Go big or go home...hiking our first 14'er

From the Summit of Grays 14,270'

One of our biggest goals during our time in Colorado was to hike to the TOP of a 14'er.  A 14'er is a mountain that exceeds 14,000 feet tall above sea level.  It is a big deal in Colorado as they have more than any other state, maxing out at 53...or 54 depending on what source you find.  The next populated is California with 11.  To compare, Humpback Rock in Virginia is 3,080 feet and the tallest mountain in Virginia maxes out at 5,729, which is Mount Rogers.  The true test is to hike all of the 14'ers in Colorado, but Eli and I just wanted to join the club of hiking at least one.  Eight years ago we attempted one, Mount Quandary, but did not reach the summit due to waist deep snow!  Typically, June or July is the best time to start these hikes because of snow and bad weather earlier in the season, but with limited time we had to test our luck in May.



We were going to try on Saturday, May 19th but due to snow and rain we stayed local and spent the day with our friend, Lauren Eckard, and her cute son, Ian at the Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster.

Hiking as the sun was coming up!

We had a great time but were getting very excited about our upcoming challenge.  Eli had done his research so set the alarm for 3:00 am so we could get started early to avoid any afternoon storms.  We got to the trail head of Grays (11,280 feet) at 5:30 and began our hike as the sun was coming up over the mountain.  We totally lucked out on weather as it was chilly but crystal clear.  The initial trail was well marked and had great views along the way.  We both had some shortness of breath but nothing to slow us down.  After winding around the mountain, we got to boulders and lots of snow.

 We ate a few snacks and began the trek...up!  With no definite trail from the snow on the previous day, Eli literally punched his way into the snow to create footing for us in certain spots.  I thought it was hard, but Eli paved the way for me (thank goodness!!).  As we inched toward the top, it got harder and harder.  At times we were on all fours and others we zig zagged upwards.  It was frustrating occasionally because you felt so close to the top yet SO far away.  The last 100 to 200 feet were the hardest.  Even though we have lived in Colorado for six months we both noticed how difficult it was due to the altitude. I had to stop to catch my breath every 15 feet or so and Eli was battling nausea and a headache. With all that said, once we reached the summit, it was well worth it. We had a commanding view that stretched miles and miles in all directions.  There were a few people already at the top that offered us a shot of whiskey in celebration. We found that type of kindness from many hikers as everyone was very friendly and offered encouragement or well greetings. Eli actually got phone service on the top of the mountain and called his Dad. I just took in the views. After enjoying the beauty we hiked back down and in some cases slid. It felt much better going down with our breath coming easier, our heads clearing, and feeling a sense of accomplishment as so many others were still working their way up. We got back to the car about 11:30, so it was around a 6 hour round trip and 7.5 miles worth of hiking. We were both famished so stopped at Burger King (I know awful) to get whoppers (so much for gluten free) and then Starbucks for a Chai Tea and Mocha Frapaccino.  We scarfed our food down and headed back to Boulder for an evening of relaxation. This day will definitely be on our top 10 list.  Not all parts of it were fun but it was an incredible feeling to achieve our goal together. It is definitely a spiritual connection with nature and just makes you realize how incredible this planet is. I could not think of a better hiking partner to experience this beauty with!!