Monday, September 9th, 2024
CO 14ers: 31, 32, & 33 of 53
Distance RT: 16.5 miles
Elevation gain/loss: 7460′
Starting Elevation: 9,650′
Summit: 14,202′, 14,158′, & 14,071
Rank: 18, 25 & 35 of 53
Location: Sawatch Range, near Winfield
Route: Missouri Gulch Trailhead to Mt Belford (Northwest Ridge B1), Mt Oxford via Mt Belford (O1), back to Mt Belford junction, Southwest Slopes (B3), then up and down Northwest Ridge of Missouri Mountain (M1), then back through the valley to Missouri Gulch Trailhead, Class 2
In the morning, I bid a quick farewell to Alan. He was still in his tent as I pulled away…lazy thru-hiker. Haha, just kidding. I always enjoying giving him a hard time, but he’s a pretty good thru-hiker, despite my distractions. I had to leave very early because I knew I had a long day ahead of me. I drove a few miles down the road and set off for Belford and Oxford from the Missouri Gulch trailhead. Both peaks are often done together, but I intended to connect Missouri Mountain in addition, knocking out three 14ers in one day.
Well, I should have done some math beforehand to understand what a massive effort this entailed! I also should have started about an hour earlier. In consideration of my efforts over the past week, I was feeling a bit tired: 4 days/seven 14ers in a row, 5 days/8 14ers plus 1 failed attempt in total. No wonder this day wiped me out!
The hike up to Belford was not too bad, although the climb on the exposed ridge seemed to go on forever. I was moving fast, trying to catch up to the few people ahead of me. I spotted some mountain goats around the summit, then a few more near Oxford. I only paused for a few minutes to snap some summit photos, then hurried down the ridge connecting to Oxford. This was a 1.5 mile trail and drop/gain of 700’…which I had to turn around to repeat only half an hour later. I took a longer break on Oxford’s summit, admiring views across to the Mosquito Range, down to Pikes Peak, and the massive nearby summit of Harvard, which I summited in 2020.
I huffed and puffed my way back to Belford’s ridge, turning southwest to follow a different ridge towards Missouri Mountain. The summit was tantalizingly close from the ridge’s saddle, but there was a craggy rock face blocking the way. I’d gotten intel from some hikers the day before that the ridge was to be avoided at all costs, so I reluctantly dropped nearly 1500′ into the valley, just to go back up the same. On paper, this little detour looked like nothing, but it was a killer!
By the time I reached the trail junction to go back up to Missouri’s Northwest Ridge, it was nearly noon and the storm clouds were gathering. I knew I was pushing it, but I just couldn’t let it go without giving it a shot. I passed 2 guys that were descending, one who pointedly looked at me and seemed to conclude that I was an idiot and unprepared. The only thing he said to me, or rather ordered at me, was to “Be Careful!”. It was more about the tone of his voice than what he said, like it was an admonishment. Thanks dude, I hadn’t ever thought of that before. I wanted to point out that I’d already summited 2 14ers in the morning, with many more under my belt fromm previous days and years. But I think it would have fallen on deft ears.
I marched up the steep switchbacks and along the half mile ridge, making it by 1 pm. I pushed so hard in this last stretch that I thought my heart might explode. I was breathing very hard, but I was too pressed by the oncoming weather to allow myself a break for more than a minute. I had to start doing interval hiking just to maintain a fast pace. I’d been taking all the other peaks pretty easy, plus my fitness was quite good, so I’d gotten into the mindset that all these peaks would be easy. But this climb about broke me. I definitely felt the accumulation of the previous days, plus the huge effort of just this one day.
Looking north along the ridge from the summit…views from left to right of Huron, Castle and Conundrum way off in the distance and La Plata to the far right. Missouri doesn’t have a very prominent peak, but the walk along the 1/2 mile ridge is pretty cool.
I only paused long enough for a few bad pictures at the summit before rushing back down. I couldn’t go very fast because the ridge had some very sketchy gravel slides, which were especially treacherous given the lack of tread on my Altras that I’d been wearing all summer. Most 14ers allow a hiker to drop elevation very quickly immediately upon departing the summit. Missouri was pretty unique with the long, high ridge approach…pretty nice and scenic in good weather but rather tenuous when thunderstorms are threatening. The highest likelihood of lightning strikes are to rock outcrops on top ridges. I contemplated this as I navigated one outcrop after another. Thankfully the storms were slow to form this day. I heard thunder once I got down to the valley and it started raining a mile from the trailhead. I’d been so concerned, but actually my timing was pretty good. Still, an extra hour in the morning would have really helped ease the tension. The return hike was mostly uneventful, except that I spied a herd of mountain goats on one of the Belford ridges.
The rain let up as soon as I got to my car. It was such a relief to get all 3 peaks done in one day, I was feeling very joyous, despite my fatigue. My plan was get an early dinner and charge my car in Buena Vista, then stage for yet another 14er the next morning. It was the last I had yet to complete of the Collegiates: Mt Princeton. No rest for the weary.