Uneva Peak is one of our favorite go-to 12,000′ peaks on any kind of day in any kind of season. Its relatively easy access from Vail Pass and moderate slopes make it a nice, safe half-day outing whether just hiking, snowshoeing, or skinning and skiing. While we’ve been up it now too many times to count, I have never posted pics on our adventures up and down the peak. However, I figured I would do so now considering the gorgeous sunny day we had this past Saturday with good friends (W&L fraternity brothers and their spouses) who were visiting us from Colorado Springs, Chicago, and St. Louis. Jamie Buckley and Dave & Sarah Levinson climbed Kilimanjaro with us back in August of 2011. We all arrived at Vail Pass at the early alpine start of 10:45am. Shortly after 11:15am, Kristine and I set off on our skins and skis while the rest of the crew set out on snowshoes and the dogs on their paws.

The crew with 13er Jacque Peak in the distance. Right to left: Jamie, Eileen, Sarah, Dave, & Kristine

Mellow slopes lead up to the shallow bowl we have dubbed “Uneva Bowl”

Moonscape

Uneva Bowl

I have rarely had a sunny, windless day up on Uneva, but this day took the cake. It was absolutely gorgeous. And the shallow bowl and ridgeline leading up to Uneva were completely caked with soft snow to boot. After about 2 1/2 hours in the soft snow, we reached the ridgeline/saddle where we could peer over into Summit County and down to Frisco and Silverthorne. This saddle was the start of the southeast ridge up and over the Point 12,340′ false summit and onto Uneva’s summit.

Rainier and the start of the southeast ridge up to Uneva Peak’s false summit, Point 12,340′

Our adopted dog for the day, Molly, with Copper Mountain ski resort and the Tenmile Range behind

Uneva Peak’s false summit on the left and true summit on the right as viewed from the ridgeline/saddle

Jamie & Eileen Buckley from Chicago

Dave & Sarah Levinson from St. Louis

Everyone was doing so well considering 4 of our 5 friends were from close to sea level and had just arrived 2 days prior. Chris Sutton was from Colorado Springs and was doing well as always. Chris had been up here before with me and Rainier, but had never tagged Uneva’s true summit. After we all hung out at the saddle a bit, ate our PB&J sandwiches, and enjoyed the sun and the views, we discussed going on to Uneva’s summit. The sea level folks had done so well all day and we were all happy that they had reached the ridgeline. While Sarah, Dave, Eileen, and Jamie were happy with the day’s efforts and decided to descend, Chris wanted to continue on to the summit as did the Chalks. I continued the rocky skin up the ridge while Kristine left her skis and booted it while Chris snowshoed.

Molly on top of Uneva’s fale summit, Point 12,340′, with the Gore Range behind

Kona, Chris, and Kristine approaching Point 12,340′

The saddle between the false summit and Uneva’s true summit

We reached Uneva’s gorgeous summit about 30 minutes later under a warm sun and calm skies. We stayed up on the summit for a good 30 minutes soaking in the sun and admiring the views of the Gore Range laid out before us to the north.

Rainier lounging on the summit of Uneva Peak (12,522′)

Kona coming up to the summit with the mighty Gores behind

Looking north to the southern Gores. The Silverthorne massif (center), Zodiac View (lower left), Red Peak (far right), and Zodiac Ridge connecting Red Peak to the Silverthorne massif are all visible

Molly and the Vail sidecountry terrain called East Vail, aka Benchmark Peak & Bowl

Looking northwest to the central & northern Gores

Chris on the summit of Uneva Peak

The Chalks on Uneva’s summit

Chris, Kristine, and me

Rainier again did so well. Its getting tougher and tougher for her on these peaks with her now being over 11 years old, but Uneva is definitely still within her limits

Kristine and the pups

We then retraced our steps back down to the saddle below Point 12,340′ where Kristine clicked into her skis. I skinned/skied my way down from Uneva’s summit over fairly rocky terrain, but managed to not ding my skis too bad. We then skied out to the mellow Uneva Bowl and descended down 25 degree terrain back to our ascent track.

Chris descending the mellow ridge before dropping into Uneva Bowl with the Sawatch range in the distance to the south

Sun, sun, sun

Kristine making the snow look better than it actually was

After carrying Rainie a bit in the deep, sloppy powder while I skied, we all reached Vail Pass an hour or so later. It was a fine day out with good friends from afar.

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