Category: 14ers

05:00-15:00, Wednesday, 8-19-20 CO 14ers: 25 of 53 Distance RT: 15 miles Elevation gain/loss: 5,100′ Starting Elevation: 9,400′ Summit: 14,255′ Rank: 15 of 53 Location: Front Range, NW of Boulder Route: Keyhole, Class 3 My final 14er of 2020 was a fitting one. I started the season with one of the biggest challenges, in terms of distance and elevation gain: Pikes Peak. I finished on an equally challenging peak, which was also probably my favorite hike the whole season…that’s saying a lot. Interestingly, Longs and Pikes Peak share a connection in that they both sit on the front range, rising over 9,000 feet above the Great Plains. It’s this similarity that resulted in the naming of Longs Peak. In 1820,[…]

06:30-11:30, Tuesday, 8-18-20 CO 14ers: 24 of 53 Distance RT: 6.75 miles Elevation gain/loss: 3,450′ Starting Elevation: 10,850′ Summit: 14,265′ Rank: 13 of 53 Location: Tenmile Range, south of Breckenridge Route: East Ridge, Class 1 This will be a short post, since so too was the hike. As had been our style all summer, we came up with plans the day before. After regrouping briefly in Buena Vista, we decided to go for an easy hike the next morning. Yes, easy as 14ers can get, that is. We also had to be cognizant of the wildfires that were starting to blaze throughout the state.  Several 14ers were inaccessible due to road closures on I-70 and 82. We considered Mt. Sherman[…]

06:30-15:30, Monday, 8-17-20 CO 14ers: 22 & 23 of 53 Distance RT: 15 miles Elevation gain/loss: 6,100′ Starting Elevation: 9,900′ Summits: 14,073′ & 14,420′ Rank: 35 & 3 of 53 Location: Sawatch Range, Collegiate Peaks, west of Buena Vista Route: N. Cottonwood Creek Trail to west slopes of Columbia, north and east on ridge to Harvard, back down the south slopes, counterclockwise, Class 2 After a week away from 14ers, we were ready for some more. I joined Sandy and TS the day before in Buena Vista, where we did some tubing on the Arkansas River park rapids. We’d found the tube on a hike down Grape Creek, outside of Canon City, a few days prior. We’d taken it to[…]

06:00-15:00, Monday, 8-10-20 CO 14ers: 20 & 21 of 53 Distance RT: 15.5 miles Elevation gain/loss: 6,250′ Starting Elevation: 8,850′ Summits: 14,081′ & 14,165′ Rank: 34 & 23 of 53 Location: Central Sangre De Cristos Range, east of Crestone Route: Willow Lake Trail to the North Slope of Challenger Point, along the Kit Carson Avenue to Kit Carson Peak, Easy Class 3 Leaving Blanca behind, one thing was sure: I didn’t have the energy to do another 14er the very next day. Like the week before, 2 days in a row was fine, but not 3. We headed to the tiny hamlet of Crestone to regroup and get a feel for our next launch point. A greasy dinner of fish[…]

06:00-15:00, Saturday, 8-08-20 CO 14ers: 18 & 19 of 53 Distance RT: 18 miles Elevation gain/loss: 6,800′ Starting Elevation: 8,000′ Summits: 14,345′ & 14,042′ Rank: 4 & 43 of 53 Location: Southern Sangre De Cristos Range, east of Alamosa Route: Lake Como 4WD road to the Northwest Ridge of Blanca, then South Face of Ellingwood, difficult Class 2 After driving a few hours to basically get from the eastern side of the Blanca/Lindsey massif to the western side, with a stop for an early dinner in between, we were staged for a repeat performance. We would hike 5.5 miles up a 4WD road, then conquer the peaks the next morning. The standard routes for the three 14ers in the Blanca[…]

06:30-13:00, Friday, 8-07-20 CO 14ers: 17 of 53 Distance RT: 13 miles Elevation gain/loss: 3,500′ Starting Elevation: 10,700′ Summit: 14,042′ Rank: 42 of 53 Location: Southern Sangre De Cristos Range, southwest of Gardner Route: CR 580 to Upper Huerfano/Lily Lake Trailhead to the Northwest Gully, easy Class 3 Sandy and TS decided to extend their vacation in CO, as there was still plenty to explore. We shifted our focus to the Sangre De Cristo range, with a visit to Jolly Rancher in Rosita and some 14ers to the south. We spent a night at JR’s awesome place for a nice night talking trail. Sandy, TS, JR and Me, showing off our hiker legs! The next day we headed south, taking[…]

06:00-14:00, Friday, 7-31-20 CO 14ers: 14 & 15 of 53 Distance RT: 10.25 miles Elevation gain/loss: 3,900′ Starting Elevation: 11,699′ Summits: 14,060′ & 14,264′ Rank: 38 & 14 of 53 Location: Front Range, Guanella Pass Scenic Byway between Bailey and Georgetown Route: Mt Bierstadt West slope to Sawtooth ridge to Mt Evans, back down through Scott Gomer creek gully, mostly class 2, Sawtooth section is briefly Class 3. After a sweet ‘3for’, it was time for another ‘2for’. To put things into perspective, it took me years to work up to my first five 14ers, then months to do the next five. With this series (the DeCaLiBron the day before), I knocked out 5 in 2 days! This combo route[…]

06:00-12:00, Thursday, 7-30-20 CO 14ers: 11, 12 & 13 of 53 Distance RT: 7.5 miles Elevation gain/loss: 3,700′ Starting Elevation: 12,000′ Summits: Democrat 14,148′, Lincoln 14,286′ & Bross 14,172′ Rank: 28, 8 & 22 of 53 Location: Mosquito Range, West of Alma, CO Route: Democrat >Cameron>Lincoln>Bross…the DeCaLiBron combo clockwise, Class 2 On this hike, I did 3 or 4 14ers in one day, depending on which definition you go by. I’m going with 3, since Mt. Cameron was barely a bump on my radar and counting it would mess up my numbers. 21 in 2020 just doesn’t sound as good, so I’m willing to discount this one. Truly, 3 14ers in one day is plenty enough! Bang for buck, the[…]

Saturday 7-11-20 to Monday 7-13-20 Distance RT: 14 miles Elevation gain/loss: 5,500′ Starting Elevation: 9,280′ Summits: 13,423′ & 13,524′ Rank: 252 & 186 of 584 Location: Sangre de Cristos, Southern Colorado Route: Gibson Creek Trailhead (road 172) to Rainbow Trail to Swift Creek Trailhead, return on Lake of the Clouds Trail to Rainbow Trail/carpark. Companions: JR, Maggie & Niki I really needed to spend a weekend in the outdoors and it was JR to the rescue again. He invited me along for a mellow trip with his friends Maggie and Niki from Ft. Collins. The plan was to hike up to the Lake of the Clouds valley in the Sangres and spend 2 nights enjoying the area. I did some[…]