Download Agreement, Release, and Acknowledgement of Risk:
You (the person requesting this file download) fully understand mountain climbing ("Activity") involves risks and dangers of serious bodily injury, including permanent disability, paralysis, and death ("Risks") and you fully accept and assume all such risks and all responsibility for losses, costs, and damages you incur as a result of your participation in this Activity.
You acknowledge that information in the file you have chosen to download may not be accurate and may contain errors. You agree to assume all risks when using this information and agree to release and discharge 14ers.com, 14ers Inc. and the author(s) of such information (collectively, the "Released Parties").
You hereby discharge the Released Parties from all damages, actions, claims and liabilities of any nature, specifically including, but not limited to, damages, actions, claims and liabilities arising from or related to the negligence of the Released Parties. You further agree to indemnify, hold harmless and defend 14ers.com, 14ers Inc. and each of the other Released Parties from and against any loss, damage, liability and expense, including costs and attorney fees, incurred by 14ers.com, 14ers Inc. or any of the other Released Parties as a result of you using information provided on the 14ers.com or 14ers Inc. websites.
You have read this agreement, fully understand its terms and intend it to be a complete and unconditional release of all liability to the greatest extent allowed by law and agree that if any portion of this agreement is held to be invalid the balance, notwithstanding, shall continue in full force and effect.
By clicking "OK" you agree to these terms. If you DO NOT agree, click "Cancel"...
So I drove to the 4WD trailhead on Saturday night hoping to get some sleep before waking up at about 1 or 2am, with the plan of hiking up to get some film of the sunrise from the summit. At about 10pm though, the moon came out from behind the hillside, and it was unbelievably bright.. There was no way I was going to sleep, so I started off from the trailhead at about midnight.
Once I got above treeline, the moonlight was definitely bright enough to light the path, and left my headlamp off as much as I could.. I was startled to see headlamps, two from higher up on the trail, and also some north of me (likely someone hiking La Plata or Elbert). I ran into two folks on the way down probably around 3am, and was even more surprised to hear them tell me that there were several more folks up on the summit. I didn't realize that moonlight hikes were popular, but it sure was fabulous walking around the tundra under the moonlight.
Since I'd started out so early, I had a little time to try and kill, so I hid behind an outcrop at about 13,5 for a while and took this picture of what I assume is Leadville before sunrise.
I continued up and sat shivering at the summit for probably an hour before sunrise, and filmed the whole thing of course.
After sunrise, I got the most amazing shot of the mountain's shadow. This is facing west, and the full super-moon was just setting. Right below it you can see the shadow of Huron, and it extends into the atmosphere.
It's a whole phenomenon that I had to look up.. Here's a close up:
Once the sun came up, it was so much more comfortable. Looking forward to the next chance to hike under a full moon!
Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):
”There was no way I was going to sleep, so I started off...” Ambitious. Way to go! I bet seeing all that was incredible. Thanks for the great photos. : )
VERY awesome pic of that shadow! I've never heard of that before either. Gonna go do some research I did Quandary at night under an almost full moon. Definitely one of my favorite hikes.
Caution: The information contained in this report may not be accurate and should not be the only resource used in preparation for your climb. Failure to have the necessary experience, physical conditioning, supplies or equipment can result in injury or death. 14ers.com and the author(s) of this report provide no warranties, either express or implied, that the information provided is accurate or reliable. By using the information provided, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless 14ers.com and the report author(s) with respect to any claims and demands against them, including any attorney fees and expenses. Please read the 14ers.com Safety and Disclaimer pages for more information.
Please respect private property: 14ers.com supports the rights of private landowners to determine how and by whom their land will be used. In Colorado, it is your responsibility to determine if land is private and to obtain the appropriate permission before entering the property.