Dan Suitor, Centennial Finisher!

[glenmiz]

Please join me in congratulating Dan Suitor, Centennial Finisher! I joined Dan yesterday to repeat Gladstone Peak and help Dan finish his quest for the top 100.

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That quest started over twenty years ago when he topped his first 14er, Torreys. Still a 40something, he finished the 14ers with La Plata 10 years ago (yes, he’s a 50something now and one of my favorite “old” badasses). Dan was lined up to finish several years ago but had to modify his course when “the Lidar gremlin” entered his world and “forked his finisher road”. I’ve been lucky to capture some of the centennial “flags” with Dan having joined him on backpacking trips to Chicago/Ruby and, separately, to Vestal Basin; Nick, my son, was there on both. I also climbed Frasco and Casco with Dan and another friend Bill.

One of my favorite hiking stories relates to our epic trip to Chicago and Ruby basins. Our objectives were Jupiter, Pigeon and Turret. We took the train, hiked into Chicago basin and set up camp. We got up early and tagged Jupiter with about three inches of snow to make it interesting. After packing up camp, we climbed to Twin Thumbs pass, lowering our packs with ropes on the other side, dropped into Noname basin, ascended the saddle and dropped into Ruby basin (THAT was a tough day). The next morning we climbed to the Turret/Pigeon saddle, dropped through the notch that heartbreaking 1000 feet and turned for Pigeon. There was still snow up high and we had a tough time finding the C3 route but, eventually, we made the top. As we were leaving the summit, Dan told us he was spent and wouldn’t be able to make Turret that day (I felt the same way). I think I commented that we had to get back the next day and orphaning Turret would make it b!tch to come back and get later. No go! As we were descending, Nick and I, who by now had regained some energy, hatched a plan to break away and tag Turret. We told Dan to “wait at the saddle” for us. Dan agreed and we went up the easy trail to Turret where, from the summit, we could see both the saddle and the notch; no Dan. We waited for over an hour, briefly seeing Dan’s red jacket pop thru the notch and then disappear. It was getting late (fortunately, the weather was stellar) and we started down. Nick, much faster than I, went ahead across the saddle toward the notch. Although I couldn’t hear it, this is Nick’s story about approaching the notch and seeing Dan. Nick: “what are you doing?”. Dan: “I’m waiting for my friends”. Nick: “we ARE your friends”. Dan and we thought we were talking about the same place and we weren’t. Boy, communication is tricky… Anyway, Dan being the focused badass that he is, went back up that mess of a “trail” to Ruby Basin and captured the Turret flag the next summer.

We had been talking about Dan’s finisher Gladstone for a while and I told Dan I would join him if I could make the schedule work. Out of the blue, Dan texted me Thursday to see if I could join him the next day and I could. So, we drove out with most of Denver Friday and slept at Rock of Ages trailhead and set our alarms for a 3:00am start. He wanted to go via the north ridge; I had previously taken the route via the Lizard Head trail with Nick before but didn’t press Dan on his choice. It was a TOUGH day and Bill’s “dangerous” note on the route description understates the reality. We started, saw and heard at least a half-dozen rockfall episodes during our six hour ridge “run” from the Rock of Ages saddle to/from Gladstone. For anyone wanting to get Gladstone; go via Lizard Head Trail thru Bilk basin! Dan and I celebrated with two Busch Lights when we got back to the Rock of Ages saddle.

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Congratulations Dan, old friend. You made it to the finish in flying colors. Thank you for the chance to join you for some of the journey.

[yaktoleft13]

Amazing work! Glad to have gotten the chance to join you for a peak or two along the way. Congrats on finishing!

[Mtnman200]

Congratulations to Dan on completing the Centennials! Any favorite(s)?

[desertdog]

Congratulations Dan!

[greenonion]

Congrats Dan! Great meeting you on Shavano recently!

[cottonmountaineering]

congrats! make sure to check out the bicentennials

[Phill the Thrill]

Congratulations, Dan! Way to stick with it and cross the finish line!

[climbnowworklater]

Now that's a name I've not heard in a long time.

Congrats Dan! Glad you're still out there getting it done!

[mollykay]

Congratulations Dan!! Great to see you got your centennials!!

[JerJerBinks]

Dan the man! Congrats

[Will_E]

Congrats Dan, I’m nicknaming you “The first Suitor”. It’s a Kevin Smith thing

[Anima]

Congratulations Dan! It was a pleasure meeting you last summer in Ruby Basin. If I remember correctly, Turret was #99 for you. Didn't know it had quite the back story! Any mountain plans for the future?