James Peak via Saint Mary's Glacier

On Sunday a group of 5 of us decided to tackle James Peak just west of Denver. Here is what SummitPost has to say about James Peak:

At 13,294 feet James Peak is the 5th highest summit in the Indian Peaks. It is also the Gilpin County highpoint. Its giant southeast slopes route can be seen from I70 as you head towards Idaho Springs. According to Walter Borneman in his book Colorado's Other Mountains the peak was named after Edwin James, a highly respected botanist who was part of an 1820 expedition to the Rocky Mountains. James became a mountaineer and was the first person to do a recorded ascent of a Colorado Fourteener. Ironically it did not end up being named James but was called Pikes Peak instead. James is a peak of many options, with easy walks, a technical east face and an interesting ridge walk from neighboring Mount Bancroft. It is an extremely popular peak and is a common first ascent for those who are interested in ski mountaineering. James Peak and vicinity has just been made into a Wilderness Area. See the following for details
http://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=NWPS&sec=wildView&wname=James%20Peak%20Wilderness

It was a great day and we could not have been more blessed by the mountain gods. It was about 9 miles and 3500ft of gain which we knocked out in about 4.5 hours. What a better way to spend a Sunday morning. I even got home in time to spend the afternoon with my girl and take in a movie with her.