Panorama from Challenger Point (Colo. 14er)

Panorama view from atop Challenger Point, a Colorado 14er named for the tragic Space Shuttle accident in 1986. This 14er is in the Sangre de Cristo range in southern Colorado. The trailhead begins just outside the town of Crestone CO. It's a very long hike, and almost everybody who climbs this peak begins by backpacking up to Willow Lake near 11,500' on the day prior to the climb. Most people then scale both Challenger Point (14,091') and nearby Kit Carson Peak (14,165') on the same climb. The views are wonderful. The view starts by looking back down at the town of Crestone, then sweeps west and south across the San Luis valley showing the Great Sands Dunes National Monument, then the group of distant 14ers including Blanca Peak, Little Bear Peak and Ellingwood Peak. Finally, in the nearground can be seen Crestone Peak and the rounded top of Kit Carson Peak (in the shadows), just 1/3 mile to the SE.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Challenger
• Point
• 14er
• panorama
• mountain
• Colorado

[mesocyclogenesis]

thanks for sharing, headed there this weekend