James Peak Wilderness

Headed out from Denver this morning it was cold.  It was 25 in Denver, so we were kind of curious how cold it would be up at 9,000 feet just outside of Rollinsville.  Well, we drove and got in at about 10:30 and it was cold!  Add to it it was pretty windy where we parked the car right next to the Moffat Tunnel, and we were starting to wonder if we packed the right gear for a little jaunt in the woods.

We soon got on our way and once we got into the large stand of Colorado Blue Spruce, and the blood was starting to move a little bit, we were actually pretty comfortable.  We were headed for Heart Lake, a high-alpine lake sitting at about 11,200' just shy of the divide.  We were both pretty wiped from the week and didn't make it all of the way in.  Winter wonderland is in full effect up there though...6-8" of fresh on the trail, and up to my knees off trail.  The snow is extremely dry, and fluffy and the dogs had a BLAST running around and dipping their noses into the fluff.  It must be like being in one of those enormous ball pits at Chuck E. Cheese!

Scarlet gettin' after it!

We did 't get all of the way to the lake, but damn, it felt great to be outside!  All in all, we hiked in about 2 hours (3miles-ish), had lunch, and turned back.  Gorgeous day!

Green Bay fans outside just before the Moffat Tunnel

Amanda showcasing new winter line!

Weekend of Inspiration

I realize there hasn't been a post here in a while.  Two things happened this weekend that I wanted to share with you - happening on opposite sides of the country! 

In Colorado:
Amanda has been training for weeks and weeks for her first half marathon.  I've seen her get up at 4:30 in the morning to get ready to run the 11 miles to her work to squeeze in her long run during the day.  She gets up, faces the unknown and comes out smiling on the other side.  At one point, we woke up and there had been a snowfall and she still made the run in to work.  She even saw coyotes and foxes along the way.  She'd be nervous about the run, not sure if she'd be able to do it.  It was dark.  It was cold.  Nobody was up at those hours.  Not only would she do it, but her times would be so consistent every single time.  She is clockwork!  So proud of her for her dedication and commitment and seeing it through to the finish line of the half marathon.  No easy task.  She broke down a huge task into little manageable pieces and got 'er dun.

I wanted to be running with her so badly...Congratulations Hun!  Read her recap here:

Colorado Racing Champ!

Meanwhile in New Hampshire:

While Amanda was running, I talked to my mom who said Dad and Ty were hiking for the day.  Apparently they made for Mt. Lafayette via Little Haystack.  Lafayette is no laughing matter.  I remember doing it with dad several years ago, when I was knee high to a grasshopper, and how much of a beast it was then.  They tackled it via the Falling Waters Trail up Little Haystack and followed the ridge over to the summit of Lafayette and back down the Green Leaf trail.

Hardcore New England Hikers

I always love hiking with Dad and Ty, and I miss those trips. We did them a lot growing up. Trips up to Tuckerman's Ravine, hiking the in the Whites, trips to the Gunks in NY or Rumney/Cathedral in NH. The Trachy family hike up Mt. Kearsarge every fall in memory of my Grammy Ruth. As far back as I can remember, our family has always been outdoors. The outdoors have always been a huge part of my life, and I whenever I am outside, it feels good. It feels like family when family isn't there with you. The week has a way of winding you up, tight like a top. When I get to the woods though, it all melts away. Life becomes simple. It's you and the outdoors. Soak up the sounds and smells. It's great to be outside!

The picture above is my dad (Kit) on the left, and brother (Ty) on the right at the summit of Mt. Lafayette on Sunday, October 21, 2012.  They did a nine mile hike starting up Little Haystack and over to eventually summit Mt. Lafayette (5,260').  I did a little reading on this route after dad told me his story of their trip.  Here is the advisory:

"If you are in good shape, the weather forecast is promising, and you have a full-day available, follow the rest of crowd on the Falling Waters Trail to the Franconia Ridge Trail and ultimately to the 5260-foot summit of Mt. Lafayette, for a total round clockwise loop trip of 8.8 miles. It is possible to do this loop counter-clockwise, but we have always enjoyed this method better. Make sure to assess your stamina before considering this optional hike. This loop has sections of steep and often slippery trail, often for long stretches at a time, and can be snowy and icy until late spring. The winds along the ridge can be deadly and the weather forecast needs to absolutely be in your favor for you to partake on this rigorous hiking loop. With a hefty elevation gain of nearly 4000 feet, it will take the average hiker about six to eight hours to complete this exhausting endeavor. Before tackling any hike of this caliber, make sure that you are properly prepared and have done additional research as to what lies ahead of you."

Both of these events got me in a good way. Both stories are inspirational, and go to show what joy can be found in hard work and dedication!

Longs Peak over thinking...

Is not happening right now...the 30 day cleanse will be put on hold, but it will be completed this year.

I guess it's not a bad time to mention that the summer hiking season is beginning to wind down.  The month of September can be a good one for hiking.  Traditionally, thunderstorm activity dissipates but the trade off is that the days are a little shorter and cooler.  In my opinion, that is fine!  September is the month most people recommend doing Longs Peak.  I'm not sure that I'll be able to fit it in this month, but I'd sure love to!

The east face of Longs Peak is also known as "The Diamond" 

This is a mountain that I can see from Denver.  It is one of the three 14ers visible from the city (ironically, we have done none of the ones visible from Denver!)  It has quite the reputation for nasty weather and exposure.  It is a longer route that most would prefer to do in two days time.  All mountains require respect when you climb them, and Longs is no exception.  An error here can have serious consequences.  I'm not sure what my deal is with this mountain.  I've read a ton about the route, I've talked to numerous people about the mountain, I've even gone to a seminar on this mountain.  I have been wanting to climb this for a while, but it seems I always freak/bail at the last minute.  I don't doubt my abilities or judgments, I'm not sure what the hitch is.  Anyways enough venting.  Has anyone reading this ever over thought something like this?    It's not far from where I live, people do it all of the time, it's been on my radar for 3 years now.  I know it's silly, but honestly, I don't have any other explanation for not getting it done.

Reset Button

This post is more or less a time stamp and a reminder for me more than anything else.

Every year around this time, I put myself through the rigors of a 30 day cleanse.  This year, due to an amazing vacation full of vice, it will be an abridged 27 day cleanse.  Getting all of the toxins out of my body feels great, but it does take some discipline, especially with a fridge like this!

The tradition was born after hearing the wonders from some co workers who observe Ramadan.  The benefits they talked about were great, and after doing it for a few years I concur!  For me though, there isn't a religious connotation, just a way to shock the body, and get levels back to normal.  Amanda and I have two pretty big races coming up, so it comes at a great time and will provide some extra motivation:)

Buck Mountain (NY) 2,374'

... unparalleled views of the Adirondack Range and Lake George

Date:  August 17, 2012
Climbing Party:  Aaron Dover, Amanda Harnden, Susan Harnden
Elevation Gain: 2,253'
Distance:  6.0 miles R/T
Difficulty: Moderate


We drove from Wilton to Lake George and it took us about 35 minutes to reach the trail head, we were the second car in the lot on what seemed to be a quiet Friday morning.  We signed the register and got on our way!

We had been warned that there were a lot of rattlesnakes in this area, so our crew was on high alert for the pesky little buggers.  It was early in the morning and quite cool when we started, so thankfully we did NOT end up seeing any rattlesnakes on our hike.  What we DID see was a trail in great shape, from a lot of use.  It started gently and rolled through the NY woods.  It was great being back east and seeing familiar flora and fauna (namely brown toads and daddy long legs).  The smells in the woods were also reminiscent of NH and it just felt great to be back in that type of environment.  One curve-ball the trail threw at us were the six (6) stream crossings.  3 on the way up, and 3 on the way down.  Multiply this by the three members in our party, and there were 18 chances for said streams to get the best of us.  They were small, but they were streams nonetheless!  I am happy to report that on this expedition, we triumphed with an 18-0 victory.

Navigating streams!

The first mile was really cool, rolling up and down through the woods.  The second and third miles were where it started to get steeper, and where most of the gain takes place.  We summitted in 1:45 and caught a hazy, early morning view of Lake George and the Adirondacks.  The mountain sits right on the lake, and has a ton of polished rock where you can sit and enjoy views and delicious lunch!  Good thing for our early morning start, since as soon as we got to the top, we were joined by roughly 35 raucous junior high kids - apparently a soccer team(s)?  On the way down, one guy coming up asked us if it were true, since seeing the team logged in the register at the TH, that there was a 35 person hiking group ahead?  Is there really a hiking party of 35 people at the top?  Yessir!  Enjoy your lunch in solitude!

Usain Bolting at the summit

Susan relaxing with a view!

On top of ol' Buck!

We celebrated our hiking achievement- as well as our patience after sitting in traffic for an hour- by getting some ice cream at this place called Martha's in Lake George.  It was delicious!  For some unknown reason, I had the gall to order a medium ice cream.  Not sure what got a hold of me, but when this thing was handed to me, I knew I was in trouble.  With an ice cream cone measuring approximately 8" above the cone in 85 degree weather, there was no time to waste!

Recovery Week(s)

I just finished a great book about some of the disasters that have occurred in the mountains of Colorado.  I read it because I wanted to gain a perspective of what has been happening on mountains I have climbed or are on my list.  The book came at a great time, as we had done day trips to Bierstadt and La Plata in consecutive weekends, and it was nice not to have to wake up at 2:30am and drive somewhere!

In the book Colorado 14er Disasters, the author talks a lot about the sequence of events and mindsets that have precluded some of the fatal events in our mountains.  I just wanted to touch on a few of the points Nash made that I found interesting...

Point 1:  There is a "cascade of errors" that preclude a large error.  This is so true.  The case he mentions occurred up on Holy Cross, where a hiking party of two separates, and a lady vanishes.  The author goes into how the "leader" had forgotten his lunch, his water purifier, took the wrong trail and still tried to lead someone up the Halo Ridge of Holy Cross.  The risk multiplies by every error made.  Wrong trail all by itself?  Not a big deal really.  However if you are on the wrong trail, with a novice, neither of you know the route, you are behind schedule, no food, no water, etc...now you got yourself into a pickle.  It just reinforces thinking about your day.  This "cascade of errors" was also evident in the 127 Hours movie.  Ralston forgot some gear, didn't tell anyone where he was going, these things all add up.

Point 2:   Nash details the psyche of climbing parties.  I found this to be interesting.  He states the soloists are most exposed if something goes wrong, obviously one is on his/her own.  The couple that splits up comes in second in line, especially if one is more skilled than the other.  He says that leaving a novice on their own for whatever reason is more dangerous than the solo, because of the fact the novice had no intentions of being alone in the first place.  Spot on.  Then comes a party of three, and finally the optimal solution - a party of four experienced climbers.

Very interesting stuff to chew on during some down time.  We are looking forward to heading east this weekend to see our families!  We have tossed around hiking trips to Mt. Washington and Mt. Marcy while home.  If we do one of them, you'll see the writeup here!

La Plata (14,336')

La Plata is Spanish for "the plata" 

Date:  July 28, 2012

Climbing Party:  Aaron Dover & Amanda Harnden
Elevation Gain: 4,500'
Distance: 9.75 mi RT

RT Time: 7:00 (4hrs up, 3hrs down)
Difficulty:  Difficult, shared summit with a handful off others

Summit Marker

On the way up to Leadville this morning, we talked about the weather up at La Plata. The NOAA weather site had predicted a 60% chance of thunderstorm activity beginning at around 11:00 am. We had hoped to be done by then, but there are no guarantees. We had talked about the possibility of having to abort if things weren't looking good, and that we had to be on the same page about this before we got going. Our 3am departure from Denver got us on the trail by 5:40. Should have been plenty of time to bag the Plata! It's Spanish for "Silver" as this mountain was in an area known for silver mining.

Out of the gates, we had three stream crossings. Not too shabby for the first mile! It meant we were moving straight up the belly of the valley to the source. There were no easy portions of the hike. I will break them down:

The Forest (Mile 1): 3 stream crossings and moving through aspen stands, gaining elevation moderately, and ends in an absolutely gorgeous valley travelling along a stream with flat terrain

Fores portion was awesome!

Switchback Central (mileage unk): After the pleasant walk along the creek, start the switchbacks. Switchbacks up a gully, elevation gained rather quickly. This is a 9/10 on the misery index, but the great views help. Just put your head down and walk, try to maintain pace. These short switchbacks never seem to end, and the entire time a gallery of marmots watch and critique your every move. Follow this to the ridge.

Marmots eat well apparently...

Working our way up the switchbacks!

Views were the best I've seen...;) look at the clouds rolling in too..

Summit Ridge (roughly 1.5 mi):  Follow the summit ridge to the summit.  The trail comes and goes, and in some areas smells as though a commercial airliner dropped their waste receptacle somewhere nearby.  The rocks are big, the steps up them are big, and the views are even bigger.  Enjoy, and soak it in!

The Summit Ridge...views for days.

So, the story goes that we were on trail by 5:40 and got up to the summit ridge in 2.5 hrs, and we were the guinea pigs up on the ridge.  Clouds were billowing to the west, but they were standing still.  They were getting darker, but behind them were clear blue skies!  What to do, what to do.  We didn't hear any thunder, so we decided to get out of the wind for a little bit, and see what would happen.. if they got thicker and started in on us, we were gonna roll out.  Below, on the ridge, there were 2-3 groups of 2, STOPPED.  They were all watching us, and wanted to see what we were going to do.  They were not going to climb up any further if we were going to bail.  One pair did come up while we were waiting, and the clouds broke up!  It was our chance.  We made moves and scurried up the last mile to the summit.  

Summit! Awesome views into Aspen/Snowmass behind

Summit!

We didn't waste much time on the summit, had a bite, got some pics and made our way off as others were on their way up (eek).  On the way down, the clouds were getting thicker and thicker.  No sooner did we reach tree line did the summit completely grey over, and within a half hour, we were getting pounded with rain, and we were under tree cover!  I felt bad for those who got a later start, and were exposed above treeline.    A and I were soaked to the bone, and beat up from the feet up.  We made it back safe and sound, and still had a 2.5 hour drive ahead of us before we could tear into some cheeseburgers....

La Plata Lining: We thought we would be aborting this trip, but alas, we summited after a break in the weather!

Mt. Bierstadt (14,060')

The Only Mountain in Colorado!

Date:  July 21, 2012

Climbing Party:  Aaron Dover, Amanda Harnden, Sue Harnden, Andrea Bielecki, Brian Bielecki
Elevation Gain: 2,850'
Distance: 7mi Roundtrip

RT Time: 7:00 (3hrs up, 4hrs down)
Difficulty:  Easy, trail was crowded like a mall

We had a super early start from Denver leaving at about 4:30 am and driving to the Guanella Pass trailhead. This road is now paved 100% and serves as a super highway between I70 and 285. Even after arriving at the trailhead at 6:00am, parking was at a premium and the masses were descending onto the trail.

In our party, we had 3 first timers! Amanda's mom,Sue, was visiting from NY, and her aunt and uncle Andrea and Brian, made the drive from Albuquerque! Our goal was to summit, and starting early is a GREAT way to overcome crowds, weather, and when hiking with new climbing partners, it's always good to leave yourself extra time to account for any issues that might come up. So without much ado, we threw on our packs and headed out.

Brian and Andrea all geared up and ready to roll out!

The first part of the trail is considered the Willows. This used to be the crux of the entire hike if you could ever believe it! Trudging through a massive swamp on the approach (and on the return) had sucked energy out of people for years! They have since built the boardwalk to assist in the hike. Believe me, it has made the hike 10 times more approachable. The walk through the willows is my favorite part. Full of energy, the terrain is flat, air is cool...a great warmup! The bushes up to your chin make it fun to walk through. There are so many little game trails under the brush too. I can imagine tons of little critters running through the scrub. So the hike in on the willows is definitely my favorite!

In the middle of the Willows is the stream crossing, which got its' hands on one of the members in our party (and her cellphone). Thankfully, she was a-ok and made it without another hitch! The cell phone however, is no longer functional, but that's ok, it was getting replaced anyways.

After the stream crossing, the trail begins to gently switch back and forth until you reach the shoulder where the Sawtooth Ridge and Bierstadt stare you right in the face. That ridge is awe inspiring, and when you get an early start, you get to see the sun come up over it! Pure beauty.

Sawtooth Ridge, Bierstadt on right


Once on top of the shoulder it's the section I like to refer to as the "Sound of Music" section of the climb. It's just a beautiful rolling hill where wildflowers, mountains and blue sky assault all of your senses at once...truly amazing. If you start running and singing on this mountainside, it may be the early onset of altitude sickness, or just happiness :)

Amanda took this awesome shot of the wildflowers in "Sound of Music" section

The crew headed up the 'Sound of Music' section, Sawtooth looking on in background...

I used to think getting onto the shoulder was the tough part, but I will ammend this thought, and say that the section from the shoulder to the summit is far more difficult.  The trail kind of disappears and the boulders are bigger.  Every step is a little more work.  We don't have too many photos through this section because we were working (and breathing) HARD.  Once on the shoulder though, the views are amazing, and the summit is steps away...we had one problem at the top with one in our party getting a foot caught in the boulders and wrenching it.  Painful to see, but must have been worse in person... Sue, Andrea, Brian and Random McGee at the summit! AAA summit shot! Ellie summititng! Scarlito summit shot/guarding water Sue summit shot, Saratoga represent Brian & Andrea Summit Ellie Summit shot It was a great summit, gorgeous day, and a wonderful experience to share with people who have not been on a 14er! Brian, Andrea, and Sue thanks for visiting, it was great to see you and get a hike in together! On the way down we stopped for a nap in the sun in the field with the 49ers Made it down as a team!  What a day.  Bierstadt directly behind.

Mt. Sherman (14,046')

Date:  June 30, 2012

Climbing Party:  Aaron Dover, Amanda Harnden, Kelsey Breen, Kathryn Young, Jen Hock, Jason Murray, Sally Webster
Elevation Gain: 2,036'
Distance: 5 miles

RT Time: 3:50
Difficulty:  Easy

Most folks will tell you for your first attempt at a 14er, to go try Mt. Bierstadt.  I think I'll start recommending Mt. Sherman.  Sure, Bierstadt is closer to Denver, and the newly paved Guanella Pass Road makes getting there a cinch.  Sherman  is a little farther away from Denver (maybe 2 hours) depending on how much you and your crew need to stop. 

No one has heard of Mt. Sherman it seems!  You guys are hiking where? Where's that?  Mt. Sherman? Yes Mt. Sherman.  Just outside of Fairplay off of Rt. 285, you may or may not see Mt. Sherman from the road.  It kind of fits in with the rest of the surroundings...a very nondescript peak on the horizon.   

We made camp at about 9pm off of the side of the road.  Just before getting to the start of the trailhead, it becomes private property, so we camped off the side of the road.  Great camping along this road by the way.

Fire ban campfire.

We woke up in the morning at the crack of 3:45am, and hit the trail a little after 5.  This is a shorter hike, but it was Kat's last chance to see the sunrise at this elevation before moving to NYC, so we decided the early start was the way to go.  The way up to the trail head was pitch black obviously, and the road was a little sketchy.  There is no sign denoting the start of the trail head, so after some hemming and hawing we realized the iron gates was where the trail head was.  Very simple approach.  Up a dirt road, past some abandoned silver mines.  Follow the dirt road all of the way to huge mine that looks like a drive in theater.  These mines, we researched, harvested over 100,000 ounces of silver back in the days they were operational!  I can hear the miners now...'there's silver in these mountains...'  Made me think of Arrested Development  ...'there's money in that banana stand.'  Anyway, sidetracked.  Bear left towards the pile of gray rock, get up on the ridge line and follow it to the summit!  Simple. Straightforward. Beautiful.  Great views of Leadville, Turquoise Lake, Massive and Elbert. 

Fav shot of the day

On the way down, Scarlet got into it with a pica.  I have seen her rummage in the rocks before for things making noise, but on this day, June 30, she actually caught one!  I looked over just in time to see her with it in her mouth, and then she flung it up in the air and caught it again before I could get over to her.  She was moving large rocks with her paws and even teeth.  I am not so sure that the caloric gain from the pica would have equaled or surpassed that which was expended in the hunt.  In fact, I think that to break even she would have required to catch and eat 7.2 picas.

Standard Pica

Group Vitamin D therapy on way down.

Thanks to our 5am start, we encountered scores of people making the trip up to the summit of Sherman.  Seemed all of them were pouring sweat, and they all asked us the same question:  "What time did you guys start???"  It pays to get an early start. Every. Damn. Time!  Not only did we escape the heat and crowds, we got back to the car at like 9:15 in time to get into Fairplay for breakfast.  Side note: Java Moose is no joke...a great place to grab great bfast.  We were back in Denver around 11:30 wondering what to do with the rest of our day:)

Tough Mudder Colorado

On the drive up to Beaver Creek on Friday night, before the Tough Mudder, Amanda asked me "If you could give your excitement level and nerves values that add up to 10, how would they be distributed?" To put it simply, more excited than nervous, I think I said I'd give excitement a 7  and nerves a 3. We arrived at the Vail Marriott around 8:45, and walked around Vail Village for a while.  Neither of us had been to Vail Village before, so it was really cool to check it out.  We were both pretty pooped from the week, and were ready to crash, so we went back to our room.  When I say room, I actually mean Presidential Suite!  The room was amazing! Vail Marriott was amazing!  Working in hotels, I have seemed to become hyper-critical of every nuance when I stay somewhere, but Vail Marriott was top notch in my opinion.

Sweet view from the deck waking up...

In the morning, we got going, got coffee, got our act together and drove the 10 minutes over to Beaver Creek.  The town was crawling with Mudders.  We hopped the shuttle from the Rodeo lot which brought us into the heart of Beaver Creek to the registration/bag check.  From the shuttle to the registration lines, it seemed everyone was talking about all of these stories from previous events.  Some of them seemed wild and inconceivable.  Tall tales were flying left and right.  I think it is how some people deal with the unknown that lies ahead.  We were in the first wave of Tough Mudder Colorado 2012.  How is it possible to read up on it or go based on previous experiences?  All we needed to know was there.  10 miles, 4,000 feet of elevation gain, 25 obstacles.  To me, it seemed silly to speculate about the course...sometimes it's best to just go in and do the damn thing. I tried to drown out the speculation and get into my own state of mind.  I was confident going in.  I felt conditioned enough with the hiking and running.  I wasn't worried about the elevation gain, or anything that they would throw at us.  Honestly, the biggest fears I had were around the Wall Climbs and the Monkey Bars.  In the back of my head, I kept telling myself  'it's been done before, and you will do it today.'  I have come to appreciate the unknown.  I prefer it.  Whether it's hiking, snowboarding, running, or doing something like the Tough Mudder, the unknown gives me a state of calm.  It's just me and the challenge.  The brain gets wiped clean, and the only thing out there to think about is getting through the task at hand.  All of the worries and stresses of daily life are no longer an issue, and you just focus, focus, focus on getting through something without hurting yourself!  I know it's weird, but I find it relaxing.

Do not mess with dueling Supermans

After the bag check, I met up with my teammates before we headed over to the starting line.  There were 9 of us all together on our team, we all work together at the Hyatt in Denver.  We all had sweet shirts made up.  Superman t-shirts for the fellas and the ladies were sporting the Wonder Woman tanks.  One of the guys had an entire Superman costume on!

Hyatt Ryatt Squad in full effect!

Before we got to the start, they made you climb over a huge wall.  When I hopped off of the wall, I landed wrong on my left foot, and wasn't able to put too much pressure on it without it feeling weird.  That feeling in my foot really worried me.  I tried to work on it stretching it here, there, shaking it out, nothing helped....#sadface.  Once in the start corral, we sat down and got a pep talk from the organizer.  He announced among other things, that the course has been extended an additional 2 miles!  Oh boy, 12 miles.  Our team was amped, and ready to go.  They played the national anthem, and we were on our way...

Crawling thru the mudd

Run and jump up the quarter pipe

Last obstacle...running through live wires.

There was so much going on in the race, it would be a disservice to try to write about it and capture it all.  A little snapshot: The first 7 miles were uphill for the most part with obstacles after every hill.  Winding through Aspen groves and up some of the black diamond trails of Beaver Creek with obstacles every so often.  There were a few parts running where I saw Amanda!  She was everywhere, it was great to see her...gave me an extra charge!  Once we reached the top of the mountain, the family, friends, and support at the top was amazing.  Little kids in orange mohawks (traditional Mudder haircut), families cheering you on, fellow Mudders cheering you on.  We even had a flyby from some F-14 fighter jets who tipped their wings to everyone below.  The crowd cheered wildly, and we were all in awe of how low these guys were flying!! So cool.

Swamp Thing finds a Panda Bear.

We were at the top of Beaver Creek, and now for the descent...about 5 miles to go, and this was going to be the toughest time for me.  My foot was killing me, and my stride had been altered to the point where I was running incorrectly to compensate for the left foot.  The pain in both knees followed as a result.  It was starting to hurt everywhere below the waist.  Our team was awesome.  We ran together, we did the whole thing as a team, and encouraged each other the entire way. It went beyond our team and extended to fellow Mudders and the crowd.  Everyone comes together to make running this gauntlet a possibility.  I don't think I would have finished without everyone else supporting me.  In the end, I fell off the monkey bars, got shocked 3 times, made it over the walls, and had a blast!  I was in so much pain crossing the finish line, and was in such a daze.  The crowd was yelling and screaming for us the entire way.  I found Amanda in the crowd (actually Walter found her for me), and went over to her, and just lost it, and let it all go for a few minutes.  I was so happy to see her at the finish line.  It was such a relief to be done, and I think everyone else running the race felt the same.  I'm not sure how long it took us, and I don't think any of us cared.  We were glad to be done and have our signature headbands, shirts, and beers!

Got tha headband.

This is a race that lived up to the hype.  A lot of races tout themselves as being pretty extreme, and demanding.  Speaking from experience, I can vouch that this one is for sure.  You won't have much in the tank once you cross the finish line, just a lot of great memories and great people to celebrate with!

Mt. Democrat (14,148'), Mt. Cameron (14,238') and Mt. Lincoln (14,286')

Date:  June 2, 2012

Climbing Party:  Aaron Dover, Amanda Harnden, Kelsey Breen, Kathryn Young, Mark Hensley, Scarlet, Ellie, Henry
Elevation Gain: 3,353'
Distance: 6.84

RT Time: 5:50:56
Difficulty:  Difficult

Let me first start by saying that this trip was born from a trip to our favorite burger joint in our neighborhood: Park Burger.

You see, this restaurant offers quite an incentive to go out and hike a 14er...every photograph you get from atop one of Colorado's 14,000 foot peaks with the Park Burger flag earns you 2 beers and two delicious burgers! So an idea was crafted to take out the flag and complete the Democrat, Cameron, Lincoln trifecta in a day and get home to enjoy our spoils.

Amanda and I drove up Friday night to Kite Lake in Alma and set up camp just before dark. We were able to chill in the back of the truck under a blanket for a little bit and enjoy a high altitude clear night. The stars were awesome and the moon was full giving us enough light to get around and enjoy a nice view of the alpine ampitheater created by Democrat, Cameron and Bross. The Highlander showed up shortly thereafter and Kelsey, Kat, Mark and Henry all joined our party! We agreed that a 4:00 am wake up time was good, and we all retired and tried to get some sleep. I don't think anyone slept well, at high altitude it is hard to do so. The dogs were even restless.

A and I ready to go at 4am!

We woke up at 4:00, packed up our campsite and after having a quick hot chocolate and gearing up, we were on our way and on the trail by 5:00am. I think there was one or two other folks ahead of us. The sign said 2.45 miles from TH to the top of Mt. Democrat. The GPS watch said it was completed in 2:36 with a mileage of 2.08mi. It felt long, I felt very tired. The view was gorgeous from the top of Mt. Democrat! With another group of people on our heels, we knew we had to get our scandalous Park Burger photo done quickly, not to mention it's kind of chilly above 14,000' at 7 in the morning!

Mt. Democrat (14,148') in the buff!

Coming down off of Mt. Democrat, we quickly saw that our early start was paying dividends...there were masses of people coming up as we were going down. We were happy to have the down climb to ourselves. Our party stopped at the saddle, regrouped, and made off for Mt. Cameron, a gain of 806 vertical feet from the saddle in roughly a mile. It was done. I really started to feel the effects of high altitude starting from our climb at the saddle heading up to Cameron. I've experienced headaches before, but today was different. I had the nausea too, and even the sunlight was starting to get to me. The one way to describe it was that someone was vacuum sealing my stomach while putting my head in a vice at the same time. It was awful. I tried to keep drinking water, and as I did, the throbbing in my head would subside for a little while until I started to climb again. The top of Cameron really lifted my spirits! We saw Lincoln not too far away and we got to do another summit picture! CHA-CHING: two more burgers and two more beers please!

Mt. Cameron (14,238')

We could see nearby Lincoln, and it looked like a quick scurry up. This part of the hike was really cool. It was a high alpine, and barren landscape along the ridge and it was just rolling terrain along the broad shoulder connecting Cameron and Lincoln. We were amped, and it looked so close. We got on our way and made it to Mt. Lincoln in 4:28 since leaving the trailhead, and a total mileage at this point of 4.04 miles. I really wished I felt better and could've enjoyed the views on Lincoln a little more. I had my head buried in my jacket and out of the sunlight while my stomach was doing somersaults and cartwheels. I pulled the trigger a few times during the day and that alleviated the uncomfortable sensation only briefly until we started moving again. The only way to feel better would be to get to lower elevations. We did manage another summit picture on top of Lincoln after lunch!

Mt. Lincoln group shot! L-R: Kat, Kelsey, Me, Amanda, Mark

As you can see in the picture behind us, clouds were starting to develop and roll in quickly from the west. Another issue to complicate the trip were these storm clouds. We had to move, and get off quickly to avoid getting stuck above treeline with a huge storm approaching. We decided to get a move on.

It's hard to tell from this picture, but that is a massive storm heading towards us.

The problem was we either had to go back up and down Cameron from Lincoln or traverse over to Mt. Bross and down the shoulder of Mt. Bross to the parking lot. The Bross route required more uphill before we could start going downhill again. Neither options were too appealing, and with this coming towards us, we opted to take the direct route and down walls of Mt. Bross. This was a steep descent with loose rock everywhere, not to mention illegal. It was rock slide city, and our entire group moved as quickly as possible. Big thanks to Mark for helping me out with Scarlet. She was moving quite gingerly. Mark helped carry Scarlet through some of the tougher sections. At one point, I looked up and saw Amanda and Kelsey glissade down a part of the rockslide...brilliant! It was about 300 feet long, and it was a good way to alleviate some of the stress we were all feeling, not to mention we covered ground a lot quicker! I grabbed Ellsworth and started to slide!

Ellie and I on the move!

Soon there after, we all reached the parking lot safely, and got the eff outta dodge. We were beat, and needed some Park Burger and rest badly. In the end, we got our three 14,000' peaks in but as always, it didn't go as planned. Here is the route we followed, complete with our elevation profile:

We started at the green arrow, hit Democrat, Cameron, Lincoln, and then retreated off Bross and back down to the parking lot.

It was a long day, and a long time to be above 14,000' for me. Despite some of the setbacks on the trip, it was truly an adventure, no doubt about it! I think we were relieved to be off of the mountain and on our way to get some burgers:)

X-Factor: Every hike has them! This time it was dealing with altitude sickness, doggie injuries, and trying to race off mountain to avoid being stuck in a storm. Memorable trip!