it would hold and the connecting ridge was the last place we would want to be during the storm...... Oh well, It gives us a reason to go back!

We made it back to camp in about an hour and a half. Then celebrated a successful summit the following evening at the Triple M in Salida......... no ones heard from Ron since!

-Scott Parry