hiking

Mount Massive 14,429ft

Published September 6, 2015

Colorado 14er Chart

Cozy in my -20 rated sleeping bag, snoozed an extra hour past the 4am iPhone alarm. Woke energized, rested – result of the night’s cold air/cozy sleeping/early lights-out combination.

Layered up, head lamp on, rucksack ready. Last 14er climb of 2015 – pumped/excited to check off Massive, [continental] USA peak #3. Roundtrip 15 miles, 4000ft vertical gain – tough day ahead. Gotta believe this is excellent cross-training for Fall marathon season 🙂

Hit the trail hard, pushed UP the first 2 miles of forest in under an hour. Crossed South Willow Creek (10,900ft), a mile later Willow Creek (11,000ft) – daybreak now peaking thru towering lodgepole pines. Zigzagged thru willow thickets, enjoying morning sunshine – gained another 500ft vertical…over 12,000ft [elevation] now, hiking above tree-line.

Next mile-half was the day’s most arduous – lotta wind, no sun, clouds emptied/pelleted snow. Tough hilly ascent – vertical climb of 1500ft from Grassy Point (12,466ft) to the Saddle (13,900ft).

Up to now, today’s trek had solely been athletic. At the Saddle, stopped & soaked in landscape – I felt God. Wind blew, sunshine returned; caught first glimpse of the immense 14er valley on the west side of the ridge line. WOW!

Straight ahead, a wall of rock – online post stated nothing worse than Class 2. Hand over hand, scrambled over boulder face UP to the false summit (14,132ft). Crazy beautiful real estate – every step along the ridge line, high in the clouds.

Descended a few hundred feet before re-ascending nearby Mount Massive. SUMMIT SUCCESS! Dropped behind a wall of rock, shielded from blowing wind, breathed in the thin air. Downed a KIND bar, stood tall & snapped summit pics.

Whatta life, my heart is full. Today I stand in the clouds.

: first light after an hour of headlamp

: banged out 3 miles of forest before daybreak

: lotta colour: mile of willow thicket

: willow thicket to the saddle — another mile half of UP

: SNOW, biting wind, temps in the 20’s

: the Saddle: followed the ridge line past South Massive (14,132ft ‘false’ summit)

: WOW shot before rock scramble climb

: 500ft vertical gain

: false summit pic before final scramble UP

: Class 2 climb to summit

: SUCCESS! 15-mile roundtrip hike, 4000ft vertical gain — last 14er of 2015

: weekend hike with bro Marty (thanks Ash & Tom)

Mt Massive summit clip

13er James Peak, no ugly step-sis

Published August 30, 2015

Kicked in the weekend with an early group run ‘round Boulder Rez in North Boulder – a ‘sweet 16er’.

Held sub-8 pace for 10+ miles, then slogged the hills. Group said their goodbyes at mile 13; soloed the remaining 3 at ‘old man pace’. Need to find an 8:30/9-minute pace group – the young guns are killin’ me. That’s all.

2 hour nap, pasta carb loaded – reenergized…hiking tomorrow.

Woke late Sunday (7am), made sleep a priority before hitting the highway. Easy hour half drive – I-70 to Idaho Springs Exit 238, today’s hike destination: 13er James Peak.

[in Colorado] 13ers are often treated like the ugly step-sister…only 14er climbs rank a water-cooler boast. Today’s elevation gain? 4000ft – thousand feet more gain than 14er Bierstadt (my one-day PR: 7800ft, Barr Trail to Pikes Peak in 2012).

Parked at St. Marys Glacier, outside of Alice. Watched local snowboarders pitch up the impromptu ‘slope’…only in Colorado, right? 🙂

Glacier crossed tethered to Ro, then hiked 2 miles across colourful arid landscape: bushy willow thickets yellowed by cool evening temps, late season wildflowers, orange-hued moss – spectacular pallet of early autumn colour.

Beautiful weather: sunshine, temps in the low 50’s, lotta wind.

Followed the CDT (Continental Divide Trail), bushwhacked briefly, then connected with the well-defined trail up James & neighboring Mount Bancroft. Hiked this peak in 2012 – bushwhacked that year too. Consistent I guess 🙁

Wildlife count: marmot, pika & a flock of summer-camouflaged ptarmigan. These birds will go ‘winter white’ over the next 2 months.

Stayed right of the canyon gulch between Bancroft & James at 12,000ft (whatta view) – then pushed UP the remaining 1000 feet over a maze of switchbacks. SUMMIT SUCCESS! Kicked back on a rock shelter & let Ro hunt pika before snapping Peak pics.

One last weekend before fall marathon season. Running my hometown 10-miler Saturday morning, Louisville’s Coal Creek Crossing – then 3 hours of highway to Leadville. Hike goal: Mount Massive, 3^rd highest peak in the continental U.S. Why? ‘Cause it’s there.

Weekend Highs & Lows

Rocky Mountain high – LOVE this place!

‘sweet 16er’ at the Boulder Rez

13er James Peak – 10 mile hike PLUS glacier snow

: St Marys Lake, only 30 minutes from metro Denver – whatta view!

: St Marys Glacier (late August)

: glacier melt magic

: snowboarding in August – only in Colorado 🙂

: beautiful hike day – so much colour

: summer-camouflaged ptarmigan, will go white when the snow flies

: summit SUCCESS!

: good day to be a dog

Posted in 14ers/13ers | Tagged glaciers, hiking, wildlife | Leave a comment

Grays Peak 2015

Published August 16, 2015

Forgotten how good a 14er hike feels. Pre-dawn trailhead drive, first sun pop over the high peak.

Love of everything outdoors, BIG, immense, larger than ourselves.

Hour half on I-70, Exit 221 Bakerville – 8 miles from Eisenhower Tunnel. Five mile dirt-road journey. Struggled to maneuver the pothole minefield UP, secure off-road parking. Not a lotta spots left at 630am, gotta love Colorado hikers. Day starts early here 🙂

I last hiked Grays in September 2012. Trail was lined with yellow aspens and first snow of the season.

Hiking a month earlier in mid-August, today’s views did not disappoint. So much colour – like a Ravensburger puzzle, one of those 1000 piece projects you poke over during the summer. Not just one shade of green – slate green, moss, lime, yellow-green, forest.

Looked forward to the horizon. Stopped, peered back at my progress below – completing the straight puzzle edges first, framing a border, later patch-working the green inside. Two long stretches of boulder incline, but no huge scramble at the end.

Summit SUCCESS! Strong winds whipped so backed behind a man-made rock shelter. Chatted up fellow hikers planning their next ascents – before the snow flies (just a few weeks left). Parade of folks on top at 9am.

Fave quote: “I like your dog. He’s so warm.” LOL>

Return hike always seems longer than the ascent – a hiker mystery. Purposely drove West thru the Eisenhower tunnel, crossed the Continental Divide & lunched in Silverthorne before heading home (a 3 hour I-70 day mare – ARGH!)

Next 14er? Something near Leadville I think.

Haven’t been to the Nat’l Mining Hall of Fame & Museum. [ya’ll are thinkin’] How can I get a ticket, right? 🙂

Snow UPDATE, Wed August 19th: Colorado weather: Snow dusts high country, Denver sets record low