Category: 14ers

05:00-15:00, Wednesday, 8-19-20CO 14ers: 25 of 53Distance RT: 15 milesElevation gain/loss: 5,100′Starting Elevation: 9,400′Summit: 14,255′Rank: 15 of 53Location: Front Range, NW of BoulderRoute: 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, Major Stephen Long, an Army officer and explorer,[…]

06:30-11:30, Tuesday, 8-18-20CO 14ers: 24 of 53Distance RT: 6.75 milesElevation gain/loss: 3,450′Starting Elevation: 10,850′Summit: 14,265′Rank: 13 of 53Location: Tenmile Range, south of BreckenridgeRoute: East Ridge, Class 1 This will be a short post, since so too was the hike. 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 in the nearby Mosquito Range but it didn’t sound like much fun…too much mining activity and a long dirt road approach. So we[…]

06:30-15:30, Monday, 8-17-20CO 14ers: 22 & 23 of 53Distance RT: 15 milesElevation gain/loss: 6,100′Starting Elevation: 9,900′Summits: 14,073′ & 14,420′Rank: 35 & 3 of 53Location: Sawatch Range, Collegiate Peaks, west of Buena VistaRoute: 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, I was ready for some more. I joined Sandy the day before, 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 the the river park there, where we had a little too much fun[…]

06:00-15:00, Monday, 8-10-20CO 14ers: 20 & 21 of 53Distance RT: 15.5 milesElevation gain/loss: 6,250′Starting Elevation: 8,850′Summits: 14,081′ & 14,165′Rank: *33-34 & 23 of 53 * Challenger Point doesn’t meet the standard of being a separate peak, but I’ve included it in my count.Location: Central Sangre De Cristos Range, east of CrestoneRoute: 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[…]

06:00-15:00, Saturday, 8-08-20CO 14ers: 18 & 19 of 53Distance RT: 18 milesElevation gain/loss: 6,800′Starting Elevation: 8,000′Summits: 14,345′ & 14,042′Rank: 4 & 43 of 53Location: Southern Sangre De Cristos Range, east of AlamosaRoute: 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 massif all depart from Lake Como. It would’ve[…]

06:30-13:00, Friday, 8-07-20CO 14ers: 17 of 53Distance RT: 13 milesElevation gain/loss: 3,500′Starting Elevation: 10,700′Summit: 14,042′Rank: 42 of 53Location: Southern Sangre De Cristos Range, southwest of GardnerRoute: CR 580 to Upper Huerfano/Lily Lake Trailhead to the Northwest Gully, easy Class 3 Sandy decided to extend her vacation in CO and join me, 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. The next day we headed south, taking in one of Colorado’s most obscure tourist attractions along the way. I’ve been going past Bishop Castle[…]

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

06:00-12:00, Thursday, 7-30-20CO 14ers: 11, 12 & 13 of 53Distance RT: 7.5 milesElevation gain/loss: 3,700′Starting Elevation: 12,000′Summits: Democrat 14,148′, Lincoln 14,286′ & Bross 14,172′Rank: 28, 8 & 22 of 53Location: Mosquito Range, West of Alma, CORoute: 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 DeCaLiBron (like marathon, taking the first 2 letters[…]

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[…]