Trinchera Peak Trip Report 09/02/2021

Peak(s):	Trinchera Pk - 13,517 feet "Leaning North Pk" - 13,100 feet "Leaning South Pk" - 13,203 feet
Date Posted:	09/02/2021
Date Climbed:	08/27/2021
Author:	RJ_Greenhorn24
Additional Members:	BlindWanderer

A Workday Trio! Trinchera, L-N/S
Stats: 5hrs 25 mins with LOTS of 1 minute breaks Distance: 4.75 miles RT Living in Rye we always have quite a drive to bag peaks so we looked South to the Sangres that were easily accessible for an afternoon hike. We got off work and headed South with clouds building over only the peaks we planned to hit (wouldn't ya know it!) We made our way up FSR 436 to treeline in my stock 05' SR5 4Runner with street tires. This road is your typical Sangre garbage, but it still wasn't as bad as Hermit Pass. We parked just 2 switchbacks above treeline and started up the Northeast slopes. Making our way up the tundra slopes, alternating between steep and gradual inclines. Looking back towards the Spanish Peaks Transitioning from Tundra to Talus After you reach the end of the tundra you're faced with tons of steep talus hopping. At the end of the tundra, looking up the steep talus section. The talus section was short and before you know it you're on the summit with 5 huge summit cairns On the summit looking North towards the Blanca Massif Summit # 1 Trinchera Peak Being the 3 slowest hikers in human history we were currently sitting at 1 hr 58 mins, 1.32 miles on my tracker. We do a LOT of stopping, so I'm sure normal people could reach this summit in much better time than we did. The next stop of the day was Leaning North Peak Making our way South off Trinchera's summit towards our next 2 goals L-North (left) & L-South (right). Cuatro sticking his big head up behind L-South and Culebra off to the right Looking down into Jarioso Canyon with Ute Mountain in the backdrop Looking back up Trinchera On the saddle between the 2 peaks making our way towards L-North. BlindWanderer leaving us in the dust. This approach was so short and the incline so gradual that it hardly seemed to take any effort. When we reached the summit we were sitting at 2hrs 32mins, 2.12 miles. While we were on this summit we took time to scope out Trinchera's East face. With the weather building we wanted a quick escape plan that wouldn't involve re-summiting Trinchera. I've never found a trip report where anyone did this, but we spotted a game trail that goes just below the cliffs all the way across the face. BlindWanderer on the summit of L-North with Trinchera in the backdrop. And yes he really is blind, relying only on peripheral vision since he has no central vision. That always makes the exposed peaks a bit more of a task but it never stops him. Summit # 2 Leaning North Peak We didn't waste any time on L-North's summit as clouds were building all around us and dropping rain over Stonewall. We promptly made our way to the final peak of the day: Leaning South. This approach took a bit more time than the last but was still quite short overall. On the summit of L-South looking back over our route for the day. Summit # 3 Leaning South Peak The rain had subsided by this time so we took a long break on L-South and enjoyed a summit brew. Our time was now 3 hrs, 8 mins, 2.9 miles. Making our way back to the car, we spotted the trail that takes you below L-North and to the saddle. Once we reached the saddle we found the game trail that would take us across Trinchera's East face back to the NE slopes. It went all the way and was quite defined. The angle on either side was quite steep but that trail itself had been matted flat. Crossing the East face below the cliffbands Looking down into the valley, there were cliffs below the tundra so you had to be mindful of your steps. A fall here doesn't look bad, but the cliffs below could be fatal. Back on the NE slope of Trinchera looking back at the route across the face A final look back up the slope at Trinchera as we got near the car Our route tracked with my OnX hunting app This trio was a great option for a quick afternoon hike that was close to home. Our final time when we arrived back at the 4Runner was 5hrs 25 mins, 4.75 miles. The drive back down 436 was slow going in 4Lo, dodging rocks seemed to be easier on the way up than going down. More awesome 13rs in the book and yes, as always, I took my summit signs home with me. Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

A Workday Trio! Trinchera, L-N/S

Stats: 5hrs 25 mins with LOTS of 1 minute breaks

Distance: 4.75 miles RT

Living in Rye we always have quite a drive to bag peaks so we looked South to the Sangres that were easily accessible for an afternoon hike. We got off work and headed South with clouds building over only the peaks we planned to hit (wouldn't ya know it!)

We made our way up FSR 436 to treeline in my stock 05' SR5 4Runner with street tires. This road is your typical Sangre garbage, but it still wasn't as bad as Hermit Pass. We parked just 2 switchbacks above treeline and started up the Northeast slopes.

21329_01 — Making our way up the tundra slopes, alternating between steep and gradual inclines. Looking back towards the Spanish Peaks

21329_03 — Transitioning from Tundra to Talus

After you reach the end of the tundra you're faced with tons of steep talus hopping.

21329_02 — At the end of the tundra, looking up the steep talus section.

The talus section was short and before you know it you're on the summit with 5 huge summit cairns

21329_04 — On the summit looking North towards the Blanca Massif

Being the 3 slowest hikers in human history we were currently sitting at 1 hr 58 mins, 1.32 miles on my tracker. We do a LOT of stopping, so I'm sure normal people could reach this summit in much better time than we did. The next stop of the day was Leaning North Peak

21329_06 — Making our way South off Trinchera's summit towards our next 2 goals L-North (left) & L-South (right). Cuatro sticking his big head up behind L-South and Culebra off to the right

21329_05 — Looking down into Jarioso Canyon with Ute Mountain in the backdrop

21329_08 — On the saddle between the 2 peaks making our way towards L-North. BlindWanderer leaving us in the dust.

This approach was so short and the incline so gradual that it hardly seemed to take any effort. When we reached the summit we were sitting at 2hrs 32mins, 2.12 miles. While we were on this summit we took time to scope out Trinchera's East face. With the weather building we wanted a quick escape plan that wouldn't involve re-summiting Trinchera. I've never found a trip report where anyone did this, but we spotted a game trail that goes just below the cliffs all the way across the face.

21329_09 — BlindWanderer on the summit of L-North with Trinchera in the backdrop. And yes he really is blind, relying only on peripheral vision since he has no central vision. That always makes the exposed peaks a bit more of a task but it never stops him.

21329_18 — Summit # 2 Leaning North Peak

We didn't waste any time on L-North's summit as clouds were building all around us and dropping rain over Stonewall. We promptly made our way to the final peak of the day: Leaning South. This approach took a bit more time than the last but was still quite short overall.

21329_10 — On the summit of L-South looking back over our route for the day.

21329_17 — Summit # 3 Leaning South Peak

The rain had subsided by this time so we took a long break on L-South and enjoyed a summit brew. Our time was now 3 hrs, 8 mins, 2.9 miles.

21329_11 — Making our way back to the car, we spotted the trail that takes you below L-North and to the saddle.

Once we reached the saddle we found the game trail that would take us across Trinchera's East face back to the NE slopes. It went all the way and was quite defined. The angle on either side was quite steep but that trail itself had been matted flat.

21329_12 — Crossing the East face below the cliffbands

21329_13 — Looking down into the valley, there were cliffs below the tundra so you had to be mindful of your steps. A fall here doesn't look bad, but the cliffs below could be fatal.

21329_14 — Back on the NE slope of Trinchera looking back at the route across the face

21329_15 — A final look back up the slope at Trinchera as we got near the car

21329_16 — Our route tracked with my OnX hunting app

This trio was a great option for a quick afternoon hike that was close to home. Our final time when we arrived back at the 4Runner was 5hrs 25 mins, 4.75 miles. The drive back down 436 was slow going in 4Lo, dodging rocks seemed to be easier on the way up than going down. More awesome 13rs in the book and yes, as always, I took my summit signs home with me.

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

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