| Report Type | Full |
| Peak(s) |
Humboldt Peak - 14,068 feet |
| Date Posted | 10/12/2014 |
| Date Climbed | 09/06/2014 |
| Author | Johnson |
| Additional Members | Alan Arnette, Shogun, JLOHARA, TomPierce, Steve Climber, dmccool, aconcagua08, martynda, Perea, Dave_W, mattpayne11, fepic1, EmmaM, jameseroni, GraceU2DSummit, oldschoolczar, Volleyballer_Becky |
| A New Beginning: To be listless |
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A NEW BEGINNING: A personal journey on the Colorado FourteenersI had purposed to write a finisher report throughout the summer and have it ready for when I did finish but doing that seemed presumptuous. Now, I struggle to find a theme or even any inspiration or reason to do so other than to give some finality on my thinking about this journey...sort of like a bow on a package. I write this sentence last: I have started and stopped writing this so many times and it is now ungainly but I am too far into it to throw in the towel. I apologize for it's length but thanks for whatever time you put in looking at it. Here goes.... As to where to start, I guess the beginning is as good of a place as any. As I go, I will try to hit the high points (sorry, bad pun) chronologically. I don't have a journal or anything to reference but have a LOT of memories and stories but will seek to keep it somewhat brief. Primarily, I want to share who I shared a summit with, what I learned, and maybe a story. If you are mentioned in the hike, please share what you remember about it in the comments section... this could be quite entertaining. Part I: My introduction to 14ers- 1987 My sister moved to Fort Collins from Sioux Falls, SD back in the 70's. I made frequent trips out to visit her and on every trip we ended up in Estes Park looking over to and admiring Longs Peak. Because of a book from a family relative I came to the realization that people actually climb to the top Longs. That said, I don't remember exactly how it was that I found myself climbing it on August 1st 1987. My girlfriend at the time (now my wife) and I drove through the night from Sioux Falls to Fort Collins and arrived around 6a.m. We slept 2 or 3 hours, hung out, ate pizza and went to bed around 9 that night. I think the group I was joining up with left around 3 a.m. to drive to the trailhead. I only have a few memories of the hike and here they are..... I remember I wished at the time for real bathrooms from the trailhead to the summit and back. The pizza from the night before was wreaking havoc. I remember having about 24 oz of water in a canteen and a snickers bar. I may have had more but really don't know. I remember thinking I was in good shape because I could push a lot of weight at the gym and could run 2 or 3 miles. I remember lying in the grass in Estes Park thinking I was going to die because my head hurt so bad when I was done. I remember saying I would NEVER do a peak like that again but I also remember a great sense of satisfaction that I had stood on top of Longs Peak and for years looked back to that as a great achievement. http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=13002&parmuser=Johnson&cpgm=tripuser Longs Peak (14,255 ft) #1  Part II: My unlikely and random reintroduction to 14ers and continuing journey. My family and I have lived all over the U.S. but moved to Colorado in March of 2008 from Virginia. I was mostly into mountain biking back there but did hike on occasion. Before we moved I said to my friend Tony who liked to hike along the AT, "Hey, you should come out to Colorado and do a 14er with me". He said, "Sure!.....What's a 14er"? Anyway, it worked out and he came out for a visit that summer. JULY 2008 I read in a newspaper that Grays and Torreys were a couple of the easiest 14ers. I looked up the information in a 14ers guidebook and Tony and I were off! We camped near Winter Park and got up early for the drive to the trailhead for Grays. We started up the road in my Nissan Maxima and were stopped 1/8th of a mile up due to a deep rut barring our passage. Now what? According to the guide book there were two other 14ers just down I-25 a ways. We set out for Bierstadt and Evans. All the way to the top of Bierstadt I was asking people about the route over to Evans. I suppose we queried 20 people if they were going over and if we could join. Finally a nice gal named Jane gave us some beta for the route over the Sawtooth. After a few more questions on my part she decided she had nothing better to do and would guide us! That Jane was none other than 14ers.com member "Wildernessjane" who finished last year! Back then though, I had never heard of this website. Anyway, that was my first lesson in just how fit people are in Colorado and just how unfit I was for this activity. We went over the Sawtooth, up Evans, and made it back to the parking lot on one of the hottest days that summer. I was exhausted, dehydrated, was losing my big toenail, and had a headache from hell. Tony suggested kicking back in the car with the AC on but I feared that if I were to fall asleep I might never wake up. We drove to Georgetown with the thought on my mind "I am an idiot....I will NEVER do that again"! Pulling into the gas station, I got a Red Bull, a Gatorade, and a Snickers. I downed the Red Bull waiting in line and ate the Snickers before I reached the car. Once at the car I took a handful of various pain relievers with a swig of my Gatorade. My head HURT! We got back to Fort Collins in the early evening and enjoyed dinner and a beer. My headache was still there but a bit better. The next day I took my friend to the airport and bid him farewell. Driving home I looked up to the mountains and the notion popped in my head... "I wonder which peak I should do next"? The 14er guidebook mentioned that some people actually climbed all the 14ers. I wondered how that could even be possible and thought maybe if I could just do one or two a year that would be pretty cool. I have started too late in life to do all of them I thought. What did I learn? I needed larger boots! Mt Bierstadt (14,060 ft) #2  Mt Evans (14,264 ft) #3  SEPTEMBER '08 September of that year I found myself unemployed. To unwind and clear my head I thought it would be good to go to the mountains for a couple days by myself to camp, read a theologically rich book, and climb a couple 14ers. My wife wanted me to have company as she didn't want me going out alone. I was able to enlist my pastor and two other guys from church. Since my pastor had a Nissan 4WD truck, I decided I needed to go for Grays and Torreys on day one. While we all started out, I was able to share the Summit of Grays with my friends Mike Sauer and John Magnuson. John was not planning on summiting but kept thinking to himself, "surly I can walk to that rock over there"....pretty soon he was on top! Mike and I continued over to Torreys and met up with John halfway back to the trail head. Mike was not doing well. He had contracted some sort of issue with his lungs and was wheezing and coughing. We thought about taking him to the emergency room in Dillon but he insisted he would be ok. I don't remember what he had but he thought cough drops would be enough to get him through. I on the other had a wicked headache and thought I was going to die. Grays Peak (14,270 ft) #4 Torreys Peak (14,267 ft) #5  The rest of that day and into the next morning I had a headache that wouldn't quit. The pain was incredible. I drank a lot of fluids and took lethal doses of pain relievers but nothing seemed to give any relief from the pain. We camped near Frisco and despite the headache I was determined to go for Quandary the next day. After a steak dinner (thanks Pastor Ron aka Barry's Sherpa) and a beer I was off to bed. I woke up after a fitful night of "sleep" sharing a text with Mike and his wheezing and coughing. The moment I moved, the headache which was still there but tolerable came back with a vengeance. I was still determined to get another peak and after breakfast I had them drop me off at the trailhead for Quandary. I drank a lot of Gatorade and was able to complete Quandary in a reasonable fashion. I felt a little better on this one...Maybe I was getting the hang of this? What did I learn?. Going solo and having a summit to yourself is a very rewarding experience. Quandary Peak (14,265 ft) #6  OCTOBER '08 September came and went and October weather brought the possibility of getting another peak or two. By now I had found 14ers.com and created a profile. I saw that some guy named "Unclegar" had information on "Decalibron". How awesome would it be to double my 14ers total in one trip?! I contacted Mike Sauer again who was now mostly recovered from his respiratory issue. He was also recently unemployed and we needed something to do. We got up early and drove down from the Fort and got it done. I felt like a real peak bagger! Four peaks in a day! How "epic"!! Or so I thought at the time. What did I learn? I could get more than one or two peaks in a month! Mt Democrat (14,148 ft) #7 Mt Cameron (14, 238 ft) #8 Mt Lincoln (14,286 ft) #9 Mt Bross (14,172) #10 or did I? ...written in pink font....  So here I was...ten 14ers! And unemployed. I was studying biblical Greek and sending out resume after resume trying to get a job but nothing was coming up. I was at this time also becoming addicted to 14ers.com. Every thread, every trip report, every hour, every day. It was here that I looked at "Unclegar"s (I had no idea what this meant or even how to say his name) profile to see if perhaps he might be a future climbing partner. He had helped with info on the Decalibron so what the heck? I read his profile to myself and then yelled to my wife to read it. This guy was like a clone of me! So much so that my wife asked, "Is that you"? I decided to see if this "Unclegar" would be interested in partnering up for a climb or two. We decided on Sherman. My wife was concerned that he might be an axe murderer or might "throw you off the mountain". I reassured he that I could take care of myself and that Gary (as his name is) seemed like a decent guy. We met very early in Loveland and took off for Sherman. Happily, we got along quite well and he didn't kill me with an axe or anything else. What did I learn? 14ers.com was a great place to meet climbing partners. Mt Sherman (14,036 ft) #11  NOVEMBER '08 November of '08 brought the best weather I've had in a November since moving here and it was apparent that something needed to be climbed. Gary and I tossed around ideas agreed to do Mt. Elbert. The three false summits really irritated me as I failed to read up on the route. On the descent, I developed a headache that made walking difficult and Gary developed a problem in his leg. Should we call the National Guard to come and extract us off this pile of rocks? Somehow we managed to get to the car and took off for home. We stopped at Wild Bill's in Leadville for "the best hambuger ever"! and some Mt Dew. Halfway home my headache was subsiding but I figured I was done with these 14ers. It was evident I wasn't cut out for this with my recurring headaches. I didn't think the summit was worth the pain. What did I learn? Some birds will eat out of your hand. And, you're not at the top till you're at the top (don't get fooled by false summits!). Mt Elbert (14,433 ft) #12  For the rest of 2008 I struggled to get out for one reason or the other. I had heard that people did some of these peaks in the winter. I remember trying to get in on a trip up Huron late that Novemebr or December but couldn't make it. FEBRUARY 2009 14ers.com JerryB posted that he wanted to climb Pikes Peak. Several of us expressed interest including sgladbach (Steve) and bigtout (Bill). It was decided we would meet near the TH early in the morning and take the Crags route up. I had never snowshoed or hiked in the winter before. Steve provided snowshoes and ski poles for me. I wore my regular hiking boots and thick socks. Before I knew it, we were off. Steve talked the entire time. I couldn't believe how fast he was even while talking. "Who is this guy?" I'm thinking. The conditions that day were brutal....temps in the single digits and the wind was gusting to about 45-50 mph. That puts the windchill about a 20 below zero. My favorite story from the hike is that at one point Steve asks if I want some of his Dots candy. Sure! I take a couple and they are somehow warm and soft. I said, "How'd you keep them so warm"? PARENTAL WARNING!!! Steve said, "I keep 'em next to my nuts". Jerry had to turn back early due to forgetting something in the car and so Steve, Bill, and I summited and had the summit to ourselves. I needed to adjust my boot and took my mittens off to do so. Within a minute my hands were freezing. Steve quickly gave me the chemical hand warmers from his mittens for me to use. (My chemical warmers were not working as I got them out too late and high) On the descent, Steve broke this impossible "trail" through 3-4 feet of snow in spots through the trees. I was falling all over the place even following his trench. I was so exhausted that when I would fall in the snow I thought maybe I should just take a little nap. As I look back on that over the years it is apparent that I was suffering from acute mountain sickness. Nevertheless, Steve and Bill kept their eyes and I felt better as we got lower. We made it back to our vehicles and I just had a slight headache. If I remember correctly, our roundtrip took 9 or 10 hours. We parted ways and while happy I had gotten another peak, I was disappointed that I had performed so poorly. When I got home, my wife asked how it went. I told her about Steve and how strong he was and how much he talked. Ha! Because of the wind I probably only heard 1% of what he spoke about! Anyway, I said Steve and Bill were both great and told her about how Steve would walk ahead just to take pictures of me and Bill to document my first winter ascent. I can't find them. What a shame. I told my wife, "I'm sure Steve will never hike with me again....I'm just too slow". What did I learn? Winter peak bagging is way tougher than summer peak bagging. And, cheap candy is a great alternative to expensive gels from REI. Pikes Peak (14,110 ft) #13  APRIL 2009 Through 14ers.com I met numerous other people with a burgeoning psychosis involving mountains. The plan to climb Mt Yale developed on the forum and I met up with Aconcagua 08 (John), Martynda (Dima), Perea (Paul), a gal named Lisa and several others. We stayed at a motel in Buena Vista and got up to meet Mike Fyten early and began our hike. I felt good until I had to stop several times for various reasons. I couldn't get a rhythm going and feel way back. Through Mike's leadership the crew was going straight up the face to the right of the standard route. I chose to veer back to the standard route and it ended up costing me a lot of time as I floundered in chest deep snow at times. I almost turned around. Thankfully, Benners, Carl, and USAKeller were on their way up with their skis. I asked if I could join them and they readily agreed. I was very happy to have made their acquaintance that day! My crew was already on the way down when I got to the summit but was able to catch them about a mile from the TH. My head was hurting a bit but the fun we had at Coyote Cantina feeling like real mountaineers made up for it. But, would I really do another 14er? What did I learn? It is important to keep your partners in sight and know where they are. Don't assume that if they fall behind they just "went back to the car" or "decided to take a different route". Also, at times you have to dig deep and overcome your self-doubt to get to the summit. Mt Yale (14,196 ft) #14  JUNE 2009 From my hike up Yale I planned on several peaks from Antero to Elbert about 8-10 times and was thwarted by weather, partners bailing, sickness, and my back going out. In June, I got out with Gary for a stroll up Mt Princeton. It's pretty funny to look back and remember how nervous he was to take his CRV up the road towards the towers. Of note, my primary memory of that hike is that I met a dude on my way up as he was on his way down. Considering he was wearing a winter jacket, broad hiking hat and sunglasses it is surprising that I recognized him. He was a guy who worked at the college radio station where I went to school. Last time I saw him was around 1991! It took a little convincing that I was who I said I was as I had long hair back then. I said, "You gave me a couple albums". Then it dawned on him.... That's right! Queensryche Operation Mindcrime and Guns and Roses Use Your Illusion I &II! How cool to bump into JeffR. What did I learn? You never know who you'll run into on a Colorado 14er. Keep your eyes open! Mt Princeton (14,197 ft) #15  A week or two later, Matt Payne and I attempted Mt Shavano and Tabeguache Peak but while we made good time up Shavano and summited around 8:30 in the morning, a storm was already building just to the south. Matt had been caught in a thunderstorm before and wasn't thinking getting caught twice was a good idea. We descended as fast as we could and get to the car just as the rain began. What did I learn? It is sometimes necessary to retreat and climb another day but it kind of stinks to have unfinished business. After all, I was still unemployed and gas is expensive! Mt Shavano (14,229 ft) #16  JULY 2009 Hey! Why not bike up a 14er? Paul Perea and I somehow thought that sounded like a great idea. Mt Antero seemed like the best place to put our plan into effect. While we had both had high hopes of getting to the top of the road at just over 13,000 feet, Dave West and Michael (Shogun) thought we were nuts. Miserably, we tried to ride our mt bikes up the road at 4:00 a.m. in the dark with our headlamps. Crank once or twice, lose balance, put feet down, repeat. After 30 minutes of this nonsense we walked the bikes to tree line and walked the rest of the way to the summit. Descending was fun though! What did I learn? There are no shortcuts or easy answers to get to the summit. Mt Biking up a 14er on a hardtail is for those far more skilled than me. Mt Antero (14,269 ft) #17  A couple weeks later, Paul, John and his friend, and I climbed Mt. Harvard and Mt. Columbia. John and his friend took the high road across the traverse. Paul and I got too low and ended up bush whacking through the willows on one of the hottest days the planet has ever seen. What did I learn? I don't think I will EVERdo Columbia again. #leastfavorite14er. On this trip I tried to learn patience and flexibility...... Mt Harvard (14,420 ft) and Mt Columbia (14,073) # 18 and 19 SEPTEMBER 2009 August came and went without a single summit. I was very depressed that others were racking up peaks but I was stuck at 19. Would I EVER get another 14er in the books? Plans were in flux and nothing was panning out for Labor Day weekend. At the last minute I got an invitation from Steve Gladbach to join him and Bill for a trip to the Crestones. I couldn't believe that he invited me considering my poor performance on Pikes Peak in February. We had nearly connected for Princeton in one of my failed trips in May but this was the Crestones! Could I really do this? Many great memories from this trip and I could go on and on but short story.... summited Crestone Needle but I wavered when I looked over to Crestone Peak. It was too far and too scary. After a brief discussion, Steve reassured me that I could do it. On we went for one of the great Colorado 14er traverses. Amazing day with great climbing partners. Bill, if you want, fill in the blanks! What did I learn? If you really believe in someone and they are having difficulty, encourage them. Also, a team should stick together. As I looked over to the Peak and wavered in my resolve, I offered to go back to the trailhead and let Steve and Bill continue on without me. But Steve wouldn't leave me. I also learned that for me to feel good in the mountains I needed to hydrate like crazy. A gallon of water the day before a big climb and lots during the hike itself. I drank 7-8 liters of water and gatorade on our 11 hour day and if it hadn't been for a thunderstorm and heavy rain we had discussed doing Humboldt that day as well. I felt better after this climb than any of my others up to this point. Great partners made for a great day. It was around this time that I thought that maybe I could do all the 14ers. Crestone Needle (14,197 ft) and Crestone Peak (14,294 ft) #20 and 21  In September I found a job driving a fork lift and loading and unloading trucks. I had no energy or time left for mountains. In October I got a job and had training in Cincinnati. As it would happen, I tore my labrum in my left shoulder at a climbing gym in that fine city. Initially I was told I strained a rotator cuff but a year later is was re-diagnosed and confirmed with an MRI. It would be another year before I finally tossed in the towel for surgery in January of '12. But I get ahead of myself..... JUNE 2010 I attempted and failed on Little Bear Peak in late April/early May of 2010. I got my old job back in late May and had a great day in June on Dreamweaver with a great crew. The following week I headed down to do Belford, Oxford and Missouri by myself. I was feeling quite great about my employment and about getting some peaks in. What did I learn? Gladbach told me to do Belford and Oxford before Missouri. That way, if I ran out of steam or weather moved in and I had to retreat I would only have to hike one peak on a return visit. Thankfully I had excellent weather and wouldn't need to come back to clean up. Also, it is debatable what is "easier"...doing all three in a day from the trail head or making it a two-day trip with an overnight to get all three from higher up. My knees really didn't like the descent. Mt Belford (14,197 ft) Mt Oxford (14,153 ft) Missouri Mountain (14,067 ft) #22,23,24 JULY 2010 Just after the Fourth of July Gary and I headed down for Mt Massive. Steep and tough on the knees was the Southwest Slopes route. At least it was short (8 miles). An American flag was still placed on the summit from a few days prior. What did I learn? I drove my Nissan Maxima with the manual transmission farther up the 4WD road to the trailhead than I should have. My transmission/clutch were never quite the same after that. If you have a decent car, walk up the road! Even though I will do about anything to walk on a road which I find insanely boring. Mt Massive (14,421 ft) #25  A week or so later, my pastor, his two kids and I drove down to camp around Winfield and for me to climb La Plata Peak and Huron Peak. We left early from Fort Collins and I did La Plata via the standard route while my companions drove around and took pictures. I gained the summit just as graupel began pelting me and the mountain became enveloped in clouds. I quickly got my rain gear on, took a selfie, grabbed my compass and figured out which way to go to descend. In my haste I left a trekking pole on the summit. Thankfully Gary was on his way up about an hour behind me. We had intended to climb together but his group had trouble getting going that morning. What did I learn? When weather moves in, slow down and make sure you don't make a mistake. La Plata Peak (14,336 ft) # 26  We drove around to Winfield and camped out. I got up early the next morning at hiked up Huron Peak. Huron is still one of my favorite 14ers because of the abundance of wildflowers and the views of the Three Apostles. Like La Plata the day before, I had the summit to myself and it was amazing. What did I learn? Solitude on a mountain can be a wonderful thing. Huron Peak (14,003 ft) #27  About two weeks later a plan came to fruition to head to Lake City for several peaks in that area. My plan was to drive down on the first day and knock off Handies Peak right quick, camp back at the trailhead and get Redcloud and Sunshine the following day. After that, I would meet Jeff Goodwin (4Hclimber) and do Wetterhorn on day 3 and drive back to Fort Collins. Great plan. I reached the trailhead for Handies at 5 p.m. and raced up to trail and into the basin. As I contemplated my future as the day was rather short by this time I came to feel that what I was doing was "wrong". By that I mean that is was wrong to just hike this peak in a hurried fashion to just check it off my list. It seemed too beautiful to do so. It seemed insulting to the peak itself. In a bit of disgust at myself, I turned around and went back to camp. The next day I got Redcloud and Sunshine and felt pretty good about that. What did I learn? I needed to respect the mountains. Redcloud Peak (14,034 ft) and Sunshine Peak (14,001 ft) # 28 and #29  After RC and SS, I tried to rest in my tent but the heat was unbearable and the flies were swarming. I packed up and drove into Lake City to meet Jeff. I was hot, tired, and missing my family. I had been away from them either climbing or working almost constantly. I just wanted to go home. I called Jeff to find out if he had another partner along with him but he said it was just me. I had to stay and climb because that is what I told him I would do! I'm glad I did. It was great to have some company. We ate dinner and drove up to camp near the trailhead for Wetterhorn. Getting up early, we made pretty quick work of Wetterhorn considering we added 2 miles onto the route due to a wrong turn. We both had a great day: Jeff got his first class 3 peak and I got 14er #30. What did I learn? I was beginning to understand that I needed more balance in my life in terms of mountains and family. I also learned that while I like solitude at times, I really didn't care to drive for 6 to 8 hours solo and actually prefer to have company. Wetterhorn Peak (14,015 ft) #30  AUGUST 2010 For over a year and a half I had tried to coordinate a trip to do with Britt (globreal). Finally it came together to do Wilson Peak and Mt Sneffels. I picked him up and we drove to Montrose where we met up with Gary. We climbed Wilson from Bilk Basin and it proved to be a doozie with the miles of loose rock. Gary tried to talk me into going for Mt Wilson after the peak but I had already decided I wanted to do the traverse when I did go for it. He did continue on and bag it. What did I learn? Taking the road less traveled through Bilk Basin was challenging but rewarding as we caught Wilson Peak from a different angle. Wilson Peak (14,017 ft) #31  The next morning, Britt and I got up early and climbed Mt Sneffels via the SW Ridge. For the second day in a row we had some of the best weather I'd had on a mountain up to that point... and maybe since! All in all we had a fun and successful trip together and got to know each other a bit. What did I learn? Britt taught me to take time and soak your feet in a cold stream before you drive home. Mt Sneffels (14,150 ft) # 32  SEPTEMBER 2010 I was honored to accompany Gary on what would be his final 14er on his list. More about our climb of the S-Ridge here if you like: http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=9225&parmuser=Johnson&cpgm=tripuser What did I learn? Hey!.... that looks like a shortcut and will save a boatload of time! Rarely do shortcuts work. We added considerable time on our return to camp because of our folly. Snowmass Mountain (14,092 ft) #33  DECEMBER 2010 Steve Gladbach, with the help of Kiefer and Darin (d_baker), organized a trip to introduce newbies into the wonders and joys of winter camping and climbing. While not calender winter, this trip would finish with Steve stating something like, "That was one of the coldest winter trips I've ever done". That's meaningful coming from the 4th person in history to have climbed all the 14ers IN calender winter! The joy and satisfaction of this trip took several weeks to really sink in. We had an impressive group and I with I could remember everyone... zoriloco, fepic1 and his son, Mad Mike, Steve and Cooper, Kiefer, Darin, Britt (who I shared the ride down and tent with), dude with a 4Runner and his girlfriend... a little help here? Anyone? For me this was a tough one. I had not been out since September. Steve and Darin really helped me out by giving me pointers and encouragement. In the end I would develop a problem in both my feet that plagues me to this day. I am still trying to figure out how to manage that whole deal without surgery. What did I learn? Make sure your backpack fits you! If it's too large you will be miserable. In snow, pack your tent platform and leave it alone for a while before setting the tent up. If you have serious physical pain, see a doctor. Don't try to self diagnose. Uncompahgre Peak (14,309 ft) #34  JUNE 2011 June started off pretty good with a climb of Ellingwood and Blanca one week and seeing RUSH live in Austin the following week! Dave (D_West) and I met up with Paul Perea and drove down to the road from hell in Dave's Jeep. For those who don't know, Lake Como road is a "road" that I think is best described as a "River of boulders". To say it is rough is like saying it gets chilly in Minnesota in the winter. We didn't make it far before Dave threw in the towel. We ended up walking farther than we planned but we got to Lake Como in good spirits. Quick diner and a bit o' sleep and we were off by 4 a.m. or so. The plan was to ascend the Southwest Ridge on Ellingwood Point and traverse to Blanca. With the banner snow year, our plan was modified slightly and ended up with a semi-spicy snow climb on Ellingwood. I bonked hard part way up Blanca and Paul's NOS drink had little effect on me. Ah well, we made it up and down with the only incident being a rodent eating a hole in Dave's tent to get some crackers or something. What did I learn? Never leave ANY food in your tent. And, sometimes you need to adjust your plans. I had planned on getting past Jaws .5 (the first real technical obstacle on the road) but didn't even make it close. I was going to wear my La Sportiva Nepal boots for the entire hike but ended up packing those in and wearing my running shoes that had been relegated to yard work a year before. I then used my Nepal's for the climb. Ellingwood Point (14,042 ft) Blanca Peak (14,345 ft) # 35 & 36  A couple weeks later James (jameseroni), Gary, and I drove down to climb Castle and Condundrum. The snow was still an issue due to the record snowfall and an avalanche that wiped out part of the road just past the first major stream crossing. We ended up camping just before the crossing and got an early start through the rubble of the avalanche. This made for tricky navigation with just our headlamps to see by. Nevertheless, we made it to the base of Conundrum Couloir and began the climb. We switched leads and had a fun time climbing. Even the post-holing was fun towards the top. Castle was clear of snow on the ridge and we made quick work up it and back down where we enjoyed some Dale's Pale Ale and a soak in the stream. What did I learn? Incorporating snow climbs is a nice way to break up the standard routes and have fun. Also, make sure your crampons are adjusted to new boots before you need to depend on them. Castle Peak (14,265 ft) Condrundrum Peak (14,060 ft) #37 &38  JULY 2011 It seemed as though I was getting a little traction and getting some peaks early considering the record snow year. Next on the list was Mt Lindsey. Gary and I drove my '92 Toyota truck with no air conditioning the 5 hours down to where we would camp. It was 95 degrees. We climbed Lindsey and the Iron Nipple and sweat more on the drive back than on the climb itself! What did I learn? My truck wasn't going to work out in the long run due to cost of gas, lack of room, and no air conditioning. I would sell it the following year. Mt Lindsey (14,042 ft) #39  SEPTEMBER 2011 Whatever "traction" I perceived in July came to naught as an attempt on Capitol with Steve and John (fepic1) was thwarted as we tried to thread a climb in a very narrow weather window. Around this time, I again was getting discouraged with trying to balance work, family, and 5-7 hour drives for climbing attempts. After this failed attempt and lack of motivation it would be early September before I would get out again. This time it was for a finisher party on North Maroon Peak! It was great to meet a few new people including Vicki (mtgirl), and Kerry her husband, Sarah (sstrattan), Mike, and of course the man of the hour Chris (tundraking). What did I learn? Sitting around a picnic table at a campground meeting new climbing partners before a climb is a great way to kick off a great trip. North Maroon Peak (14,014 ft) #40 More can be read about this great day here: http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=10957&parmuser=Johnson&cpgm=tripuser The 14ers.com Fall Gathering was just a couple weeks later and Gary and I set up a plan to attend and enlisted several others as well. The plan was to drive down to Creede on Thrusday, hike San Luis Peak on Friday and drive over to Lake City and camp at Sunshine Trailhead to hike Handies Saturday. Here is where I had the privilege to meet Jodi (JLOHARA), Dan (dmccool), and Eben. Gary and I had dinner in Crede and headed up the basin to find a spot to camp. Rushing to beat the darkness of night (we lost), we set up our tents, failed miserably at getting a campfire going, drank a beer and hit the sack for a few minutes just as the others drove up to sleep in their vehicles. We got up early for the mellow 11 mile hike up and back. http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=11111&parmuser=Johnson&cpgm=tripuser Afterwards, the beauty of the changing aspens drew us towards Lake City. After a quick barbecue lunch we drove up to meet the rest of the Fall Gathering folks. We had fun meeting some superstars on the 14ers.com site and sharing stories. Mainly I listened... Gary and I got up early to hike up Handies Peak via the East Slopes route that I had turned around on before. Most everyone else was going the shorter Southwest Slopes route with a keg of beer. We made decent time up the peak and met up with Luke (coolhandluke) and Matt (speth) who were already on the summit. The 4 of us waited for beer. Chris led the charge with the keg on his back! We were all rewarded with Ellie's Brown Ale. I still owe Chris a beer. After A beer, Gary and I hiked down the SW slopes route and drove doggler's jeep back to the trailhead, packed up, and drove home. What did I learn? I need to go back to this area for the nice looking 13ers that appear to be way more exciting than San Luis itself. Also, avoid the #2 at the mexican joint in Creede. Also, the 14ers.com gatherings are a great way to meet new people and have a great time. I can't believe I have only been able to make one of them! San Luis Peak (14,014 ft) #41  Handies Peak (14,048 ft) #42  OCTOBER 2011 Besides myself, I knew of at least two others who for one reason or another were not able to get Tabeguache Peak when they did Mt Shavano. With that, Dave West and Jeff Goodwin decided it would be a good idea to get it done before winter. A post or two on 14ers.com and a whole bunch of people were eager to get out again before the snow came in earnest. We were again treated to meeting new people. As usual, Gary and I drove down to meet up with Dave and Jeff and met up with sgladbach, mtgirl, and a bunch of other rock stars. It was a very windy day on the ridge to the summit but we had a great time and a few of us were able to check Tabeguache off our list for the first time. What did I learn? Take time to engage with people you meet on the mountain. As it would turn out, this would be the first and last time I had the chance to talk to Rob. His report brings back great memories: http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=11191&parmuser=Johnson&cpgm=tripuser Tabeguache Peak (14,155 ft) #43 JUNE 2012 In January of 2012 I had surgery to repair the labrum in my shoulder that I tore two years prior. It was and still is a slow recovery. I thought I would be out about 2 months but the doctor told me, "You should do something like Longs Peak until mid July". SIX Months!? I had originally had Mt of the Holy Cross in mind for my finisher climb and have my wife join. My plan was to take her down to camp around Cross Creek and make it a two or three day trip. Then I heard about the mosquitoes in that area and decided against it. Yes, I hate mosquitoes. So Gary and I decided to do Mt of the Holy Cross on June 21st. Emma (EmmaM)would join us. It was decided that we would do Holy Cross first via the standard route and then proceed counter-clockwise around Halo Ridge and collect a couple 13ers on the way. It was a spectacular day. What did I learn? Do Halo Ridge counter-clockwise (IMO). And, the mosquitoes are no joke...the spiders are. Mt of the Holy Cross (14,005 ft) #44  JULY 2012 My shoulder surgeon said I needed to wait 6 months before I attempted a mountain like Longs Peak. So, almost to the day, Gary and I took a trip to attempt Capitol Peak. The trip went well and we got the summit but I was not in a good zone for climbing. I think it was my nerves and fear of screwing my shoulder up again. I still didn't have much strength or mobility and here I was on one of the hardest 14ers in Colorado. I didn't feel that I was up to the task of re climbing K2 on the way back from Capitol and bypassed it to the left. That move was about the scariest part of the day and I look forward to doing the peak again and not have to do it with one arm. What did I learn? Capitol is one tough peak. And, I can't wait to do it with two arms. Capitol Peak (14,130 ft) #45  A week or so later I collaborated with Jordan (oldschoolczar) for a trip into the Sangre's for Kit Carson Peak and Challenger Point. Jordan and I really meshed as a team and we had a fun trip. We camped as far up the trail before the lake as we could. In the morning, and making use of his GPS, we made quick work of navigating through the willows and up the scree gully towards Challengers summit. Kit Carson was fun as well. Hiking back to the trailhead was not. The Deviant Dale's waiting for me in my cooler was most enjoyable back at the car. What did I learn? A good GPS is really handy when trying to navigate at night. And, next time I go back I will allow more time to enjoy the entire area. Challenger Point named for the Space Shuttle Challenger (14,081 ft) Kit Carson Peak (14,165 ft) # 46 &47  AUGUST 2012 I was thinking as though I could actually finish this year! I had 11 peaks to go and could conceivably get them done in 4 separate trips. I could do Pyramid and Maroon in a trip, the four Chicago Basin peaks in a trip, El Diente and Mt Wilson in a trip, and Culebra and Little Bear in a trip. And I had all of August, September, and part of October before the snow would be much of an issue. Piece of cake! In early August, Gary, Kerry and Vicki agreed to do Pyramid with me on one day and I would do Maroon "solo" on the next day. Along on the trip was my sherpa pastor and his kids, another pastor from my church, and my family. The 3 nuts and I got up early to climb Pyramid Peak. It was a great but tough hike and we all had a great time. Somewhere around this trip I learned that Cielo Vista ranch shut access to Culebra off around Labor Day and they were pretty booked up. I called to see about an opening and nothing was going to work out for me this year. So much for finishing my list! With that, I decided that I would wait on Maroon Peak and just enjoy time with my family and have a leisurely morning before we drove back to Fort Collins. Maroon and my list would have to wait to be finished. 2013 would see the list complete! What did I learn? Sometimes it's a matter of relearning what we've already known. In this case, my family is just way more important than knocking out peak after peak. Pyramid Peak (14,018 ft) #48  SEPTEMBER 2012 For a couple years I desired get to Chicago Basin. Finally in September everything came together for an amazing journey. Again with my trusted partner Gary, we boarded a Frontier flight from Denver to Durango on Tuesday...the day after Labor Day. A wonderful gal named Jenn picked us up at the airport and took us to our hotel and then shuttled us to SKA Brewing and then out for pizza. The next day Gary and I took the train and then hiked up into the basin. Rest of the itinerary went like this: Thursday, climb the four 14ers.... Friday, climb Jupiter Peak, break down camp and get to the train. Crash in the hotel again Friday night. Jenn picked us up Saturday morning and we flew back to Denver. Overall this was a fun yet sober trip as Gary and I remembered several recent deaths on Colorado peaks in the previous several weeks. Sunlight Peak (14,059 ft), Windom Peak (14,082 ft), Mt Eolus (14,083 ft), North Eolus (14,039 ft) # 49, 50, 51, 52  JUNE 2013 Six peaks remained between me and finishing. This would be a leisurely climbing season for sure! Four trips in four months? Just too easy to comprehend. Little Bear Peak stood out as a daunting obstacle between me and finishing. Lingering doubt due to death, bears, and Lake Como Road all gave me a bit of anxiety. As I've already chronicled that in another place I will just leave a parting photo: http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=13662&parmuser=Johnson&cpgm=tripuser Little Bear Peak (14,017 ft) # 53  JULY 2013 The world changed the week after my Little Bear climb. With the death of Steve Gladbach, sadness, doubt, and fear came crashing in in a way I still have trouble processing. Still, I had to finish. If nothing else, Steve would have encouraged me to do so if he were here. Culebra Peak is a peak I was looking forward to as I had heard of the pristine nature of the area due to the fact it is on private property. Paul Perea, Jeff Bush (GraceU2DSummit) and I drove down and stayed with Paul's dad in southern Colorado and drove to the trailhead in the morning. This was one of the most fun trips due to the company at hand. We joked about how Chuck Norris was on the lookout for peak poachers and we even "interacted" with a bear at 13,908 feet. What did I learn? Chuck Norris doesn't actually guard the area around Culebra for peak poachers. And, Lays Stacks chips are a very weak substitute for Pringles. Culebra Peak (14,047 ft) # 54  AUGUST 2013 With Culebra behind me, I focused my attention on the El Diente to Mt Wilson traverse. Plans never materialized in the past couple years but now was the time. Well, twice in July and twice in August the weather had different plans than to cooperate with my wishes to climb these peaks. Ah well, September would be the month. After all, everyone knows September is the best month to climb! While El D was eluding me, Maroon Peak looked as wonderful as ever. Plans came together for Jeff Bush and I to make a trip to embrace the suck of 2800 X 2. It rained like crazy throughout the night until around 1:30 a.m. even though it was the end of the Monsoon. Fearing a muddy and dangerous climb we got up early and set off. Jeff had downloaded the route onto a GPS program on his phone and he operated that thing like a boss. We picked up one other climber on the way but other than seeing Dr. Jon and a friend on the summit, we had the place to ourselves. What did I learn? Again, the Elks are not joke when it comes to lose rock. While descending a gully, I waited until Jeff rounded a corner and got out of the line of fire if I send a rock down the chute by accident. I dislodged one small rock but about a ton of rocks began to roll. Some were the size of large microwave ovens. Be careful! Maroon Peak (14,156 ft) #55  SEPTEMBER 2013 Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails. (Proverbs 19:21) Two more times in September I had El Diente and Mt Wilson in my sights but both times I was thwarted. Would I EVER finish? But how can that even matter when people experienced the flooding of 2013? JUNE 2014 2014 stared off better and felt better than 2013. Only 3 more peaks to go. I should be finished by the end of June! Ok, maybe not... I wanted to get El Diente and Mt Wilson done before monsoon kicked up at the end of June. I've already written about that trip here: http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=15002&parmuser=Johnson&cpgm=tripuser El Diente Peak (14,159 ft), Mt Wilson (14,246 ft) #56 &57  SEPTEMBER 2014 One to go! Humboldt Peak. I had been invited on countless occasions to do this peak but had decided to wait so I could have my wife join me on it for my finisher. I wanted to give as much notice as possible in case anyone would want to join my on my finisher. I set the date back in June for the Friday-Saturday after Labor Day. I spent the summer helping my wife get ready for the trip and spend time with my family on various trips. Several groups converged and we camped near South Colony Lakes. My neighbor, Jason drove my wife and me and my friend Tony while Jeff drove Britt, Alan, Josh, and Jared up to the trailhead. Paul, along with his dad, sister and a friend met us along the road. We got up early to try to catch a sunrise summit. As an extra surprise, Sam (Steve Climber), Becky (vollyballer_becky) and John walked into camp just as we were getting ready to begin out hike. While a tad late on the summit we had incredible views of the Crestones in alpenglow. When I reached the summit, Britt asked how it felt to be a 14er finisher. I was searching for a fitting response but could only feel a sense of anticlimax. It really didn't seem like that big of a deal when I considered all the other achievements others had done in the mountains. At about that point, Paul came over and presented me with a 14er finisher medallion. Just then, clouds that just minutes before hid the view of the Crestones moved away revealing an incredible view. In an instant I thought of all the people that I have met on this journey and that have supported and helped me along the way. So much effort. So many "sacrifices" by me and my family to get me to this place. Now I was able to share my final summit with my wife on her first summit! So much time. So many miles. Yet here I was... king for a day with so many friends and eating KFC. I was overcome with emotion. Real emotion. Of the 15 with me, 13 I met through this crazy hobby of climbing 14ers. Here's to my friends and and family. Humboldt Peak (14,064 ft) #58   Part III: Closing thoughts and what now? By calculation, I ascended over 183,000 vertical feet and covered over 439 miles to complete this list of 58 Fourteeners. That doesn't include the 4 failed attempts and other climbs I've done in preparation for this. It is here that I must mention that Gary was with me for 21 of my 14ers. Yes, he is patient. Thanks Gary for sticking with me despite my "idiosyncrasies". I did my first 14er in 1987 and completed this journey in 2014. I didn't plan on completing this list until I was 21 peaks into it. I say that to preface the thought that as of right now I have ZERO interest in completing another list. I do not want to be constrained to "have" to climb anything. Maybe this is normal.... I don't know. What I do know is that I want to get more proficient with technical rock and ice climbing and continue to climb peaks. Rainier, Hood, Grand Teton, Whitney, Denali and other 13ers and repeat 14ers are all on the agenda. It is a freeing experience to be able to think about getting back to some of these climbs again "for fun" and helping friends of mine with their lists. Nothing that I have said is monumental or that important to most but it is to me. As I reminisced on this over the past month several things became clear. One is that this journey was important to me because of the people I've met, the friendships I've made, and the camaraderie that I was able to share. A reliable climbing partner is worth their weight in gold. I have many and I thank them all because without them this journey would not have happened. Another thing that I have been able to learn experientially is the meaning of a verse of a hymn that we sang at my dads funeral several years ago. I was never that much of a "fan" of the tune until I really saw creation in all its glory. The line is : O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds thy hands have made, I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed... When through the woods and forest glades I wander And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees, When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur, And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze: Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee: How great thou art! How great thou art! Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow): 
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