Backpacking the Gore: A Father and Son Adventure

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As the season changes, I sit and reflect on one of the great gifts this season of summer gave me. Imagine a masterpiece of art, architecture or pristine landscaping: This is what my father and I experienced in the natural world on our recent trip into the Gore Range.

My father moved to Colorado 40 years ago and has spent the majority of his life living at the base of The Gore, I was raise here so it is only fitting that my father and I choose to spend our most memorable moments together in The Gore Range. The Gore is vast, remote and most areas seldom traveled.

This past Labor Day, my Father and I decided to venture out into the Gore Range and explore some new terrain. We determined that neither of us had visited the summit of Mount Powell, the highest peak in the range with an elevation of 13,580 feet.

There are many ways to approach the peak of Mount Powell (the main approach starts at the Piney Lake trailhead. Our home is located on the east slope of the Gore, so we chose to make our journey from there in order to really get that backyard feeling of exploration.

We departed from our car on Friday evening just before sundown and headed to a small unnamed lake for our first night of solitude. We eagerly trampled through tall grass and bushwhacked through willows heading off the trail toward our first camp situated closer to the approach of Mount Powell.

We arrived at the lake just in time for dinner and a few sips of whiskey before turning in for much needed rest. The next few days were going to be strenuous. But this was a special trip, and we shared laughs and thanked each other for making the time to enjoy each other’s company for the coming days.

At sundown, a river of stars came over camp and blessed us and our adventure by offering us signs of good weather and powerful connection along the way.

That morning we packed up camp, slung our packs onto our backs and ventured off on the unbeaten path towards the ridge. We gained Elliot Ridge at daybreak and traversed until it was time to drop into the Cataract Creek drainage. We then made our way toward the pass where a series of unnamed lakes would be our next basecamp.

We had Mount Powell summit in our view for most of the day – the excitement and wonder of the journey ahead never left us as we gazed at our objective, moving forward one step at a time. Powell, however, towered in the distance, massive and extremely challenging. There was no doubt this was going to be a journey of achievement.

Eventually we wandered into camp filled with joy and gratitude. I fondly recall the utter admiration we had for the impeccable scenery that the great creator left for us. We set camp, tied our fishing poles up with a few hoppers and cast into the pristine lake catching handfuls of trout with amusing joy.

As the sun dipped behind the mountains making way for the evening’s celestial show, we turned in for the night. The stars danced above us, reassuring us the next morning would be another perfect day.

We made our push for the Mount Powell summit at daybreak. Route-finding our way up the pass and scrambling up the class 3-4 talus to the summit, we were elated to visit one of the great spectacles of the GoreRange for the first time together: Father and son strengthening our bond in nature, and with nature.

After counting our blessings and daydreaming of other Gore adventures, we scrambled down together with enough time to catch trout and watch nature’s light show once again. Starting with another mesmerizing sunset that turned into breathtaking alpenglow, we were blessed by the most dazzling Milky Way I’ve ever seen.

The best gift of this season was the magic of the summer sky and spending time with my father. Between the firing wildflowers, the awe of the jagged peaks towering above, the saturated remnants of a previous winter’s heavy snowfall, and the sun driven journey, we were given a taste of what it means to be truly disconnected to experience what is most important in life.

Connecting deeply with nature and bonding with a loved one provides a deep sense of freedom, and there is freedom in these hills.