From Weston Pass -

South Peak - 12900
UN 12457
8.7 miles RT and 2400 feet

I'm sorry in advance but if you weren't planning to cry maybe don't read this trip report. I shed a lot of tears writing it. Grab a tissue maybe.

In theory this is a trip report about a wonderful day above treeline with Maya. This was our last big hike and it's significant to me for that reason.

In reality this is how I say goodbye to my companion and hiking partner over the last 14 years. Maya crossed the rainbow bridge Thursday May 21 at a little over 14 years old after a thankfully short illness. She was more than a dog to me and others. She was a force of nature. She came home from the Boulder Humane Society on December 8th, 2012. I had met her a few days earlier and she immediately brought me toys. I had wanted a hiking dog and this sassy 1-2 year old "Australian Shepherd Mix" seemed to be just what I had in mind. I put a hold on her but I was the 3rd hold so thought my chances were slim. But they did call and over the weekend she came home. She had been transferred from the Fort Morgan Humane Society and her surrender paperwork literally said someone "picked up this dog because she would have been shot".

Immediately it was obvious she was sassy, smart as hell, stubborn, beautiful, and an incredible athlete. Many years later she was officially breed tested as a 50/50 Cattle Dog and Border Collie mix. I took her for her first hike about a week after bringing her home on Mount Galbraith. She'd clearly never hiked before but even then seemed like it would be something she'd like.

At first she was stubborn and I was in over my head training her. I'd had dogs before but not one like this. Whether you agree with E-Collars or not it's what finally worked for her. Especially as a young dog she wasn't food motivated enough and she needed a signal in addition to the command. In reality it only got used at low power for a few months until she got the hang of things and then got put away and never used again. As with many things Maya did once she got it she really got it. Eventually I trusted trying her off leash and then I really got to watch her go. By the time I got her I'd already finished the 14ers so we were free to go out to quieter places for the most part.

I remember an early hike by Mount Rosalie where she used the forest as an agility course for hours. Leaping over logs, running up and down the trail, and more for the whole day. And then coming home and grabbing her frisbee for more. It wasn't clear even what the limit was going to be. As we found out very high. Her first peak above 13,000 feet ended up being Golden Bear. In spring conditions of course because why start her off in summer. She did fantastic and had no issues at all.

About this time I also adopted another cattle dog named Jasper. He was also game to hike but wasn't nearly as athletic as her. I basically always said he tried hard but was put together with spare parts. Regardless they formed an amazing duo and the 3 of us shared quite a few summits together. I think Santa Fe Peak was their first 13er together. That day I managed to get a flat tire on the road up Santa Fe and because it was a Wednesday afternoon there was no one else around. We cut our hike a little short and just did Santa Fe and Sullivan after I managed to change the tire at the Quail Mine. We almost had to hike back to the town of Montezuma but thankfully we made it out on our own.

Other early summits included Whale, Parry, and Mount Eva along with numerous other hikes that weren't summits. By then I fully trusted Maya and we'd formed a strong bond. She was seemingly fearless and never really got tired. I only left her home occasionally when something would have been clearly too dangerous for any dog. She always got upset when I left without her and sometimes I had to make sure she didn't see the gear before I left. She also knew the difference between hiking clothes and regular clothes and would start getting super excited when figured out we were going for an adventure.

In April 2014 we went for a hike to do Mount Flora. That day went sideways when I slipped and fell and smashed my leg on a rock. Maya didn't understand what happened to dad and ran around enjoying the hell out of the day while I slowly and painfully made my way off the mountain. Or as someone else put it later she tried to leave me for dead (not really, she just was having fun). If you don't recall that far back here's the TR: Flora Trip Report.

Eventually I recovered from the injury a few months later and we got back to hiking and hiked West Spanish Peak as my first real hike back. I still was feeling the leg injury a little but we had a great day out and it felt great to be back.

Early August 2014 Maya and I went down did Vermilion and Fuller. In a way this was a milestone for us as it was her hardest peak to date and it proved how far we'd come. For one thing Vermilion has a ton of crap rock and Maya was completely fine. Her paws by now were incredibly tough and nothing seemed to bother her. For another the exposure was significant but by now I could trust her to figure it out or wait for me to help. I'm not sure how many dogs have been on Vermilion. I know there's a few but the list likely isn't all that long. Vermilion Trip Report

Later in August 2014 Maya, Jasper, and I did Half Peak and Uncompaghre with my friend Tiffany. I won't rewrite the Half Peak TR again but we had an amazing day and it's one of those days I will always cherish that I did with my dogs. One thing I do remember from that day is how good Maya had gotten at route finding. She had learned a lot by this point and I could almost always trust her when picked a line. Somehow she had an amazing sense of where to be and was rarely wrong. Half Peak Trip Report

I had promised Tiffany that I'd repeat Uncompaghre with her so we did that the next day. Jasper thought two big days in a row was a lot but Maya was barely fazed and was having the time of her life. I believe it ended up being Maya's first 14er.

In 2015 we did my last Sawatch centennial and had a great hike of Holy Cross and Holy Cross Ridge. Again Maya put up with dad getting hurt a little while she had no trouble at all. Holy Cross and Holy Cross Ridge TR

Not much to say about this one but we took a great summit photo on Kelso Mountain in November 2014.

By now I think it's pretty clear there wasn't much that was going to stop Maya. That led to Columbia Point and Mount Adams. Two absolutely huge days. Columbia Point we did from South Colony and traversed across Bears Playground with a lot of up and down. We kept in touch with some friends over on the Ellingwood Arete via radio. At times they could see us. Maya did great while I struggled in some smoky haze that day. On descent we lounged by the upper lake as our friends were behind schedule and just soaked in the scenery. Mount Adams I had just gotten laid off from my job of 15 years and the hike was therapy. We did that on a beautiful October day from Horn Lake and never saw another soul. Columbia Point Trip Report

In April 2016 I had a coworker that wanted to do a winter 14er. I agreed and we decided to do Quandary. I of course brought Maya along and she was the only dog on the mountain all day having a fantastic time. She enjoyed being the center of attention on the summit.

One of our most interesting days was on The Citadel in 2016 where the snow conditions down low sucked and after wallowing my way up high, getting stuck multiple times, and generally struggling we were finally getting close. As we neared the summit I watched in amazement and mild terror as my dog did this.

It was at this point I realized I'd possibly created a monster. It was an adorable cute furry monster to be fair. Still I considered whether we'd possibly gone too far. The answer that day was no but still something to think about. And yes that did weigh into some decisions later on that led me to leave her home sometimes. I left her behind for Thunder Pyramid even though likely on the day I did it she could have probably done it. I still had to think about the safety of my dog versus the reward of having her with me. A long climbing life was more important than being a statistic.

All that said I did take her to Hagerman Peak which we climbed with Nick (eskermo). One of the absolute highlights of our climbing together and one of the most impressive things I've ever seen a dog do. I know of a few other dogs on Hagerman but that list is extremely short. And I don't know if any of those climbed the ridge like we did. Hagerman Peak Trip Report

Late in 2016 we did Mount Champion and then hiked the next day with Jeff and a very young Zia.

Then 2017 happened and our trajectory completed changed. I went through a breakup and we moved to an apartment. I had a new job. Thankfully working remotely so I could spend time with Maya but our life looked very different. We spent a lot of time on South Table Mountain doing trail running therapy. I ended up developing plantar fascitis so we only did two 13ers that year, Epaulet and Epaulie. Not our finest year at all. I went to Nepal on a trip of a lifetime which was a completely different story. I had to leave Maya with family in Nebraska for 3 months until March 2018 because of work issues. In January of 2018 I started a new relationship with Paula and we later got married and have a daughter. We met her two dogs, Sprinkles and Zero. Life was good but very different. A new chapter had begun.

We started hiking as a blended family on Almagre Mountain down by Colorado Springs. The 3 dogs started to figure out being a pack and we had a great day out. Pack integration took a while and had some bumps and bruises to put it mildly but we got there.

For Zero's birthday we decided on the 12er Mount Zswichen in the Sangres and got a group together including Dave Johnson and Brian. We got to watch Maya bushwhack her way over things while Zero wiggled under them. It was our first camping trip together and everyone had a great time.

After that we did Booby Prize and Prize BM for my 100th 13er and later Mount Valhalla in the Gore range for my birthday. By this point the trio of dogs was having a blast hiking together. We'd even figured out how to camp with all 3 of them. It mostly invovled a 3 person tent with a huge vestibule but it worked out and I'm sure we made quite a sight to everyone. Not everyone hikes with a Pomeranian and a cattle dog.

On the weekend of July 4, 2018 we left Sprinkles and Zero at home and drove out to Utah to hike Kings Peak. We loved being out somewhere new and the weather was great all for our 3 days out. Maya did amazing and it was a great climb. The scenery was spectacular. The mosquitoes weren't but you can't have everything. We camped at Dollar Lake for 2 nights. Maya wasn't the only dog out but she was one of the few. She made a new friend on the summit and some new friends on the trail.

We did two peaks in the Medicine Bow range in Wyoming after that on the way home. After 40 miles even Maya was finally tired from this trip.

I'm skipping a ton of climbs in between here but her summit of Vestal Peak is to me even more impressive than Hagerman. No one in Vestal Basin believed that she was doing it with us even when we told them we were going up the backside route. Everyone thought we were probably lunatics for making the attempt. We trusted our dog and we knew what she could do. She was amazing. First we had the avalanche paths that hadn't been cleared. Then the steep trail and deadfall leading up to Vestal Basin. Then climbing the mountain itself. It was absolutely staggering and we're the ones that saw her in action reguarly. Vestal Peak Trip Report

What ended up being her last 13er was Bull Hill. Again one of those things that at the time I had no idea but it just turned out that way. She did manage to pull off posing for an absolutely stunning summit photo though so I'll give her that. It ended up being her profile picture on LoJ for quite a while. Gotta give the dog credit sometimes she had a sense of the moment.

We tried Keller in October 2023 and she made it 95% of the way. Which honestly was pretty impressive and the only thing that stopped us was a short Class 3 section she didn't like near the end. We sat and watched our partner summit and headed back to us while we waited. We still got to enjoy the scenery for close to an hour in a beautiful spot in the Gore Range.

At this point I could go ramble on about more climbs and more impressive feats but I thought I'd share some other favorite photos over the years. Some of our climbs were more obscure than others. Paula and I do frequent LoJ after all.

After all this we knew it would have to end one day. It didn't completely end this day but as far as the big adventures it did. We still did some hikes after but they were small. Last September we drove out to Weston Pass and I planned to do some mellow 12ers. The morning was cold but it was sunny and we got ready like we always did. I knew Maya was 13 but you want to think they are going to last forever. For most of this day she did great. She bounded out of the car happy to be there and ran off up the hill ahead of me. We had a mellow hike towards 12457 and I was just enjoying being out. We hadn't been above treeline in a while and it felt good.

I'd like to say there was some sort of drama but no. It was just a normal 12er with some ups and downs and we made our first summit and signed the register. Had a quick snack like normal and started heading back for South Peak which was closer to the car. Most of the way back I didn't really notice anything wrong with Maya. Maybe she was a little slower but we're all older so fair enough. The last half mile or so to South Peak was when I noticed the change. She was slowing significantly. Looked tired. Stopping more. I encouraged her the last part and said we'd take a break on the summit. We did and she laid down. I gave her a bunch of pets and let her rest. She wasn't in distress just looked wiped. I didn't know we were on our last 12er but it was clear that the old dog had gotten old. We signed the register below another dog which seemed fitting. It turned out to be our last register. I'm glad I took a picture of it.

Eventually we headed down from the summit. Things that used to be easy for her like loose rock patches and side hilling she was having a tougher time. I had to choose some different routes for her and work her down a steeper part and eventually we made it back to easier terrrain. We slowly meandered the mile or so back to the car and eventually I lifted a very tired dog into the car and gave her a hug. I had originally thought we might have time to also a short 10er nearby but it was clear that Maya was done and it was time to go home.

A few weeks later I found her in our bed looking miserable and decided to take her to the vet. It turned out she had developed early stage kidney disease. We had to change her diet and cut her off from cheese and many of her favorite snacks. It was sad but we were resolved to keep her around as long as possible. Then I had my heart attack in November and it clearly stressed her out when I didn't come home from a hike. She knew somehow. We were able to do Green Mountain for her 14th birthday on Dec. 8 of last year but that was the second to last time. We did it one more time in February but that was it. A hiking career was over. A life isn't just measured by numbers but since this is a hiking website hers are incredible for a dog.

Total different summits: 202
Total Colorado summits: 190
Total 14ers: 7
Total 13ers: 72
Total 12ers: 31

Beyond the summit numbers though the hours spent hiking together are the most important. We made memories that will last a lifetime and I'm glad I gave her the life that I did. I'm going to steal words from a friend and say that the dog that almost never got a chance to live at all got to spend 14 years adventuring and being loved.

I'm not even including the rest of her life outside of hiking here in any detail and I could write thousands more words about that. Maya loved her people intensely. She helped raise our daughter. She enjoyed chasing her ball and her frisbee. She ran thousands of miles and a half marathon. She was a constant companion and incredibly sweet when she wanted to be. She touched lives in and out of the hiking world and made an impression on so many people. We really did think she was stable the last few months and thought we had more time. I ran the Colfax Half Marathon on May 17th which seemed like a victory for my recovery and it was but we didn't know our lives were going to change days later. I'll skip the details but watching the strongest dog I've ever known have her body fail was heartbreaking. At the end we made the only decision we could and let her rest.

She was one of a kind. I'm proud you trusted me to be your dad and hiking partner for 14 years. You'll be in our hearts and memories forever. Rest easy baby girl. I miss you. I'll love you forever. Climb all the mountains and run free.