During the week, there was light snow in the mountains, but all the forecasts and reports I saw stated less than an inch of accumulation. The weekend forecast was clearing and sunny, so I figured it would melt out fast and shouldn't be an issue for climbing. Saturday I drove up to Fairplay and the Beaver Creek trailhead to climb Mt. Silverheels. Just after sunrise I made it to the trailhead and started hiking. But I could tell from a distance that there was more snow than I expected. There was some wonderful fall color, an elk, photogenic trees, and occasional views across the valley to Mt. Lincoln and Quandary Peak peaking through the clouds. Once I hit the snow line, it varied from just an inch or so to over six inches in the low spots where it drifted. But even harder was the glare—even with the sun behind me, it was painful. I found myself climbing while looking up at the sky or down with one eye closed. The summit was nice, and I returned back to the trailhead without seeing another person from the time I arrived until after I left. I made my way over to the Argentine Pass trailhead for Sunday's climb, stopping in several stores until I finally found some sunglasses that wrapped around a bit to also protect from the side glare.
Pictures