| Peak(s): |
Redcloud Peak - 14,037 feet |
| Date Posted: | 07/17/2016 |
| Date Climbed: | 07/14/2016 |
| Author: | mcklarry |
| Peak(s): |
Redcloud Peak - 14,037 feet |
| Date Posted: | 07/17/2016 |
| Date Climbed: | 07/14/2016 |
| Author: | mcklarry |
| Redcloud Sunshine - Harry Potter Helped! |
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Date Climbed: 7/14 Miles: 12.25 Elevation: 4800 Start: 3:00 am End: Noon Partner: Alyssa (niece) awesome! Stayed: Matterhorn Hotel Date Climbed: 7/14 Miles: 12.25 Elevation: 4800 Start: 3:00 am End: Noon Partner: Alyssa (niece) awesome! Stayed: Matterhorn Hotel My nieces Alyssa is working on getting her hours of driving in on her permit, so she drove a lot, 8.5 hours over two days to get us there and home. She did a great job driving curvy roads and construction stops. We left Aurora at 11:30 on 7/13. Fine weather. We made it to Lake City and stayed at the Matterhorn. Third time staying at Matterhorn, it is clean, nice, easy to find. We grabbed dinner, packed our packs, and watched The Proposal. Then to sleep. We got up and headed out by 2:00 am, wishing to get an early start. It took one hour to get to the trail head. The road is fine, and though on 14er site it says fine for 2WD, I was glad to have the Sante Fe, as it made it easier with some of the rocks and washboards. Lots of cars at the trail head, and we saw a couple of people with headlamps, who we found out later are Cory and Don from Iowa. They are both older now, but back in the day, interestingly, one was the other's high school math teacher! I guess Iowa is a small place... 3:00 am we started out with the slowest person in front, me. I went with an easy slow pace. Very dark, stars were amazing. We came across a porcupine and let him be... I did not realize we walked next to the little creek for quite a ways. There is something special about the smell of pine trees and the cool crisp air near a mountain stream. The sound of the water moving keeps you company almost all the way to the saddle of Redcloud.   Sometimes you cross the stream but consistently you can hear the stream while hiking in the dark. The path has rocks at times, clear at others, about what you would expect.  I did lose the trail for about 5 minutes near some snow, but then found again, and that is when we ran into Cory and Don who came up behind us. We followed a little way behind them the rest of the way to the top of both mountains. We hiked a while, and realized we were out of the trees.  We turned off the lamps as the gray light of dawn began. The mountains began to take shape. The saddle was reached and beautiful views!   Then we did all possible to stay on the trail and not cut, as the mountain scars easy up here with the scree and small rocks.  I was feeling a little light headed, so I asked Alyssa to tell me a story-as I know she was having an easier time. Have you not had that hiking partner that can tell you a story or talk to you about something and it takes your mind of the steep walking? Time goes by easier. So I asked her. She said she could not think of any stories. I said it could be anything at all, between my short breaths. Still she could not recall anything. Then the answer came- I found what to ask her to talk about... Harry Potter! She is a huge fan. When younger she hated to read, and was falling behind a bit in school. Her mom, Laura, told her to read Harry Potter as her move loves the books and the stories. Alyssa began reading the first book. She enjoyed the story and was able to read better and better. As time went by she became one of the fastest readers of her age group and recalls much of what she read. So the Harry Potter Books saved her helping her to read and she reads the series every year now. And now the Books saved me. Because as she told me about Harry's parents dying young, his mean uncle, his friends and the adventures, I was captivated, taking my mind of the legs getting sore and breathing being rough.  We reached the top of Redcloud at 6:30 am (stayed 15 minutes).  We sat down and had a snack talking to Cory and Dan. We were the only four on top at that time. Lovely weather, no wind, sun coming up. But a little cold so we all had on hats and coats.  But we knew we needed to move onward. Don and Cory left before us a couple of minutes. We began the descent. The trail is easy to see in the light. Going down over the false summit there was some snow on the left side, but not where you needed to walk. There are a lot of rocks to navigate, and no not nice big ones, more like the size of shoe boxes. A but rough on the ankles and feet. Glad to have hiking poles. Rocks and shadows  We arrived at the top of Sunshine at 7:40 am. Nicer out now, warmer, no wind, more sun. We stayed there for 20 minutes enjoying the views and the mountain. We left the summit and headed down which went fine. Flatter up here on Sunshine     At the bottom of the saddle my right leg inside hamstring began to cramp. I took some smaller steps for a bit and was ok. I drank a bunch more water. I had two bananas that day as well. Water helped. We were feeling it in our legs as we went back up to Redcloud.  We took the advice of many other hikers on 14ers that said do not go down from saddle, but go back over Redcloud. We stopped at top of Redcloud for a few minutes. We had our full backs, with food, rain gear, extra clothes etc... since we start early and never know what to expect. While sitting there a fellow with shorts, short sleeve shirt, and some water said he made it to the top in 2.34 hours (Ben) as I recall. Then a woman arrived tank top, shorts a little water and pop tarts to eat, said she made it up in 2:09. We started our journey down. Alyssa's least favorite part. Not...The down trip always causes her knees to hurt a bit-mine too.  Cory Don on there way down, nice fellows, and hope they arrived in Iowa safely.  The hike down was wonderful because we now could see the stream, the flowers and trees that we missed in the dark hours. But like always you are sort of ready to be done, but you are not, and have to keep on going.  I thought of Harry Potter, and his magic carpet...  Can I see my car yet... Not even  We arrived at noon glad to be done with the hike!  Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow): 
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