Fail!

So last year's attempt at starting this goal was a spectacular failure! I'm not going to giving up just yet however. A new season of climbing is ahead and I still want to reach this goal (or at least give it a solid attempt). The thing I failed to do last year was to plan out how I was going to accomplish this. Which is what I am working on now. I am currently researching different peaks, along with the seasonal weather patterns to determine the best time to climb each peak. More to come later.

Checking in

The climb this saturday was great! The views were spectacular and I could not have asked for better weather. Mostly sunny and in the mid 50s. Although the plan was to summit both peaks, about half way up Grays I realized I had grossly underestimated how out of shape I am! So after a nice lunch break at the summit, I decided to save Torreys for another day.

I will post more info and photos about the climb soon.

Grays and Torreys Peak

Tomorrow I will be climbing Grays and Torreys Peak. Located an hour out of Denver, CO. These peaks tend to get crowded during the day due to their location to Denver, and their Class 1 difficulty level.

Weather reports are calling for a 40% chance of thunderstorms by the mid afternoon and temperatures in the mid 50s. I plan to reach the trail head around 6am to try and beat the crowds and rain.

The trail head sits around 11,000 ft., and there is a 3,600 ft. total elevation gain. Round trip, the trail is 8.25 miles and summits both Grays (14,270) and Torreys (14,267).

Here is a Topo of the route I plan to take.

Map acquired via www.14ers.com

Gear

1 1/2 days till the climb. I'm excited but nervous about the weather. They are calling for thunderstorms this saturday so I am hoping that they get pushed to tomorrow.

Before we get started, I thought I would go over some of the gear I will be using. My current hiking boots are Merrell Ventilator II s. Purchased at REI. I have had these boots for a couple of years now and still love them. They are sturdy, comfortable, and are just over 2 lbs. They are a little high but when you are hauling a 6'4" frame up a mountain, its good to have the extra ankle support.

The Vibram soles give great traction and after 2+ years of hiking, show little wear. Although I have not summited for several years, I have still done a fair amount of hiking and these boots have been great. I will most likely buy another pair in the near future.

Next come my trusty Atlas trekking poles (also available at REI). It used to be that I only used these when I used my snowshoes (also Atlas), partially because I made fun of people who used trekking poles on day hikes. But, I have now become one of those people. In my defense let me just say that aside from the extra stability they provide on sketchy trails, I am amazed at how much faster I am able to go with them. They also help soften the blow when descending a significant slope.

My day pack is a High Sierra hydration pack. It doesn't have the most cargo space, but its lightweight and gets the job done at a great price, around $30-40. Other than that, what else do you need?

Grays and Torreys peak on saturday. Can't wait.

An introduction...

I've decided I need some motivation to get out and climb mountains. Its been years since I last summited a mountain. Most days I find myself sitting on the couch and slamming down a packet of double stuff oreos. A delicious habit, but one I fear eventually is going to consume me.

100 peaks before I'm 35. Thats the first goal. The second goal, beat it. I have about 6.5 years to complete it. Which I'll admit doesn't make it sound that lofty of a goal. Keep in mind however, that in the last 5 years, I've summited once.

Perhaps if I didn't like my family or didn't care about keeping my job, I would plan for a number more like 250-300, but alas, I kind of enjoy my family (who will be accompanying me on some of these climbs), and I have yet to find a way to make climbing mountains profitable enough to pay the bills.

The hardest part of setting goals, at least for myself, is getting started. So my first planned peak is this Saturday July 31.

Ready. Set. Go.