Two Mountains, Three Summits

Living in Colorado without having been to the summit of a 14er (a peak of at least 14,000 feet) may be akin to living in California and never having been to the beach. Seeing as how I am a native of Colorado, I decided it was time to join the club as one who has conquered a 14er. After a dinner at Beau Jo's pizza in Idaho Springs, a restless night of sleep in the Leadville Hostel and a quick drive to Vicksburg, five friends and I set out on a quest to summit Mt. Belford and Mt. Oxford.

Getting to the top of Mt. Belford would require a climb of 4,600 feet in just under 4 miles. When I learned of this on the trail, sudden flashbacks of the Ragnar stretch of the Wasatch Back Relay Race flooded into my mind.

Once to the top, we all knew it was time to press on, for if we stopped, Mt. Oxford would allude us on this Saturday morning. Onward we went to descend Mt. Belford, only to have to ascend Mt. Oxford. The view was spectacular from up above and I felt as though I had accomplished something great. One of my buddies quickly brought me back to reality by pointing out that we still had another 14er to summit.

Half of the hike was done, but we still had another climb in front of us - it was time to head back up to Mt. Belford (picture below is shot of Mt. Belford from the saddle between the two peaks).

After reaching Mt. Belford for the second time, I sprawled out on the rocks and took a nap while waiting for the rest of our party to arrive. I was so tired that it felt as though I was sleeping on a pillow top mattress. We celebrated the fact that it was all downhill from that point and decided to have one last photo shoot.

Descending proved to be just as difficult as ascending. Although gravity was now on my side, each step forward was a strategic move ensuring that I didn't gather too much speed. We fought through rain and even a few snow flurries. Additionally, I don't think that my choice in footwear helped my cause. Pride got the best of me and I decided that I had to finish the whole hike in Chacos.

Will I hike these two 14ers again? NO! Will I hike other 14ers again? YES! The only question that remains is which of the 52 that remain will be the next to be slain?