Our First Fourteener

So.....Fourteeners.....a great challenging hike....DO THEM IN JULY, NOT MAY! Okay, I'm not really complaining, check out that view! But this fun little idea (thanks, Aavron!) of doing our very first fourteener during the month of May was certainly a bit idealistic. Our more experienced friends, Aavron and Tyler, lead the way. Being in the midst of the great, wide-open Rockies is an indescribable, peaceful experience, though. 

We left our house at 4am that fateful Saturday eager for our quick, {relatively} easy 5 mile hike. Due to FEET of snow on the road to the trailhead, we ended up hiking 10 miles and enjoyed a couple miles of post holing (if you're not familiar with post holing, it sucks!) Taking in all the beauty was our payoff, but this was most definitely the most challenging physical endeavor I've (I shan't speak for the others) experienced. 

  

 

Taking a rest...um...I took a lot of these. 

An old mine on the trail.

Graham has a much stronger will than I; he kept me going the whole time! I lost heart very early in the 7.5 hour hike.

My Mountain Man

Tyler. Destination: STRAIGHT UP!

I might look happy here, I'm positive it's because I'm taking a break.


Tyler and I getting blown off the mountain! We came within 175 feet of summit, but had to make a judgement call to turn around due to 50 mph wind gusts trying to blow us away. I'm still calling it a success!

Aavron and Graham.

Seriously the happiest moment....glissading down the steep-ass mountain we had just climbed.

More glissading...we have no pictures of the last 5 miles of the hike due to complete and utter exhaustion. It was a good run for us; we're ready for some Summer fourteeners!