Saturday hike day; awesome hike picked out – another 14er. 5am alarm start but woke up in a funk. Frustrating to have a down day for absolutely no reason. Rare for me too. Double argh.
So on this day, relied on Ro to pester me for 2 hours until I donned a ski cap, ate a cup of oatmeal, and bumbled thru packing for today’s day hike. Beautiful sunshine, cool temps – start of Colorado autumn.
Grays Peak – missed this peak in early July when I climbed its sister Torreys by accident. Today I know the way – stay left at the trail divide, don’t ask fellow hikers for directions (that’s how I missed Grays the first time…LOL>).
Took the Bakerville exit – just before Eisenhower tunnel. The Aspens popped bright yellow against a peak backdrop covered with a fresh dusting of snow…not glacial snow, but actual snowfall. WOW! that was today’s destination. And to think only 2 hours earlier I was contemplating lazing at home. Would have missed out on an amazing LIFE event. Lackluster attitude goodbye 🙂
Knew to park my Prius midway up the rough dirt road; then a 2 mile hike to Grays Peak trailhead. Ho, hum. Strike that – NOT ho hum. Had I been able to drive UP to the trailhead directly, would have missed out on some amazing colour. Less than a mile of this hike is at treeline, giving away to dense thicket, followed by tundra & rock. Still partial to New England fall colour – because there are so many colours – but admit our native Aspens are gorgeous against their evergreen backing.
Two months since our first attempt at Grays; today we barreled up the trail. Ro & I have since expanded our high altitude lungs and improved our climbing stamina. Started this hike challenge in January but not ‘til mid-June did my body catch up with my mental desire for more. Bring it on, I see snow on the horizon!
Half-mile to go and start passing other hikers…chatting it up with a few. Hikers are an easy-going, centered breed. We love being outside; we are amazed by the ease, the sheer beauty of nature’s wonders. Older folks, young guns, families, folks with/without dogs – doesn’t matter – same breed of people, same awe, same self-centeredness.
SNOW…real snow, not glacial snow! Finally our longest Colorado summer in years is nearing its end. Sno Ro reemerged, started rooting his nose under the pre-winter covering. My dog LOVES snow!
UP a little further and SUMMIT SUCCESS! Our sixth 14er of 2012!
Snapped a few pics and settled behind a rock enclosure, ready for lunch. Several other hikers summit. We take turns shooting group pics for one another. Chris from Iowa/getting married in October, Boris/another guy/his son, 2 Texan college gals who summited their first (and maybe last) 14er (think the elevation got ’em), a super-fit Colorado mom and her 22-year old son…and my favs — a family with their 6 year-old son & 8 year-old daughter. How cool is that? PLUS the boy’s name was Keegan — kept thinking his mom was calling me. A family that hikes together…stays together. Super inspired! AMAZING folks!
Three consecutive weeks of big climbs. 13er, 13er, 14er – who I am ?
Welcome to my FAAANNNNTASTIC Colorado life!
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- Aspens popping autumn yellow
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- 2 mile hike to trailhead (look at that colour!)
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- hike destination – Grays Peak
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- SNOW!
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- crazy rock formation
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- SNOW! (PLUS…Aspen colour- pic center)
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- SUMMIT SUCCESS!
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- summit break with fellow hikers
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- McWatters family – a family that hikes together…
INSPIRED by this man’s life spirit!
Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro with Team Fox to help find the cure for Parkinson’s disease
When I started on the path to Kilimanjaro more than 7 months ago, I committed to a fundraising goal with no idea how or if it could be reached. During so many hikes, so many miles, I would often wondered about reaching the goal and who would commit to helping find the cure for Parkinson’s. One of the things I re-learned through this whole experience is that none of us are ever alone. No matter what path we choose, there are always those who walk with us. Ten of us made the trek on behalf of Team Fox, but hundreds of people were with us every step of the way and we reached the summit of the world’s tallest freestanding mountain.
Today, my fundraising goal was met and exceeded: $10,000+ has been donated to fund research to find the cure for Parkinson’s disease. It may have been my goal, but it became a reality because so many people chose to give of themselves – to pay it forward. I am forever changed by the experience. Thank you.
Mt. Kilimanjaro Expedition
5K road race start to the day so needed to find a hike that could be completed before any potential inclement weather – and back by 4pm for my first tennis match in years. SUPER Saturday continues!
Started hike from Loveland Pass with high hopes to see snow (none this day, maybe next weekend :(). Trek began with an immediate 1,000 increase in elevation – kinda felt like jumping on a Stairmaster. Had I stayed to the left, would have possibly summited today’s goal destination, Mt. Sniktau. Unfortunately no signs whatsoever. Asked a young couple descending from one of the high peaks on my near horizon. Grizzly Peak. Verified it was a 13er and picked up our pace.
From Loveland Pass (11,992 feet) head eastward following the continental divide to Grizzly Peak (13,427 feet). Doing the math on that might fool you to think it is an elevation gain of just 1,435 feet but there are some ups and downs that push the overall elevation gain over 2,700 feet. Total trip will be around 6 miles with the last ~700 feet having some class 2 scrambling.
Beautiful landscapes & HUGE hills. Ascend almost 2,000 feet, then descend a thousand feet – the Ironman of 13ers. Despite running only a few hours earlier, was actually in a great place both mentally & physically this day and even found myself passing other hikers on the trail. 2 false summits, one huge descent, then stood at the foot of Grizzly Peak.
UP UP UP Ro & I climbed until SUMMIT SUCCESS!
Our third 13er of the summer (& five 14ers) – what an amazing year. Could have never imagined when I started this year’s resolution that I’d be consistently summiting Colorado’s highest peaks by summer’s end. FAAANNNNTASTIC!
Each prospective weekend I assume this could be our last high climb of the season due to weather. Maybe this is motivating/propelling our hike success. Tentative goal for next weekend – Gray’s Peak.
Blog update: Only 30 minutes late to tennis – and I won 6-4 6-3 🙂
Doubles
- 2nd mis-summit (Grizzly vs Sniktau, Torreys vs Gray’s)
- 2nd hike w/ new CamelBak (birthday gift from my friend Kimberly)
Triples
- third 13er summit of 2012
- 5k race, followed by 13er hike, then tennis – SUPER Saturday!
https://www.summitpost.org/
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- landscape is deceptively BIG in Colorado (my Prius is only a speck, right of pic)
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- little patch of glacier (upper left) will be the only snow Ro sees this day
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- (above treeline) 1st false summit; still more than an hour to go
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- 2nd false summit, but Grizzly Peak lies ahead
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- SUMMIT SUCCESS! (loved seeing this family at top)
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- Grizzly Lake – check out that blue. WOW!
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- ‘in-between’ season: cap & t-shirt weather (but no more shorts)
