Download Agreement, Release, and Acknowledgement of Risk:
You (the person requesting this file download) fully understand mountain climbing ("Activity") involves risks and dangers of serious bodily injury, including permanent disability, paralysis, and death ("Risks") and you fully accept and assume all such risks and all responsibility for losses, costs, and damages you incur as a result of your participation in this Activity.
You acknowledge that information in the file you have chosen to download may not be accurate and may contain errors. You agree to assume all risks when using this information and agree to release and discharge 14ers.com, 14ers Inc. and the author(s) of such information (collectively, the "Released Parties").
You hereby discharge the Released Parties from all damages, actions, claims and liabilities of any nature, specifically including, but not limited to, damages, actions, claims and liabilities arising from or related to the negligence of the Released Parties. You further agree to indemnify, hold harmless and defend 14ers.com, 14ers Inc. and each of the other Released Parties from and against any loss, damage, liability and expense, including costs and attorney fees, incurred by 14ers.com, 14ers Inc. or any of the other Released Parties as a result of you using information provided on the 14ers.com or 14ers Inc. websites.
You have read this agreement, fully understand its terms and intend it to be a complete and unconditional release of all liability to the greatest extent allowed by law and agree that if any portion of this agreement is held to be invalid the balance, notwithstanding, shall continue in full force and effect.
By clicking "OK" you agree to these terms. If you DO NOT agree, click "Cancel"...
What a fantastic day on a mountain! Weather was perfect and the company outstanding! Oh, and 5 14ers to boot!
We all spent the night at the busy North Half Moon creek trail head. Site weren't hard to find, but they weren't plentiful either. At 3:30a the following morning I think we were all stirring and preparing for the day. By 4:30a we were geared up and on the trail. The morning was cool enough for a light layer, but not cold and within an hour of starting the hike, layers were being shed.
Even in the dark, the trail was easy to move along and we covered the mile and a half to the sign in 45 minutes. Roach's book indicates that people miss this turn off to Mt. Massive but these days it is very well signed:
From the sign, we traveled up the trail. And up, and up, and up reaching 14,000 feet in about 2.5 hours. At this point we left the trail and began to contour(-ish) over to South Massive. This detour took us though a boulder field, and while the going was slow, it was not difficult.
On the other side of this saddle is the trail from the east slope.
Just after 8a, we were on the summit of South Massive.
Moving from South Massive to Mount Massive was pretty straight forward. An hour after South Massive we were on Mt. Massive.
And, an hour later, we were on Massive Green.
Then things got interesting...
We ran into Adam (Keystone4Me) who did some scouting around the rock pile, and did not find an easy route for him and his pup. As we approached, Britt did a quick study of the formation, and disappeared to the climbers left. Wes and I waited for a few minutes and decided that Britt wasn't coming back, and that we should attempt to follow.
And so we did...
And eventually ended up at the base of this:
We went up where the hiker is coming down. The stuff was loose and ugly but we single filed our way up.
From the summit of North massive we quickly made our way to Point 14,169. From the point we then headed to the bowl to the south west to assess glissade potential.
And we did.
The hike wasn't quite done with us yet though.
And the scenery was spectacular!
The head/hat dips here were refreshing!
Exactly 12 hrs after starting, Britt was back at the trail head cracking open a creek chilled beer. I was about 15 minutes behind him, and Wes about 15 minutes behind me.
I'll say it again, weather was fantastic (maybe even a bit warm)! But I enjoyed this hike far more than when I did Bel-Ox a couple weeks ago.
Big thanks to Britt for sharing trip pics.
The End
Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):
5-14ers in a day & a 6 pack waiting in the creek.. 7/27/2011 2:07am
it doesn't get much better than that!
Thanks Rob for putting up a TR to remember it by. It was a very memorable day with some of the best weather you'll ever find in Colorado. And since we were out 12 hours...what a blessing!
Caution: The information contained in this report may not be accurate and should not be the only resource used in preparation for your climb. Failure to have the necessary experience, physical conditioning, supplies or equipment can result in injury or death. 14ers.com and the author(s) of this report provide no warranties, either express or implied, that the information provided is accurate or reliable. By using the information provided, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless 14ers.com and the report author(s) with respect to any claims and demands against them, including any attorney fees and expenses. Please read the 14ers.com Safety and Disclaimer pages for more information.
Please respect private property: 14ers.com supports the rights of private landowners to determine how and by whom their land will be used. In Colorado, it is your responsibility to determine if land is private and to obtain the appropriate permission before entering the property.