I figured if I shouted, I would better get my point across. No?!
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| Summit of Mt. Sherman, my first winter/spring ascent. You can tell this is an old pic because of my jacket!! |
As of late, the weather in Colorado has been insanely beautiful. Sure, it made for the worst ski season in recent memory, but since summer is in my immediate future, I’m focusing on the future. Out with the snow, in with the sun!
Because of this ridiculous sunshine, I can barely contain myself and I am seriously chomping at the bit to get up in the mountains! And of course, because it’s me, I can’t just get up for an easy hike. I am dying to get on a 14er!
We’ve chatted about this in the past but since I am excited to say that I have some NEW READERS (hi everyone!), I’ll give you a quick explanation. In short, 14ers are any mountain over 14,000 feet. Out of any state in the lower 48, Colorado has the most at 53 (although many will swear up and down that there are more than 53. It all depends on the elevation gain/lost at the connecting saddle between peaks, etc.) We’re sticking with 53 for now 🙂 I don’t know my exact number, but I’m somewhere in the 40s and would like to knock a few more off this summer.
And yes, I am the stereotypical Coloradoan. I want to summit all of them, and I’d like to do it in the next few years!
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| Marie, me, and Megan on Mt. Antero |
Typically, May climbs involve spring conditions which means lots of snow along with the accompanying gear: crampons, mountaineering boots, and an ice axe (and your helmet, of course!) One of my fav 14er climbs was the Bell Cord Couloir on the Maroon Bells. It was a snow climb all the way to the summit and it was fantastic. Basically, a couloir is a snow chute that is significantly steeper than a hiking trail. Because of this, you wear crampons to help dig into the snow and carry an axe in case you need to self-arrest. Luckily, I’ve never taken a spill that has required a self-arrest, but I always prefer to be safe rather than sorry!
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| Coming up the Bell Cord. I’m the one in back with the white helmet 🙂 |
I have a couple of particular mountains on my bucket list for this summer, but I’m running into some technical difficulties. Most of the mountains that I haven’t tackled are the more difficult, technical climbs so my available climbing partners are dwindling! The one I’m really eye balling is Capitol Peak. It has a ridge known as the Knife Edge that comes to a sharp point that you have to traverse to reach the summit. From what I gather, it is safe but a little stressful due to the exposure on both sides and most people just straddle the point and scoot across on their butt! I found this YouTube video that shows it better than my words ever can:
As of now, I’ve labelled Capitol my number one goal for this summer. I’m sure there will be a few other fun peaks in the mix, but I’m coming to get this bad boy!
This was taken on the Sawtooth ridge of Mt. Bierstadt last summer. To date, it is possibly one of the most unflattering photos of me, so of course, I had to include it here!
39 Comments
are you ready for this?
IVE NEVER EVER BEEN TO COLORADO.
Must.
Rectify.
STAT.
OMG. We need to get you here immediately!! 🙂
Ummm thank you no….That looks scarier then…well yea scary. 🙂 I would love to do a 14er someday but I think I will stick to one of the “easy” ones. 🙂
You’re a rockstar! Seriously, you’re just about the right amount of crazy for me =) Just a quick question- how would you cross said Knife Edge if it weren’t on your butt? That looks intimidating!
I grew up in Florida where the biggest hill I ever saw was the manmade one at the park. Since moving to the Carolinas, I’ve become enamored with the Smokies. I would LOVE to go out to CO to mountain climb/run. My brother lives in Morrison (?) so maybe one day. I’ll call you up and we’ll go tackle some 14ers together!
To date, the only elevation I’ve experience was when I crossed the Grand Canyon, and it kicked my little booty!
Ha, I guess there are some decent footholds below the ridge that you can put your feet in while walking your hands along the knife edge. Some people get a little freaked with that route because of the exposure and the wind. Not sure which way I’ll do it just yet!
Morrison is an adorable town!!
I have a terrible time with the altitude so I don’t know if I will do any 14ers. I would love to do them though! Have fun and be safe!
I’ve only been to CO once for a conference and we were in Ft. Collins. I thought it was absolutely beautiful!
While its beautiful, why would you want to scootch your butt across that? Haha. For the sheet exhileration of conquering it? Nice thought. I could definitely see partaking in all of this if i had 14ers around.
Nice pics, too. Must be awesome to be a Colorado native.
If I was that close, I would get to the summit SOMEHOW!!
Yes! I need to send this post to my husband. I LOVE that you have a bucket list to climb all of the 14ers in Colorado!
We are definitely planning to do one in July when we’re out there for a week. I think I said this to you before, but I plan on emailing you to ask for advice.
We thought about Long’s Peak, but I want to start with something that doesn’t take quite as long to climb (we’ve done half of it before, but didn’t start early enough in the day to finish).
Altitude makes my HR a little faster, but other than that, I’m good! (Thank God!)
Yes, definitely let me know when y’all are heading up and I’ll see if I have anything good for you 🙂
Do it! I love people with big (high!) dreams.
Colorado is perfect for you.
That Knife’s Edge looks a little creepy, but fun! Seems like it would be super windy up there.
It is!! Sometimes the wind gets dangerous but usually that means a storm is coming and you shouldn’t be there anyway 🙂 More often than not, I have a shell because even in July, the wind is freaking cold!
I HAVE to get down and see Colorado. I’m from Washington State where we have our one GORGEOUS 14er that is quite a mountaineering challenge (which I’ve never attempted). I’m definitely more used to the isolated volcanic mountain look. North Idaho has a lot of elevation gain and loss but our mountains around here top out at 6500′.
Have fun with your summiting this summer!!
I’ve been up your 14er and it was a beautiful climb! I’d like to come back and do Rainier again because I had so much fun, but there are so many other mountains to see that I don’t know if a second summit will ever happen!
eeeeekkkk!!! i would love to climb another mountain! i did King’s Peak a few years ago at just under 14000 ft. it was soooo hard but i loved it!!
That is just the coolest that you have bagged so many already! You are badass. I’m a pretty big chicken with heights, but can totally see the appeal in doing this. Colorado is simply the prettiest and it’s great that you take advantage of it.
I would love to climb a 14er to say I have! There’s no mountains in NE, but CO isn’t too far away. I have some friends who did Capitol and yeah their pictures of the Knife’s Edge look pretty freaky. I hope you have a great time.
thsoe pictures rock! I go on a lot of walks on trails, but have never climbed or “hiked.” Congrats on conquering such great heights…
Wowza! Those pics are amazing! What a neat goal – to summit all of the 14ers in your state (I know nothing of climbing, so the ’14er’ term was news to me!).
I’ve never climbed like that before…it looks scary and totally amazing!!!
knife ridge look amazing… I need to get out there… i really do….
You do!! You’d love it!!
You are one of the coolest people ever! I loved the vid. I have never even climbed at a climbing gym. I’m coming to visit you so you can take me there 🙂
Sounds like a plan 🙂 And you are too sweet!
can i come visit you in colorado??? it looks amazing and i know you would totally push me out of my comfort zone with crazy fun!
Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOu should totally visit!
I love this post! As a fellow Coloradoan, I can totally identify with the excitement to hike some 14ners this summer!! I live in Estes Park so of course Longs is on my schedule, but we have lots of others in the works. Yay for mountains!
Oooh I love Estes! I have a friend’s wedding up there at the YMCA in a few weekends, and I’m super excited 🙂
Capitol sound fantastic! I’ve done Longs, Grays and Torreys–and then I had kids. :^) But now they are old enough that I can start doing this stuff again. So I’m hoping for Long’s again–and then next year doing the Pikes Peak Ascent!
I have a friend that wants to do the Ascent– you guys are awesome! It’s one thing to hike a 14er but to literally run it? You’re my hero 🙂
There is definitely a 14er or three on our list for the summer…although we haven’t picked any. Well, I haven’t anyway. Chris has decided he is going to climb Longs this year. I think he is crazy!
One of the reasons I’m so looking forward to getting this marathon over with is because I’d like to have a little more time to guilt-lessly hike/climb/trek around the mountains! Now its all run. run. run!
Um, please see message below 🙂
did my first 14er last year!! Hated it while doing it but so happy I did…now I wanna do another one this summer!
It’s looking like maybe a blogger 14er meetup this summer…. yes?!
I can feel the jealousy raging in my breast… or where ever jealousy rages… I want to climb!
I’m thinking of a trip to colorado sometime between summer and winter, to prepare (and mostly have fun!) for my Kilimanjaro climb next year… do you have any recommended time periods or peaks for a beginner? I’d like to try a 14er, because it seems like the best prep. I’m very interested in how my body deals with the elevation. I’ve never climbed a mountain… hiking in the santa monica mountains is the farthest I’ve come :-/
I look forward to your mountain climbing posts!! I’ll live through you until my time comes 🙂
And we would be the Flatlanders trying to tackle a 14er! We live in Alabama and we leave next week for our 4th summer in Co. My husband spent 10 summers at CO and he never go the peaks out of his soul. And ever since I saw my first one 10 years ago, neither have I. We love Pikes’ Peak so we will attempt the climb next week after a few days getting used to the elevation. I may look at Longs because we will be in Estes Park the following week for the half marathon. Anyway, great blog and glad I found it!
I love that you come here for the summer!! Have so much fun and if you have any questions, definitely let me know!!