UN 9580, Crystal Peak (9,637 ft.)

14 February, 2011: Happy Valentine's Day! These two Teller County 9ers constitute an isolated group north of Florissant. And, unfortunately, just south of the NF boundary. But they're both ranked peaks with dramatic rocky summits, so, after hesitating for months, I looked for the closest approach and set off on a Monday morning after morning commuter traffic should be over. It worked. BTW, I'm far from the only one to bag these peaks, although the number is not large.
Although they're both below timberline, both summits are exposed and treeless, affording excellent views in basically all directions. I was also blessed with a morning of clear skies, mild temperatures, and only modest breeziness. Both summits were fun to climb, offering great scrambling and bouldering. Crystal is a real challenge, and I circled halfway around the base of its summit block before finding away through the rocks to the small summit area. These peaks bring me up to 33 out of 54 in Teller County.
Long life and many peaks!