Colorado 14er: Crestone Peak to Needle Traverse
Climbing in Colorado is always special. On August 22, 2015, my buddy, Andy Westmeyer and I climbed two of the more difficult 14ers via a traverse: Crestone Peak to Crestone Needle. Both of the 14,000′ peaks have difficult reputations and the traverse, all above 13,600′ amplifies it. We hiked into South Colony Lake Friday night, set up […]
Going Through a Cave to Reach Longs Peak Summit
It is not often you go through a cave to reach a mountain summit. But I recently did just that on Longs Peak. I guess I have to say Longs Peak in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park is my favorite 14er given I have climbed on it over 125 times reaching the summit on 33 […]
Colorado’s Roof: Holy Cross, Snowmass and Pyramid Peaks
I had a busy week June 24, 2013 climbing three of Colorado’s major 14, and 000 foot mountains. I have climbed all 58 of the 14ers but wanted to go back to each of these for different reasons. I hope you enjoy the videos. Holy Cross via the Halo Ridge I summited Colorado’s Mt. of […]
Little Bear-Blanca Great Traverse
Colorado has 58 mountains over 14, salve 000 feet. Within this grouping many peaks have ridges that connect them but only four are deemed worthy to be be called great. On June 14th, 2013, I completed the last of these, the Little Bear – Blanca Traverse. In my opinion it is clearly the most difficult. […]
A Look at the Colorado 14ers
This weekend I will be on a special climb of a 14, look 000 foot Colorado mountain, Handies Peak in the San Juan Range. I have already climbed this one but this time it will be with my good friend and 14er buddy, Robert LeClair. This will mark his completion of climbing all 58 of […]
A Tough summer in the Western High Country
Any article about death on a mountain is difficult to write. I am concerned about getting the facts wrong, stuff perhaps offending family and friends. However, it serves a purpose of exploring the reason for incident and reminding everyone that mountains can be deadly. The source year after year is the American Alpine Club’s – […]
Finishing the 14ers; What’s Next?
For not being a goal, the satisfaction I feel for just completing climbing all 54 Colorado mountains over 14, 000′ is deep. As I posted last week, I went to southwest Colorado’s San Juan range to climb Windom Peak (14082?), Sunlight Peak (14059?), Mt. Eolus (14083?) and North Eolus (14039?). I was fortunate to have […]
The Final 14ers
Sometimes a goal is not a goal until you near the end. That is my story for climbing all of Colorado’s Mountains over 14, 000 feet. My first 14er was Longs Peak in 1992, then a few more in 2002. I got serious after meeting Patrick Vall and Robert LeClair. They both wanted to climb […]
Finding Clark's Arrow on Longs Peak
Sometimes it is the little thing. I have climbed on Longs Peak perhaps 70 times in all kinds of weather by multiple routes. But one small goal has eluded me for years. You see, way back in the early days of Rocky Mountain National Park, an enterprising ranger named John Clark decided to help out his fellow climbers by painting an arrow directing climbers to the saddle between Longs Peak and Mt Meeker. The area is a rock filled gully and can be very confusing so some type of semi-permanent sign would have been useful. Of course today that would be illegal and considered graffiti!