My First 14er

For those who don't know, a 14er refers to a mountain with an elevation of 14,000 feet or greater.  Yesterday the boyfriend and I drove through Cottonwood Pass which is not open during the winter and parked at the trail head to Mt. Elbert.  Because of the length of time and the distance I couldn't bring my beloved Millie since she is a mere 9 months so alas, I left her at home to chew her way through my things.  At least the things she hasn't already chewed.

<<scuba?>>

The boyfriend and I hiked all the way through the woods full of rocky switchbacks, beyond the treeline, over 2 false peaks and finally finally finally made it to the peak.  Mt. Elbert kicked my butt! 

 <<Still not even close>>

 <<Walking the ridge line at the top>>

 <<We found some cardboard signs, something to pack on the next one>>

It sucked because sometimes you're on the path and you think the peak you see is the one and you think to yourself "Oh, I can do that, no problem" but then it turns out to be a false peak and so does the next one and so it's absolutely discouraging until that final climb when you know for certain that's it because there's no higher spot rising up beyond it.  (There's got to be a dating analogy here).

Anyways, back in NY when you hike it goes like this: see the peak, hike the peak.  In CO, hiking goes like this: see many peaks, see the peak, not the peak, see the peak, not the peak, see the peak, reach the peak, see nothing from the peak.

I believe the point of hiking great heights is to realize an ability to feel superior to all things below.  I can stand there and feel superior.  I can feel as tall as the mountains which, of course, I am.  Feeling superior is hard to come by when you're a recent grad with a small paycheck and big loans.  And unlike the rest of my life, if I work hard at a hike, commit to it, prepare for it, clear the summit, I can see the results and I can revel in the ideal progression of hard work.  Plus mother nature is kind of a great boss: no interviews, no board meetings, no instant demands.

<<Hello Mr. Marmot>>

<<Gray jay? Camp robber? Fed him part of a granola bar out of my hand>>

<<Yes Dad I whistled at him and he stayed for my pic>>

<<Marm...i if you will>>

 <<Rainbow below!>>

Unfortunately a rain cloud had rolled in and prevented us from seeing anything beyond 25 feet of chunky rock (I'm sure there's a technical name for that...talus?...tor?).  All was not lost, however, for being in a rain cloud was a brand new experience and as I stood tall (haha) at 14,433 feet I could see and feel the fog rolling up the side of Mt. Elbert, across my sodden shoes, and back down the cliff on the other desolate side.  After a few Lord of the Rings quotes and some bites of a warm deli sandwich, we hightailed it down as it began to pour, pouring hours later when we finally reached the car, pouring as we drove the 3 hours home. Pour, poor me.

<<I spy with my little eye a Ptarmigan>>

7 Hours

8 Miles

4100' Gain

2 Exhausted Hikers

*Ptarmigan and Down Again*

Kmegan

Deep in Colorado

To those who have managed to contact me since my move to Colorado, thank you.  For that one person who keeps checking back on this blog, thank you for not giving up on me.  It's been a difficult transition from Syracuse to Crested Butte and even more difficult was the transition from Winter to Summer.

<<Cutting of the Xmas tree>>

<<Summer with the wildflowers>>

Teaching little kids 3-6 how to ski was a blast and I'm definitely looking forward to doing it again this winter.

<<Crested Butte Photos of the Day>>

I road tripped back to Syracuse to pick up more of my things and to visit friends and family.  This road trip was longer than the ride out here because I stopped in Minnesota for my boyfriend, Adam, and then again in West Virginia to drop off my friend, Nick.  Meeting their families and having people to ride with made it much more memorable than the solitary non-stop drive out this past November.

 

<<Quick, picture with the giant bug statue!>>

This summer I worked up at Gothic, specifically the Rocky Mountain Biological Lab which is essentially a field station for biologists and ecologists, professionals, and students.  A good number of mountain bikers and tourists ride through as well.  I managed the general store.  Lots of snacks and t-shirts but no cell reception.  There was also a good month when internet was down as well.  Talk about a rustic experience!

<<My store>>

<<View from my store>>

As I wrap up my job in the middle of fumbuck nowhere, I am increasingly aware of the drawbacks to living in a resort town.  Mainly that all things slow and jobs are scarce when the tourists are slow and scarce...well, mainly just scarce, tourists are pretty slow all the time.

*Happy Attitude and High Altitude*

Kmegan