New All-Time 14er Grid Slot Leader - One Legend Surpassing Another

[Tornadoman]

Remarkable stuff John! Best luck as you keep working on that grid.

[ScreeSurfer]

Brad, thanks for the post and your continued support on this project. I think I was playing with the idea of trying to climb Longs Peak every month of the year when we first met on a climb of Longs with a mutual friend. After many discussions of what it would take to complete the grid, and me wavering after long grueling days like you mentioned, I finally talked myself into giving it a go. I told you 3 summits a month for 20 years is all it would take, sounds somewhat reasonable. I'm not sure it is possible to complete but I'm 80% committed now (but don't ask me tomorrow).

Prater, thank you for sharing the links to Kens interview and the 4000 footer article, great information. Good luck on making continued progress with your grid project.

Alan, thanks for posting the photos and your continued support on my project. I think some of the climbs I did with you were the first I'd done outside of the summer months. Your goal of climbing a peak in each month while completing the fourteeners was a great introduction to what it takes to climb year round.

Amy, for me there are so many reasons why? Climbing in general: I love the physical exertion, the fitness required, the fitness gained, route finding, deciding whether to continue or call it a day. I love the natural beauty, the chance to encounter wildlife and time alone with my thoughts. I love all the physical and mental challenges and testing what is possible.

Why the grid? The grid has been a progression for me. After completing the 14ers for the first time in 2004, I started on the Centennials and also started rock climbing knowing I needed those skills to complete the Centennials. I was spending a lot of time in the Park and climbed Longs a number of times by different routes. I thought it would be cool to climb Longs in every month. After a couple of years I finally gridded Longs, and then moved on to grid all of the front range 14ers. The fourteeners are really special to me. They took me to so many beautiful parts of the state that I would have never ventured to. They all have a storied history, and I can remember my first time up each one of them. I then repeated them all with my daughter and that made them even more special. After the Centennials I moved onto the bicentennials and some lower peaks, there are definitely some great peaks, but you also get so many unnamed peaks that are not even memorable to me as I look at a list of them now. I climbed Point 13736 but I have no recollection of it. As a peakbagger, when it was time to move on to the next 100 or all 13ers or some other list, I chose the 14er Grid.

Will, osprey, bangerth, daway8, shelly, Brit, Skimo, cougar, Andrew: Thanks for your comments and support!

[supranihilest]

I can't fathom the amount of work that goes into a project like this, the driving, the hiking in the dark, the danger in winter months, the tedium in summer. There's not many who'd want to even attempt something this big, let alone get so far into it. Incredible work, John - you're an inspiration to the most hardcore of the hardcore.

[WVMountaineer]

Extremely impressive John, Congrats! This is just hard to think about. Brad, you're also approaching completion of the seasonal 14er grid which is also incredible! Is Ken Nolan the namesake of the "Nolan's 14" as well?

[bmcqueen]

Is Ken Nolan the namesake of the "Nolan's 14" as well?

I assumed so for a long time, but different Nolan. Here's an article about Nolan's 14 history:

http://mattmahoney.net/nolans14/history.html

[climbingcue]

Congrats John, looking forward to reading about your next summit in very challenging conditions. Always impressive...

Bill

[glenmiz]

Thanks Brad for sharing this.

John, Ken, John and Brad, you show the rest of us how far away the "limits" of possible are and it would be easy to be discouraged by that vast distance. For me, however, seeing those limits, and how you've reached them, gives me the confidence to aim a little higher and stretch a little harder than I would have. Thank you for that.

[JtheChemE]

There's something pretty cool about seeing a mountain across every month of the year. While it does bring a certain amount of familiarity to each peak, it also highlights the differences each month can bring. I couldn't imagine taking on such a massive challenge, especially with respect to Dec/Jan/Feb or even the shoulder season months where the snow is just garbage.

John, I've only seen you a couple times in winter, and both left me with the impression that you are a machine. It's funny to learn that others have thought similarly, calling you 'Cyborg'. I think I recall you mentioning monthly grid during the Holy Cross trip in winter 2018, and watching you effortlessly plow trail though deep powder en route I figured that if anyone would make a run on it it'd be you. Nice work thus far, and good luck as you keep chugging along.

[illusion7il]

It's good to see that there are other people out there with an obsession so great for these mountains that they problably need a therapist more than I do.

Your doing great John. Hope to run into you again sometime soon.

Does anyone have a printable spreadsheet for this?

[ScreeSurfer]

Thanks Ben, WVMountaineer, Bill, Glenmiz, Justin, Preston for your comments. Preston, yes I have problem. I keep track of my peaks in HTML form, I have attached a printscreen image of it. If you would like the HTML source let me know.

John

grid2022.jpg

[JQDivide]

John,
You are a beast!
But one of the nicest beasts anyone could meet and hike with.
It's been great to be on some peaks with you.
Congrats!

[58 or bust]

Congratulations John!!
Thank you for helping me find my way up Mt Lindsey May 2020!! Keep going on the grid, you are an inspiration to us all!
Matt