The Drive

[HikerGuy]

So, I'm sitting here on my couch. I had my outing planned, West Needles area, and I could not get off the sofa and pack my backpack. I kept thinking about the drive, 7 hours at best possibly longer with fire issues in Ouray, and I lost my motivation. This is not the first time I've lost my mojo facing the drive. The smoke forecast does not look good for the Gores and Elks and most of my remaining peaks are in the San Juans. It seems like the drive time is always greater than the actual hike time. How have others handled this? How have you worked through a loss of motivation? Do I just need to take a break this summer? Break this spell that the 13ers have over me and focus on lower elevation peaks closer to home? Repeat favorites, list checking be damned? Retire and move to southwest Colorado?

[SkaredShtles]

Retire and move to southwest Colorado?

This seems like the best option.

[HikerGuy]

Retire and move to southwest Colorado?

This seems like the best option.

Agreed! But I can't. Wife needs a few more years to get her pension.

[nyker]

When I lived in the city, that was similar distance I had to drive upstate; I feel your pain. While I did it on many weekends, I eventually moved to doing it on three day weekends or longer trips to help justify the drive, etc. otherwise was just too taxing, to drive 7+hrs prepare and try to sleep a few hours, get up from (barely) sleeping and be out hiking all day, come back, get some sleep ideally and drive back (which usually was longer than driving up).

[SkaredShtles]

Retire and move to southwest Colorado?

This seems like the best option.

Agreed! But I can't. Wife needs a few more years to get her pension.

Dammit! Why even float it as an option if it's not actually an option??

[bdloftin77]

This seems like the best option.

Agreed! But I can't. Wife needs a few more years to get her pension.

Dammit! Why even float it as an option if it's not actually an option??

If you’re able to hang out in the hiking area longer than otherwise to hit more peaks (maybe a couple or more days?), maybe the drive would seem more worth it? Otherwise, maybe find something closer by that you are excited about?

I found that when I was losing motivation, if I found peaks closer by that were scrambles I had much more motivation to go out and do ‘em. Or even something else you enjoy.. doesn’t have to be peaks.

Smoke is very demotivating for me, and I’ve found that it’s much more fun to wait for clear air than to go up and almost regret the dreary hike and summit with no views. But that’s just me.

[cottonmountaineering]

ive always wondered how people who do all the 13ers manage that, it seems like relocating to montrose etc for a couple years seems like a logical move

[tjf242424]

I have left a car at the Montrose airport on a few occasions when I knew that I was very likely going back the next week. You can park for around $10 per day at MTJ and DEN-MTJ flights can sometimes be had for around $100-120 each way, even last minute. When you factor in the cost of gas and a 30 min flight vs hours alone in the car, it’s not hard to justify it as a viable option. DRO would also work, but MTJ is generally cheaper.

[Veory]

Getting burnt out on driving around was a big part of the reason I finished the El Paso peaks, and enjoyed all of that. Except maybe getting fined $400 for recreating where I wasn't supposed to on a military base... and when I was on one of those "we shoot tresspasser" signed private roads and the guy drove around the corner... or when I grabbed a cactus...

Anyways local peaks are great and I wouldn't trade it for the world

[seannunn]

The driving is a big issue, especially if you don't live in CO.
I am struggling with it just a bit: 1000 miles to MAYBE climb four of my last seven 14ers, but maybe not (fires).
So yeah, the driving is an issue, especially with the uncertain issue of the fires.
Don't read too much into it, you obviously have some exceptional drive to be that close to finishing the 13ers.

Sean Nunn
Peculiar, MO

[climbingcue]

I don’t know how all the front rangers do it. We still have the about the same distance from Granby, but are lucky we do not have any of the traffic. We also make it three days of hiking when hitting the San Juan’s, that way we maximize our peak count. The smart people with the remote jobs have it the best, they just move close to the San Juan’s and call it a day.

[d_baker]

So, I'm sitting here on my couch. I had my outing planned, West Needles area, and I could not get off the sofa and pack my backpack. I kept thinking about the drive, 7 hours at best possibly longer with fire issues in Ouray, and I lost my motivation. This is not the first time I've lost my mojo facing the drive. The smoke forecast does not look good for the Gores and Elks and most of my remaining peaks are in the San Juans. It seems like the drive time is always greater than the actual hike time. How have others handled this? How have you worked through a loss of motivation? Do I just need to take a break this summer? Break this spell that the 13ers have over me and focus on lower elevation peaks closer to home? Repeat favorites, list checking be damned? Retire and move to southwest Colorado?

"Break the spell".....yeah, good luck with that!
I don't have answers but definitely relate and I am not even close to being as prolific as you've been.

Anything over 1.5-2hrs driving these days causes me to get aches in my legs. Sciatic type feelings in my lower leg.
I also work outside, long hours, so by end of the week I don't always want to be outside again!


This thread, along with the aging athlete by LarryM, have a lot in common, imo.