Independence Mountain, North Face (June 2004; June 2021)

There are lots of good routes near Independence Pass and, following Lou Dawson's guidebook, Bob Portmann, Jonathan Kriegel, Chet Roe, and I decided to try the north face of Independence (May 31, 2004). We should have read the guidebook more closely, for then we might have brought a ladder. As it is we changed into sneakers to cross the creek; it wasn't too bad, as Jonathan's smile indicates. The ski run from the top of the peak was very nice. Warning: stare at the peak closely so that you remember the best way back to the car from the bottom of the ski run. We did way too much tree-bashing. Indeed, this is a nice way to use a digital camera: photograph the face and use the photo to help you plan the descent of the last few hundred feet, thus saving precious brain cells for more important things.
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17 years later: Matt Wentz, Randy Garrison, and I did this route on June 5, 2021.

Independence Mountain at left. The climb is via the ridge at the left edge. The descent is of the NW face lookers right of the summit. 

Randy finishing his descent. 

Randy at the second crossing of the Roaring Fork at the end of the day. Bring sneakers for this!