Unexpected
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- 2giqs
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Re: Unexpected
not on line but on summit
- Jeff Valliere
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Re: Unexpected
So many odd things seen on the 14ers, not sure where to even start, I am sure I will miss many, but off the top of my head...
A guy hiking with a samurai sword on Grays/Torreys
People hiking with cats, either on leash, or in a pet backpack
Parrots and Iguanas on shoulders
Plenty of cool jet flybys (F-18s, F-16s, A-10s, etc...)
People hiking barefoot
People smoking on summits (smoking pot does not surprise me, more just normal cigarettes, like who smokes and then decides to go climb 14ers, then burden those on the summit with the smoke? )
Getting eaten alive by mosquitos on the summit of Ellingwood Point
Small sedans at legit 4WD trailheads
People riding unicycles
People riding bicycles
Posing with a cardboard cutout of Rodney Dangerfield (I may have been involved once or twice)
People wildly unprepared for conditions and/or ascending into imminent storms while I am hurriedly descending (OK, not really unexpected anymore).
Horton the Quandary dog, who was there every time we climbed Quandary for several years and would just join us to the summit and back. He was a great dog.
A PPA competitor dressed as a hotdog and another as a T-Rex
Not on a 14er, but in Boulder OSMP, I often run into a guy wearing nothing but a pair of short shorts (basically underpants), shoes and a doo rag, no matter how cold or dark in the Winter. It can be dark, snowing, windy, temps in the teens and I still see him out there (I did talk him into adding traction to his kit though).
A guy hiking with a samurai sword on Grays/Torreys
People hiking with cats, either on leash, or in a pet backpack
Parrots and Iguanas on shoulders
Plenty of cool jet flybys (F-18s, F-16s, A-10s, etc...)
People hiking barefoot
People smoking on summits (smoking pot does not surprise me, more just normal cigarettes, like who smokes and then decides to go climb 14ers, then burden those on the summit with the smoke? )
Getting eaten alive by mosquitos on the summit of Ellingwood Point
Small sedans at legit 4WD trailheads
People riding unicycles
People riding bicycles
Posing with a cardboard cutout of Rodney Dangerfield (I may have been involved once or twice)
People wildly unprepared for conditions and/or ascending into imminent storms while I am hurriedly descending (OK, not really unexpected anymore).
Horton the Quandary dog, who was there every time we climbed Quandary for several years and would just join us to the summit and back. He was a great dog.
A PPA competitor dressed as a hotdog and another as a T-Rex
Not on a 14er, but in Boulder OSMP, I often run into a guy wearing nothing but a pair of short shorts (basically underpants), shoes and a doo rag, no matter how cold or dark in the Winter. It can be dark, snowing, windy, temps in the teens and I still see him out there (I did talk him into adding traction to his kit though).
- jfm3
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Re: Unexpected
I had the summit of Maroon Peak to myself for 35 minutes (the entirety of my time on the summit) on Sunday (Labor Day Weekend) without a cloud in the sky. I don't think I've ever had a 14er summit to myself for that long, let alone one with such great views. That was unexpected.
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- WanderingJim
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Re: Unexpected
Oh, there was this guy (or gal) in a full guiliy suit on Mt Massive 3 years ago:
DSC05711 by Wandering Jim, on Flickr
DSC05711 by Wandering Jim, on Flickr
- highpilgrim
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Re: Unexpected
Did you share that the point of a ghillie suit is to be invisible?WanderingJim wrote: ↑Thu Sep 09, 2021 8:22 pm Oh, there was this guy (or gal) in a full guiliy suit on Mt Massive 3 years ago:
Green camo in an alpine rock setting is a gear FAIL. I’ll have to post on that thread.
Nope. Not gear fail; Operator Error.
Last edited by highpilgrim on Thu Sep 09, 2021 8:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Call on God, but row away from the rocks.
Hunter S Thompson
Walk away from the droning and leave the hive behind.
Dick Derkase
Hunter S Thompson
Walk away from the droning and leave the hive behind.
Dick Derkase
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Re: Unexpected
Wasn't there a hot tub on a summit attempt out something?
- highpilgrim
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Re: Unexpected
Mandy was a badass.
Call on God, but row away from the rocks.
Hunter S Thompson
Walk away from the droning and leave the hive behind.
Dick Derkase
Hunter S Thompson
Walk away from the droning and leave the hive behind.
Dick Derkase
- Gene913
- Posts: 470
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Re: Unexpected
He was fully prepared to cook his breakfast steak but had neglected to bring a knife. He asked us if we had one. When we said yes, and handed it to him, he used the knife to cut off a hunk of steak and passed it to us. Definitely was not expecting a steak breakfast that morning.
"If you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, and you say to this mountain, 'move from here to there,' it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:21
Re: Unexpected
I hike to blue lake below Sneffels a lot as it is close.
2 weeks ago, a lady was coming back and had a cat on her shoulder.
2 days ago on my way back down, some gentleman was heading up to the lake with 2 llamas carrying large duffles of gear. I have not seen one of those in a long time.
No pictures, but we were delayed for about an hour in Bolivia by a road rally of some kind.
2 weeks ago, a lady was coming back and had a cat on her shoulder.
2 days ago on my way back down, some gentleman was heading up to the lake with 2 llamas carrying large duffles of gear. I have not seen one of those in a long time.
No pictures, but we were delayed for about an hour in Bolivia by a road rally of some kind.
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Re: Unexpected
ltlFish99 wrote: ↑Sat Sep 11, 2021 4:57 pm I hike to blue lake below Sneffels a lot as it is close.
2 weeks ago, a lady was coming back and had a cat on her shoulder.
2 days ago on my way back down, some gentleman was heading up to the lake with 2 llamas carrying large duffles of gear. I have not seen one of those in a long time.
No pictures, but we were delayed for about an hour in Bolivia by a road rally of some kind.
I think I have this one beat. One time coming down Sneffels, when it turns into rolling tundra, I round the corner and there is a totally naked woman lying in the grass taking selfies. It was pretty obvious we were both caught off guard. All I could muster up was, "Don't worry, you're not the first woman I've seen naked!" We both got a laugh and of course I kept going. She actually caught up to me when I stopped for a bite to eat and we hiked down together like the whole incident never happened.
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Re: Unexpected
2 F-16s buzzed me on top of Crestone Peak this past Tuesday. I had just reached the summit and heard this incredibly loud roar coming from behind the summit rocks and sounded like it was getting closer. I thought it was a serious weather thing for a moment and braced myself against the ground and ducked down. Then, the first F-16 buzzed by at no more than 1/4th mile at a 90 degree angle. So close I could see the pilots helmet and make out the shape of his eyes. Then the second one flew past around 15 seconds later. Quite the shot of adrenaline! Turns out having talked to folks on a bunch of peaks, they do this somewhat regularly...the academy is in Colorado Springs. So, for all, be advised...if it's a nice weather day don't be surprised to see an F-16 or two playing "fly between the summits" or "scare the hikers" haha.
Not in CO but I"ve seen a lot of crazy stuff back east in the Adirondacks. Back in May I was hiking "Giant Mountain" with around 16" snow still on the ground. Caught up to this couple out for a day hike, the guy was wearing crocs. IN SNOW. With no traction. Giant has around 3500 feet of gain in a distance of 3 miles so it's pretty similar to a normal 14er slope. That was a bit worrying.
Not in CO but I"ve seen a lot of crazy stuff back east in the Adirondacks. Back in May I was hiking "Giant Mountain" with around 16" snow still on the ground. Caught up to this couple out for a day hike, the guy was wearing crocs. IN SNOW. With no traction. Giant has around 3500 feet of gain in a distance of 3 miles so it's pretty similar to a normal 14er slope. That was a bit worrying.
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- WanderingJim
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Re: Unexpected
Not just in good weather. I got buzzed by a VERY close military jet climbing Mt Elbert in deteriorating weather back in August. Heard (but didn't see) a few more close flybys soon after.mountainlover153 wrote: ↑Sat Sep 11, 2021 10:22 pm , for all, be advised...if it's a nice weather day don't be surprised to see an F-16 or two playing "fly between the summits" or "scare the hikers" haha.