Mt. Belford Trip Report 09/10/2015

Peak(s):	Mt. Belford - 14,202 feet Mt. Oxford - 14,158 feet
Date Posted:	09/10/2015
Date Climbed:	09/03/2015
Author:	mikejulietpapa

Slow and steady Belford / Oxford combo
Hit the trailhead at midnight since I came from sea level (Delaware) and haven't trained too hard. It was a long slow walk out of the woods and I used my headlamp until I hit the open. Call me crazy but I kept scanning for any eyes reflecting back, just in case. My glasses fogged up as I stopped for breaks now and then but the air was cool. Once I got out of the woods for good, the moon (not quite full but still bright) was all I needed. It had a halo around it which from what I heard means there's a good chance of rain. I checked the weather the day before and storms looked to be the norm all week anyway. There were hardly any clouds but they soon started to thicken the sky. The wind picked up and while it seemed unrelenting, it seemed that both of us took breaks now and then to catch our breath. I summited Belford at 5:15. From standing on the summit for a few minutes to soak in the experience, I went a little lower to a cleft in the rock for a brief nap. My nervous excitement the night before (and bout of some mini stomach bug) kept me up most the night and I needed 30 minutes to recharge before moving on and tackling Oxford. Eventually the wind found me and whipped around into my hiding spot. 15 minutes would have to do. Started to Oxford to get the blood flowing. Sunrise from the saddle was amazing but just a sliver. I was hoping it would come out and warm me up but it never did. Summited and departed Mt. Oxford by 7:20. Passed a guy headed to Oxford just before I summited Belford again at 8:30. You could see the rain moving in from the S S/W. The beginning was just mist and it made the rocks very slippery with my worn out boots. A few small spills but nothing bad. Chatted with an older couple headed up but they would soon be turned back due to rain. Got to the Belford / Missouri trailhead split right at 10. The rain is getting heavier. Once in treeline I was fairly protected but the terrain was still slick. Back in the car by 11. Overall it was a long day but I felt pretty great the entire time. Being solo allowed me to go at my own pace and not be in a rush. Only ran out of water at the very end, crossing the bridge to the parking lot (brought 5 liters total). The rain seemed to keep everyone else away and for good reason. Luckily I didn't see any big storms that day, just loads of rain. Felt good to cross this double peak off my list though. The rain continued the rest of the day (I camped on 390) but wasn't bad at all in Buena Vista (stopped for pizza). My GPS Tracks on Google Maps (made from a .GPX file upload): Login required to view this map... Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Slow and steady Belford / Oxford combo

Hit the trailhead at midnight since I came from sea level (Delaware) and haven't trained too hard. It was a long slow walk out of the woods and I used my headlamp until I hit the open. Call me crazy but I kept scanning for any eyes reflecting back, just in case. My glasses fogged up as I stopped for breaks now and then but the air was cool.

Once I got out of the woods for good, the moon (not quite full but still bright) was all I needed. It had a halo around it which from what I heard means there's a good chance of rain. I checked the weather the day before and storms looked to be the norm all week anyway. There were hardly any clouds but they soon started to thicken the sky.

The wind picked up and while it seemed unrelenting, it seemed that both of us took breaks now and then to catch our breath. I summited Belford at 5:15. From standing on the summit for a few minutes to soak in the experience, I went a little lower to a cleft in the rock for a brief nap. My nervous excitement the night before (and bout of some mini stomach bug) kept me up most the night and I needed 30 minutes to recharge before moving on and tackling Oxford. Eventually the wind found me and whipped around into my hiding spot. 15 minutes would have to do.

Started to Oxford to get the blood flowing. Sunrise from the saddle was amazing but just a sliver. I was hoping it would come out and warm me up but it never did. Summited and departed Mt. Oxford by 7:20. Passed a guy headed to Oxford just before I summited Belford again at 8:30.

You could see the rain moving in from the S S/W. The beginning was just mist and it made the rocks very slippery with my worn out boots. A few small spills but nothing bad. Chatted with an older couple headed up but they would soon be turned back due to rain.

Got to the Belford / Missouri trailhead split right at 10. The rain is getting heavier. Once in treeline I was fairly protected but the terrain was still slick.

Back in the car by 11. Overall it was a long day but I felt pretty great the entire time. Being solo allowed me to go at my own pace and not be in a rush. Only ran out of water at the very end, crossing the bridge to the parking lot (brought 5 liters total).

The rain seemed to keep everyone else away and for good reason. Luckily I didn't see any big storms that day, just loads of rain. Felt good to cross this double peak off my list though. The rain continued the rest of the day (I camped on 390) but wasn't bad at all in Buena Vista (stopped for pizza).

My GPS Tracks on Google Maps (made from a .GPX file upload):

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

HarknessHooligans	congrats! 9/11/2015 10:47am I’m debating this for next week and wondered if anyone started at crazy early times to make sure they can get combo before storms... Haven’t thought of leaving at midnight but it proved to be a great decision! I like your thinking plus then you don’t feel so rushed. Great job! Seems alot of people have a hard time getting Oxford because weather rolls in. So super early start seems to be the way to go
rockymthillbilly	Maybe a dumb question? 5/21/2016 12:42pm So... You do Belford then Oxford then back to Belford to the trailhead? Or is there a loop??? Any help appreciated! Thanks!
mikejulietpapa	Re: Maybe a dumb question? 5/25/2016 8:37am Hey rockymthillbilly, not a dumb question. Yeah I did Belford - Oxford - Belford - Trailhead. As far as I know, that's the only way to go about it. Unless you want to sneak Missouri into things but even then, it shares the same trailhead for the most part.

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