"I believe every human has a finite number of
heartbeats. I don't intend to waste any
of mine..." – Neil Armstrong
Wasting time…..believe in the words of Neil Armstrong and
you will surely find the life you've been missing.
We live in Colorado, a place like no other. Here, you are only minutes from your next
adventure whether it is a mountain bike thrill ride or river rafting down the
Colorado River. For a more unique
adventure all you have to do is look up to the west at the rock tops lining our
horizon. This past weekend I completed
my second 14,000 foot climb, my goal this time; Mt. Bierstadt.
I left my house in Erie at about 8:30AM and I was at the
trailhead by 9:45AM. This was a late
start for an attempt at a 14er so I knew I would need to keep a steady
pace. Ideally a good start time would be
6:00AM because you want to be on your way down by noon. Most hikes can take up to 5 hours, depending
on your pace so you have to plan accordingly.
Weather is very unpredictable at this altitude and once the clap of
thunder starts lightning is not far behind.
Well above tree line leaves you with absolutely no cover and you don't
want to be exposed when storms blow in – lightning can be deadly, even if it
doesn't strike you directly so don't hesitate to cut your climb short once
weather sets in.
Weight is a detriment on these hikes so try and keep it
light. I brought along a camelback for
water and a couple of snack bars, long pants that convert to shorts, and three
layers on top (T-shirt, button down long sleeve, and light wind jacket). I wore a cap for some protection from the
intense sun. It will feel cool at times
but you can bet that the sun is doing its handy work. Light winter gloves will make the last push
more comfortable so see if you can stuff a pair in your back pocket. Finally, don't forget a camera; there will be
some unbelievable photo opportunities along the way.
The first part of the hike takes you down into a willow
swamp, soaked by the recent winter snow melt.
The trail here is hard packed Dirt and there are well constructed
boardwalks to keep you out of the mud sections.
There is a small stream crossing at about 0.75 miles with no bridge so
you'll have to hop a few rocks to get across but nothing to worry about.
There are restrooms at the trailhead, if you missed them
you'll have very little privacy on the way up; it's not unusual to stop if you
have to, even the ladies will from time to time, everyone understands up
here.
The climbing starts gradually and at this altitude you will
experience labored breathing. I'm mildly
asthmatic and I made it just fine but don't push to fast because you'll need
your energy (if you have asthma, don't attempt any climb at these altitudes
without an inhaler). Rocks start to
appear as you come out of the willow swamp and the climb starts to take on a
bit steeper grade (1.89 miles), nothing like what you'll see up at the
top. Pace yourself and stop to rest if
you have to. Take many sips of water
along the way, dehydration will rob you of all kinds of energy.
It's a constant climb but at times it will level off a
bit. For a short while as you're
climbing out of the willow swamp you will actually lose sight of Mt. Bierstadt
but as you emerge the scene almost looks surreal. There is a large rock formation (Sawtooth) just to the
left of Mt. Bierstadt that reminds me of the Sand Crawler in Star Wars, you can
see it from the parking area but up close it's unbelievable (photo op).
At 12,621 feet/2.46 miles Mt. Bierstadt is well within
view. Still tough to see people making
the final crawl up to the top but stick with it because you're getting
closer. The mountain really starts to
make it difficult for you from here on up.
Rocks are more abundant and seem to get bigger the further you go. There's still a lot of loose stuff so use the
rocks to your advantage, try to find the 'steps' as you climb.
Your eyes are probably glued to the peak but take a moment
and look behind you. This is a view few
get to experience so make the best of your time on the mountain because who
knows when or if you'll ever be back.
At 13,513/3.18 miles the trail is almost non-existent. Still no need for hands but it will demand leg
strength and at this altitude the lack of oxygen coupled with fatigue will have
you gasping for air as your lungs try and feed your starving legs.
The summit looks so close now and you'll start to see that
the most difficult part of the climb is yet to come. Along this section you'll notice small rock
piles placed in the form of pyramids; use these as 'trail' markers to help you
find your route through this boulder field.
There were a lot of people on this day so finding a route wasn't all
that difficult. At this point though,
just head up in the direction of the peak because quite frankly the trail is
gone.
At 3.32 miles you are now in a position for the final push
to the summit, it may look steep and jagged but definitely doable (check out how small the people look-should give you some perspective). You will most certainly need your hands along
the way; those gloves will come in handy here.
Be careful because there is nothing but large rock up here and any slip
will likely result in injury. There is
literally no trail up here so just follow someone and if they don't know what
they're doing then head in the general direction of the summit, just pick your
route wisely.
I finally made the summit at 12:02PM and man was it worth
it. It was partly cloudy in the distance
but nice and clear at the summit. You
can almost see every mountain range from here and the views were spectacular. At 14,028 feet we are almost half the
cruising altitude of a jet airliner. The
air is thin but at rest you'll hardly notice.
Luckily the wind was calm but blowing at about 10 miles per hour. It would be a little chilly without a light
jacket so make sure you come prepared.
There are always people up here and they're all in good spirits, no one
would mind if you bothered them to snap a photo of you 'at the top.'
Savor this moment; you've just climbed one of the tallest
peaks in Colorado (38 out of 54). At
this point it may hit you; "I still have to climb down." It's much easier descending however it does
abuse your knees a lot more. Rest if
your knees start to feel pain, just make sure to monitor the weather so you're
not rushed.
Altitude sickness is common and I must have had a mild case
because I actually lost my balance crossing over the stream and fell in the
water on my way back. I managed to break
my fall and all that got wet were my feet.
The climb took me almost 5 hours non stop and that includes the 15 or 20
minutes I took at the summit. Grays Peak
was more difficult I thought but both demanded stamina and perseverance. You can follow my route on my Garmin page at connect.garmin.com/activity/338767444 . Once again I took two GPS devices and my
Garmin Etrex was more accurate, in terms of elevation, than my Garmin Edge but
the Edge allows me to download my routes.
What an afternoon!
Neil Armstrong had a storied life, one measured by heartbeats it
seems. Your heart beats faithfully
everyday too, will yours have a story to tell?
Alan
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