September 2007 Archives
Quandary Peak (14,265 feet)
Full moon climb
Sept. 26-27, 2007
I had been wanting to do a full moon 14er for a while but didn't know when it would actually happen. When I read on 14ers.com that people were planning on doing Quandary Wednesday night/Thursday morning I was just plain giddy. It sounded like SO much fun. Since I am still looking for a job my schedule is pretty flexible but I didn't think I would be able to talk the fiance into it. Well, to my surprise it didn't take much arm twisting and by 7 p.m. Wednesday night we were headed for the mountains!
Despite the fact that this was our second time at this trailhead, we had a hard time finding it. The turn off the highway is farther from Breck/towards the pass then I remembered it being. We had to turn around a few times in the dark to find it.
Me getting the dog ready - putting on booties and "musher's secret" ..
Full moon climb
Sept. 26-27, 2007
I had been wanting to do a full moon 14er for a while but didn't know when it would actually happen. When I read on 14ers.com that people were planning on doing Quandary Wednesday night/Thursday morning I was just plain giddy. It sounded like SO much fun. Since I am still looking for a job my schedule is pretty flexible but I didn't think I would be able to talk the fiance into it. Well, to my surprise it didn't take much arm twisting and by 7 p.m. Wednesday night we were headed for the mountains!
Despite the fact that this was our second time at this trailhead, we had a hard time finding it. The turn off the highway is farther from Breck/towards the pass then I remembered it being. We had to turn around a few times in the dark to find it.
Me getting the dog ready - putting on booties and "musher's secret" ..
A few shots before leaving:
I
By 10 we were headed up the trail, making good time. We attempted Quandary (had to turn back due to weather) back in October when we were still living at sea level. I was amazed at how much easier the trail was not that I was used to living at 6,000 feet during the week and playing at 10,000 feet on the weekends. The switchbacks passed quickly and we were soon above treeline.
The moon through the trees ...
Despite the chilly temperature it was a gorgeous night. The moon was so bright that headlamps were not needed and we could see the snow covered peaks around us. It was beautiful! We saw maybe 14-15 other people on the mountain that night which was a nice considering how crowded Quandary can be.
We made it up to the ridge and the temperature started to drop. My body was fine but my face was frozen ... and I love the cold! We hit the final steep part going up to the summit from the ridge and it really started to get chilly. There was some snow on top off to the side of the trail.
The wind at the summit was howling and the thermometer literally read zero degrees. We huddled behind the rock shelter for a few minutes and took some pictures. The second I took my gloves off my hands were FROZEN so there was no register signing ... get up and get down was the way to go! After a few minutes on the summit we were joined by a few other folks from 14ers.com who snapped a couple quick pics before heading back down. We followed shortly after.
family summit photo ...
My 4th 14er summit ...
The trip back down was uneventful but slow due to how hesitant I am going downhill. I am working on it though ...
The dog did much better this time than on Yale. In retrospect I think we need to be more careful about making sure she gets more water on these hikes, especially as the temperature drops. We need to be a little better about stopping so she can drink ... its hard to remember to do when its so cold and stopping just makes you colder! She didn't seem to have any problems with the cold, which made me happy. We kept her fleece on the whole time and even at the summit where it was freezing she seemed pretty comfortable. At the summit we covered her in an extra fleece and she found a warm spot out of the wind and curled up for a little while.
Climbing a 14er under a full moon was a pretty cool experience and one I won't forget soon! Number 4 is in the books.
Just for reference, this is what Quandary looks like in daylight (and with a lot more snow) ...
(pic snagged from 14ers.com - NOT my picture)
I
By 10 we were headed up the trail, making good time. We attempted Quandary (had to turn back due to weather) back in October when we were still living at sea level. I was amazed at how much easier the trail was not that I was used to living at 6,000 feet during the week and playing at 10,000 feet on the weekends. The switchbacks passed quickly and we were soon above treeline.
The moon through the trees ...
Despite the chilly temperature it was a gorgeous night. The moon was so bright that headlamps were not needed and we could see the snow covered peaks around us. It was beautiful! We saw maybe 14-15 other people on the mountain that night which was a nice considering how crowded Quandary can be.
We made it up to the ridge and the temperature started to drop. My body was fine but my face was frozen ... and I love the cold! We hit the final steep part going up to the summit from the ridge and it really started to get chilly. There was some snow on top off to the side of the trail.
The wind at the summit was howling and the thermometer literally read zero degrees. We huddled behind the rock shelter for a few minutes and took some pictures. The second I took my gloves off my hands were FROZEN so there was no register signing ... get up and get down was the way to go! After a few minutes on the summit we were joined by a few other folks from 14ers.com who snapped a couple quick pics before heading back down. We followed shortly after.
family summit photo ...
My 4th 14er summit ...
The trip back down was uneventful but slow due to how hesitant I am going downhill. I am working on it though ...
The dog did much better this time than on Yale. In retrospect I think we need to be more careful about making sure she gets more water on these hikes, especially as the temperature drops. We need to be a little better about stopping so she can drink ... its hard to remember to do when its so cold and stopping just makes you colder! She didn't seem to have any problems with the cold, which made me happy. We kept her fleece on the whole time and even at the summit where it was freezing she seemed pretty comfortable. At the summit we covered her in an extra fleece and she found a warm spot out of the wind and curled up for a little while.
Climbing a 14er under a full moon was a pretty cool experience and one I won't forget soon! Number 4 is in the books.
Just for reference, this is what Quandary looks like in daylight (and with a lot more snow) ...
(pic snagged from 14ers.com - NOT my picture)Note: This report is actually from last week. After posting it on 14ers.com and myspace I forgot to actually post it on my blog.
Mt. Yale
Sept. 8, 2007
After last weekend's hike up Mt. Elbert we were ready for a new challenge. Thanks to the suggestions of some folks here on 14ers.com we chose to climb Mt. Yale on Saturday and planned on tackling Belford and Oxford on Sunday.
We set up camp Friday night at the Collegiate Peaks campground, which was outside Buena Vista and about a mile from the Denny Creek TH. We got there late, set up camp in the dark, cooked some brats on the fire and passed out. The alarm was set for 4 a.m.
After five fabulous hours of sleep the alarm went off and we stumbled out of the tent to fire up the Jet Boil, which I had just purchased with a birthday gift card from REI the day before. Oh how I LOVE the Jet Boil!!! I LOVE my coffee and the iced coffee we had been drinking in the morning when camping just wasn't cutting it. Within five minutes I had a steaming cup of liquid sunshine. There is nothing better than hotcoffee when its near freezing at 4:30 in the morning!
We were on the trail by 5:20 or so. I really enjoyed the fact that this trail was pretty gentle for the first few miles - gave the legs a chance to warm up before the real work began. This was the first time we put booties on Maddie's feet and they worked great! This was just a cheap pair which were pretty much shredded by the end of the trip - but now that we know she will wear them, we will invest in a better pair. Someone on the mountain suggested dogbooties.com - we will be ordering some from them this week! Here I am adjusting one of her booties!
The sun was mostly up by the time we broke treeline and started the steep climb.
After the sun came up, but while we were still in the shade of the mountain, the temperature dropped into the 20s and the dog started to shiver. She gets cold very easily (she's a skinny girl with a short coat - not much insulation there) so we put her fleece on and she looked much happier.
Maddie just below the saddle:
When we got up onto the saddle and I finally got a close up look at the rocky approach to the summit I got a little nervous. I have a slight fear of heights and claustrophobia (which manifests itself when I feel 'stuck') and I was afraid I would freak out on the rocks. Here I am still smilin' ... hoping that smile wouldn't fade!
We checked out both sides of the ridge and decided the left (east) side was the way to go - which was the WRONG decision. We somehow ended up way below the ridge on lots of loose rocks. I was surprisingly mentally ok but I worried a lot about Maddie and was starting to regret taking her up there. We safely made our way to the summit tho - and the view was AWESOME!!! Here's a bunch of summit pics ...
Me on the summit
jasper9890 and Maddie on the summit - their second 14ers! I LOVE this pic of them!!
and the whole famn damily ... under a BEAUTIFUL Colorado blue sky!
We hung out on the summit for a half hour or so. Josh put a few of his extra layers on the rocks at the summit and the dog curled up and took a nap. She LOVES laying in sunny spots and this was the ultimate sunny spot! After the rough trip up I was a little worried about the trip back down the rocks. Someone on the summit suggested staying on the left (west) on the way back down and that was ten times easier! Josh guided Maddie back down the rocks (it was adorable to watch), picking her up a few times to get over some of the trickier parts.
The rest of the trip down was uneventful, but slow going. I need to learn to walk downhill better. When we got back to treeline we took off Maddie's pack and booties (which were pretty much completely shredded by this point) which seemed to put some pep back in her step. She was surprisingly exhausted after this one so we decided to bail on our planned day 2 (Belford/Oxford). The booties did a good job of protecting her feet - we will definitely be investing in more!
I was pretty grumpy on the trip down - I think in part out of my frustration at having to go soooo sloooow (I'm working on my descending tho ... really!) and I think in part because I forgot to eat anything after lunch on the summit. I know from my triathlon days that low blood sugar leads to a grumpy gatorchick! I was VERY happy tho that this time I had NO problem with the altitude. I've never gotten altitude sickness too bad - but I usually get headaches. Not this time!
The hike back to the TH once you got below treeline was BEAUTIFUL and very enjoyable. The aspens were just starting to change color and the rushing stream was just gorgeous!
So, 14er #3 is in the books. I'm especially happy about this one because I was expecting to be scared of the scambling and I wasn't - I LOOOOVED it! It was like a puzzle that you had to figure out. There will be no more 14ers for the next couple weeks due to other commitments, and by then I'm expecting the weather to have turned in the mountains. But I'm REALLY excited to get out and do some winter 14ers (and we've saved some of the "easiest" 14ers for worse weather - we still haven't done Bierstadt, Quandary, or Grays and Torreys) .... !
All in all this was a great trip and probably my favorite 14er to date! Thanks for reading!
We set up camp Friday night at the Collegiate Peaks campground, which was outside Buena Vista and about a mile from the Denny Creek TH. We got there late, set up camp in the dark, cooked some brats on the fire and passed out. The alarm was set for 4 a.m.
After five fabulous hours of sleep the alarm went off and we stumbled out of the tent to fire up the Jet Boil, which I had just purchased with a birthday gift card from REI the day before. Oh how I LOVE the Jet Boil!!! I LOVE my coffee and the iced coffee we had been drinking in the morning when camping just wasn't cutting it. Within five minutes I had a steaming cup of liquid sunshine. There is nothing better than hotcoffee when its near freezing at 4:30 in the morning!
We were on the trail by 5:20 or so. I really enjoyed the fact that this trail was pretty gentle for the first few miles - gave the legs a chance to warm up before the real work began. This was the first time we put booties on Maddie's feet and they worked great! This was just a cheap pair which were pretty much shredded by the end of the trip - but now that we know she will wear them, we will invest in a better pair. Someone on the mountain suggested dogbooties.com - we will be ordering some from them this week! Here I am adjusting one of her booties!
The sun was mostly up by the time we broke treeline and started the steep climb.
After the sun came up, but while we were still in the shade of the mountain, the temperature dropped into the 20s and the dog started to shiver. She gets cold very easily (she's a skinny girl with a short coat - not much insulation there) so we put her fleece on and she looked much happier.
Maddie just below the saddle:
When we got up onto the saddle and I finally got a close up look at the rocky approach to the summit I got a little nervous. I have a slight fear of heights and claustrophobia (which manifests itself when I feel 'stuck') and I was afraid I would freak out on the rocks. Here I am still smilin' ... hoping that smile wouldn't fade!
We checked out both sides of the ridge and decided the left (east) side was the way to go - which was the WRONG decision. We somehow ended up way below the ridge on lots of loose rocks. I was surprisingly mentally ok but I worried a lot about Maddie and was starting to regret taking her up there. We safely made our way to the summit tho - and the view was AWESOME!!! Here's a bunch of summit pics ...
Me on the summit
jasper9890 and Maddie on the summit - their second 14ers! I LOVE this pic of them!!
and the whole famn damily ... under a BEAUTIFUL Colorado blue sky!
We hung out on the summit for a half hour or so. Josh put a few of his extra layers on the rocks at the summit and the dog curled up and took a nap. She LOVES laying in sunny spots and this was the ultimate sunny spot! After the rough trip up I was a little worried about the trip back down the rocks. Someone on the summit suggested staying on the left (west) on the way back down and that was ten times easier! Josh guided Maddie back down the rocks (it was adorable to watch), picking her up a few times to get over some of the trickier parts.
The rest of the trip down was uneventful, but slow going. I need to learn to walk downhill better. When we got back to treeline we took off Maddie's pack and booties (which were pretty much completely shredded by this point) which seemed to put some pep back in her step. She was surprisingly exhausted after this one so we decided to bail on our planned day 2 (Belford/Oxford). The booties did a good job of protecting her feet - we will definitely be investing in more!
I was pretty grumpy on the trip down - I think in part out of my frustration at having to go soooo sloooow (I'm working on my descending tho ... really!) and I think in part because I forgot to eat anything after lunch on the summit. I know from my triathlon days that low blood sugar leads to a grumpy gatorchick! I was VERY happy tho that this time I had NO problem with the altitude. I've never gotten altitude sickness too bad - but I usually get headaches. Not this time!
The hike back to the TH once you got below treeline was BEAUTIFUL and very enjoyable. The aspens were just starting to change color and the rushing stream was just gorgeous!
So, 14er #3 is in the books. I'm especially happy about this one because I was expecting to be scared of the scambling and I wasn't - I LOOOOVED it! It was like a puzzle that you had to figure out. There will be no more 14ers for the next couple weeks due to other commitments, and by then I'm expecting the weather to have turned in the mountains. But I'm REALLY excited to get out and do some winter 14ers (and we've saved some of the "easiest" 14ers for worse weather - we still haven't done Bierstadt, Quandary, or Grays and Torreys) .... !
All in all this was a great trip and probably my favorite 14er to date! Thanks for reading!
Seven or eight years ago I climbed Mt. Sherman (14,036 feet). It was kind of cool but I wasn't hooked. Last October J and I made an attempt on Quandary but had to turn around just short of the summit because of ice conditions that we were most certainly not prepared for. This weekend I finally got my second fourteener.
Saturday afternoon the fiance, the dog, and I headed to the mountains to climb Mt. Elbert, which at 14,443 feet, is Colorado's highest peak.
We camped outside Leadville (our home away from home) the night before the climb. It was in the 30s at night but we were nice and toasty in our sleeping bags. That evening after setting up camp I went for a run along the gravel road that leads to the Elbert and Massive trailheads. Leadville is my favorite place to run, probably because of my LT100 aspirations. We dined on turkey dogs and sweet corn and turned in early, only to be interrupted by the folks at the neighboring campsite who were (quite literally) having an orgy (but that's a story for another post!!).
The alarm went off at 4 a.m. the next morning and we were out of bed by 4:30, stumbling around in the cold early morning air, wishing desperately that we had brought stuff to make hot coffee before our climb. By 5:30 we had gotten our stuff together and were leaving the traihead into the chilly dark morning. The first hour or so would be spent hiking through the woods by headlamp.
We hit treeline right around sunrise and the view was stunning. The sky was absolutely on fire and we stopped for a while to admire the view. Of course, no picture can do it justice.
We were the third group to set off up the trail that morning and quickly passed the two groups in front of us. The hike up was actually not too bad - near the top it started to get steep and rocky and there were places where you would take 10 or 20 steps and then stop to catch your breath. The climb up was hard, but it was the good kind of hard. After two or three false summits we finally reached the final climb up. Because we were the first ones up the mountain we had the summit to ourselves for a good 10 minutes or so before anyone else arrived. The view was absolutely incredible. The fact that we were looking DOWN on Mt. Massive, the second highest peak in Colorado, tells you how high we were. From the top we had an excellent view of nearby La Plata peak and the Bells and a whole bunch of other mountains whose names I don't know.
We took the oppurtunity to get a family photo from the top of Colorado!
Maddie was a proud little peakbagger at the top!
After 30 or 40 minutes we headed back down the trail. I could NOT believe the number of people who were on their way up. We probably passed a hundred people who were coming up when we were going down and I was so happy we started early to beat the throngs. The trip down was not nearly as fun as the trip up. 4.5 miles straight up means you have to do 4.5 miles straight down and by the time we got to the bottom my legs were quivering. But I was hooked.
We are planning another 14er for this weekend. And the next weekend. And the weekend after that.
One down, 52 to go.
My best friend is one of the smartest people I know. She's passionate and articulate and hard working and of all of my friends she is the first that I would hire to be my lawyer.
Which is why I was absolutely shocked when she called me this afternoon, crying, to tell me that she didn't pass the bar.
She was the last one I was worried about passing. She is the only person I know who actually followed barbri's insanely rigorous "paced" program. She put in 10-12 hours per day, every day, for two months. She knew this stuff cold and at times I hated talking to her about it because she made me feel like I was light years behind.
She has been working full time for her firm since the week after the bar. She has her own clients and is managing her own caseload. Her firm is not at all happy that she did not pass. They are very significantly cutting her salary until she passes. Oh, and if she doesn't pass in February? She's fired.
She is devestated, and understandably so. And I'm really sad for her.
I'm trying not to let it freak me out about my own chances of passing. It will be another month or so before I know my results. Part of me can't wait to find out. Part of me doesn't want to know. Things are finally starting to happen on the job front, which is a good thing. I had an interview today for a job that I would absolutely love to do with people that I think I would really enjoy working with. And I've been told to expect a call in a couple days from a firm that I am interested in. I'm really excited about all of this ... but getting increasingly nervous about bar results, especially now that they are starting to come out.
Oh, and I turned 28 today. I'm officially in my late 20s! When did that happen?!
