Colorado is perhaps the fittest state in the country, and Boulder County is home to the uber-fit. Many current and former triathletes, Olympians and others make their home in Boulder, Colorado. Therefore, it can be somewhat intimidating trying to do things within your own realm, and not compare yourself to all these amazing athletes. One of the pursuits of many outdoors enthusiasts here in this state is climbing “Fourteeners.” If you don’t live in Colorado, you may not have even heard the expression before. Fourteener refers to 14,000-foot mountains, of which there are 54 (or is it 57?) in the state, far more than any other state in the country. Many make it their personal quest to climb not only one, but all 54. Even one of our U.S. Senators, Mark Udall, has managed to climb all the fourteeners in the state, and he’s not alone in terms of notables who have accomplished this.
Some of us more ordinary folk just want to try and climb one, which is a worthy goal for anyone. At 8000 feet, there is 30% less oxygen, and for every 1000 feet above that, there is 2-3% less. So no only are you dealing with climbing steep, rocky trails 3000 or 4000 feet in one day, you are doing it at 12,000 feet and above, gasping for air all the while.
I’ve climbed about eight fourteeners, and am getting ready this week to repeat one of the most famous, Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park. Even though I’ve been up it before, it’s still a daunting task. I’ve been trying to hike and lift weights, but you never really know if you’ve done all that you can until you’re on the mountain, making your way to the summit. The other stressful part of getting ready for a fourteener hike, is watching the weather forecast. It’s always a race to beat the elements, and about the worst place you can be with bad weather coming in, is on top of an exposed high peak.
All these questions and more will be answered by Friday evening, as our planned ascent is scheduled to take place in the wee pre-dawn hours on Friday. More to be revealed…
