Another 14er tale...

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sierra ledge rat
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Another 14er tale...

Post by sierra ledge rat »

This event occurred many, many years ago in Colorado Springs (back in the day when there were fifty-four peaks considered to be 14ers instead of 53).

I was looking for a climbing partner so I posted an advertisement at the local climbing shop. I guy called me, and we met to talk.

During out conversation her claimed, "I have climbed every single peak in Colorado."

"Holy cow! Every one?"

"Yes." He went on to tell me that he had started bagging peaks when he was a child, and recently had been working as a mountain guide. He had spent a lot of time in the mountains bagging peaks.

I had spent a few years in Colorado and knew that getting to all those summits must have been quite a lot of work.

"That's amazing, every single peak in Colorado?"

"Yup, every one."

"Wow, that's amazing. There must be thousands of peaks in Colorado."

He looked at me puzzled, and replied, "No, there are only fifty four."
"I've crossed the thin line between bravery and foolishness too many times."
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smoove
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Re: Another 14er tale...

Post by smoove »

sierra ledge rat wrote:This event occurred many, many years ago in Colorado Springs (back in the day when there were fifty-four peaks considered to be 14ers instead of 53).

I was looking for a climbing partner so I posted an advertisement at the local climbing shop. I guy called me, and we met to talk.

During out conversation her claimed, "I have climbed every single peak in Colorado."

"Holy cow! Every one?"

"Yes." He went on to tell me that he had started bagging peaks when he was a child, and recently had been working as a mountain guide. He had spent a lot of time in the mountains bagging peaks.

I had spent a few years in Colorado and knew that getting to all those summits must have been quite a lot of work.

"That's amazing, every single peak in Colorado?"

"Yup, every one."

"Wow, that's amazing. There must be thousands of peaks in Colorado."

He looked at me puzzled, and replied, "No, there are only fifty four."
That is hilarious. I mean, everybody knows there are 58 peaks in Colorado.
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susanjoypaul
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Re: Another 14er tale...

Post by susanjoypaul »

sierra ledge rat wrote: He looked at me puzzled, and replied, "No, there are only fifty four."
Ha! Classic. Tell me, was he wearing a 14ers.com T-shirt? :-D
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Mtnman200
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Re: Another 14er tale...

Post by Mtnman200 »

I know what you mean. My two teenage sons are working on the centennials, and on 8/11/12 the three of us climbed Iowa Peak, Emerald Peak, and Missouri Mountain. The next day we climbed Mt. Belford and Mt. Oxford and were backpacking to the trailhead when we met a guy who asked "Did you get all three?" I replied "No, we climbed all five." He looked puzzled, so I explained that we aren't just climbing fourteeners, we're climbing mountains.
"Adventure without risk is not possible." - Reinhold Messner
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lordhelmut
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Re: Another 14er tale...

Post by lordhelmut »

Mtnman200 wrote:I know what you mean. My two teenage sons are working on the centennials, and on 8/11/12 the three of us climbed Iowa Peak, Emerald Peak, and Missouri Mountain. The next day we climbed Mt. Belford and Mt. Oxford and were backpacking to the trailhead when we met a guy who asked "Did you get all three?" I replied "No, we climbed all five." He looked puzzled, so I explained that we aren't just climbing fourteeners, we're climbing mountains.
Thats funny. I remember, vividly, the looks on the faces of some of the people we passed on the way out of Chi Basin after 6 days, 10 13ers, and not a single 14er summit. I think, at one point, some guy asked if we got all 3, and i looked at my climbing partner and then thought to myself we did in fact explore 3 basins that trip, and just simply nodded our heads, gave our farewells of good luck and continued down the trail.
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Kiefer
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Re: Another 14er tale...

Post by Kiefer »

lordhelmut wrote:
Mtnman200 wrote:I know what you mean. My two teenage sons are working on the centennials, and on 8/11/12 the three of us climbed Iowa Peak, Emerald Peak, and Missouri Mountain. The next day we climbed Mt. Belford and Mt. Oxford and were backpacking to the trailhead when we met a guy who asked "Did you get all three?" I replied "No, we climbed all five." He looked puzzled, so I explained that we aren't just climbing fourteeners, we're climbing mountains.
Thats funny. I remember, vividly, the looks on the faces of some of the people we passed on the way out of Chi Basin after 6 days, 10 13ers, and not a single 14er summit. I think, at one point, some guy asked if we got all 3, and i looked at my climbing partner and then thought to myself we did in fact explore 3 basins that trip, and just simply nodded our heads, gave our farewells of good luck and continued down the trail.
LMAO!! :lol:

Great story Sierra. I can only imagine some of the other gems you've experienced through the years.
Good to see ya post over here by the way!
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Chicago Transplant
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Re: Another 14er tale...

Post by Chicago Transplant »

I enjoy stories like these, thanks for posting!

Earlier this year we were passing between Sunlight Basin and Chicago Basin by going through the Windom-Sunlight Spire saddle. One of our group had gone over the day before in order to climb Eolus and was waiting for us at Twin Lakes to come over (he had seen us from his Eolus descent). He mentioned he was meeting up with friends to the guy at the lake who he struck up a conversation with and told him where we were coming from. The guy insisted that we were coming from the train, that we couldn't go the way we were allegedly going or we'd die. Despite our friend telling the guy we were all camped back there the day before and trying to say that he had come over the same way yesterday, and that he saw us coming over from his descent of Eolus, this guy still insisted that "trust me, they are coming from the train".

I get a lot of "did you make it to the lake" comments on my way back down trails. I usually just answer "yes" and keep going.

Sometimes its easier to just nod and agree rather than try and explain it.
"We want the unpopular challenge. We want to test our intellect!" - Snapcase
"You are not what you own" - Fugazi
"Life's a mountain not a beach" - Fortune Cookie I got at lunch the other day
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Kruck
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Re: Another 14er tale...

Post by Kruck »

Chicago Transplant wrote:
I get a lot of "did you make it to the lake" comments on my way back down trails. I usually just answer "yes" and keep going.

Sometimes its easier to just nod and agree rather than try and explain it.
Funny.

My favorite in the same vein comes from Glacier Gorge, RMNP. In the last mile of the walk out, people always ask you, "How far is it?"

How far to what? I used to stop and talk with them about where they were going, then try to explain. Sky Pond's different from Pagoda's different from Mills is different from the damn waterfalls. I once told a big lady that she could probably find her way back into Denver if she kept going in that direction, but it was a hell of a ways off yet.

However, the amusement factor wore off, and I eventually settled on this general response: "Almost there."
Sausage, mushroom, and green pepper
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Jim Davies
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Re: Another 14er tale...

Post by Jim Davies »

One time I was hiking down Seven Bridges trail (which is in a narrow 1000-foot-deep canyon) during a thunderstorm. I met a woman hiking up, who nervously asked me if I thought it was safe to be out in this weather. Sure, I said, the canyon walls are pretty good protection from lightning. She then asked, "Are you experienced?"

Climbing at altitude is like hitting your head against a brick wall — it's great when you stop. -- Chris Darwin
I'm pretty tired. I think I'll go home now. -- Forrest Gump
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