14er

Mt. Princeton

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July 8, 2022: A day I will likely never forget. We started the day at about 5am as we headed to the trailhead for my 18th fourteener. My group included all friends, some of whom have hiked fourteeners with me before, and a few newbies. Overall, we were both excited and nervous about the adventure! I had read that this particular mountain was a class 2, meaning it was on the easier side, but I always remind myself and others that no fourteener is easy. This one had a lot of rocks, more so than a lot of others, so we were prepared to be in the scramble for a while.

We drove up and up. It was a little scary at times as our car felt like it was on the edge of a mountain (because it was), and very quickly the tops of the trees became eye-level. We passed a few cars that were parked on the side but decided to continue up, plus our map told us to keep going. So we did.

And then things went from okay to bad to worse within a matter of minutes.

We reached the end of the map (mind you: this included a lot of really difficult driving up some incredibly large rocks and divets but Lindsay was a champ…and she’s the MVP of this story as you will soon see). The end of the map was the actual trailhead. This is not where we needed to park though. And now we were on the side of a mountain… with a cliff on one edge… with nowhere to turn around. I remember looking over to one of my friends in the back seat and whispering, “This is the worst-case scenario.”

And it was. We were in big trouble.

We looked ahead and saw that the road got about 6 inches wider ahead so we drove there. We had to turn the car around. There was no other option. (I mean there was but that option included leaving a car on the mountain and a lot of money…) What happened next is truly a miracle. We spent the next 1.5 hours turning the car around on a mountain cliff, one inch at a time. The tires got stuck on the dry gravel multiple times, and we pulled the car up to the edge of the cliff too many times to count and enough times to cause us all to grow with anxiety and fear (and maybe a little sick to the stomach feeling mixed in there too).

There was a point where we legit didn’t think this car was coming off the mountain. No one actually said it out loud but we were all thinking it. This was one of those situations where you didn’t have time to truly think about what could happen next. You just had to figure out the best move you had at the moment and put all your chips in on that. At different points I think all six of us prayed out loud, asking God to save us and to save this car.

And then, it worked. We got the car out of the divet and out of the gravel. And it was facing exactly 180 degrees opposite of where it had been 90 minutes prior. It was a miracle. And we still don’t understand how it worked. (Again, Lindsay is the MVP here for her incredible driving skills and the Lord is the big hero for rescuing us and the car!)

The thing is, this was not the end of the journey. We still had to drive the car back down the large divets that we had gone up. At one point we had to all get to one side of the car in order for it to not flip. It was actually terrifying.

Now, you would think that this would be enough adventure for us in one day. But you would be wrong.

We got back down to the cars that were parked where we should have parked 1.5 hours ago (which we also thought previously were insane for parking that far down the mountain… we repented and gave them kudos for being smarter than us). We got out of the car, strapped on our packs, and headed back up the road we had just driven down…now on foot. Walking felt like a relief to us after this whole car endeavor.

Thankfully, we had checked the weather and we had a great weather window for the day, so we decided we could still complete the hike, even with an extra late start. The trail itself was not super fun. It was a ton of rocks and a lot of scrambling basically the whole way. I wouldn’t say it was hard but more tedious than anything. It seemed like the rocks just never ended.

We reached the summit, obviously a lot later than we had planned, but we were all alive and we had a lot to be thankful for.

We headed down the mountain, back to the car (which again, took forever because of the incredible amount of rocks), knowing that we still had a journey ahead of us. We had parked at a good location, but the rest of the road was still not awesome. And now, it was even harder. There were people coming up the road to camp for the night. (Again, this is a single-lane road made of dirt with a mountain on one side and a cliff on the other.)

Lindsay, once again, pulled through for us as she navigated and negotiated with the other cars coming up. We had a few tricky and tight passes, but honestly, after everything we had been through that day, this seemed like not a huge deal.

All that to say, we made it back safely with our lives, the car, and our bank accounts still intact. The car did have some damage, but it was honestly so minimal for what we had put it through, that it was a miracle in my eyes!

So today, as I sit and write this account, drinking coffee and remembering back to this insane adventure, I am thankful that God was with us and helped us turn the car around. I am thankful that I was with friends who did not freak out in a situation that could have been very easy to freak out in. I am thankful for Lindsay, who drove the car and turned it around on the side of a mountain cliff. I am thankful to have not been through this alone. I am thankful to be alive and without any injuries. And I am thankful that today, I am not on top of a mountain.

But don’t worry mountains. I will be back for you soon! Just next time, I think we will all triple-check the map and park in the right location. I prefer to have my adventures on foot.

Mt. Shavano & Tabeguache Peak

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Mt. Shavano: 14,229 feet

Tabeguache Peak: 14, 155 feet

These 14ers were something else. And we may have thought we wouldn’t be getting off the mountain a few times. But we did. And we are never going back. Here’s the story…

We started out the day at 3am since we had a 3 hour drive to the trailhead. The hike itself started at 6:20am. After doing some research the day before, I estimated that it would take us about 6-8hours for the hike total. This was a double 14er, but it had three summits. In order to summit the second peak, Tabeguache, you have to first summit Shavano. In order to return from Tabeguache, you have to re-summit Shavano… there is no other way in or out.

Now, I’ve done double 14ers before and I’ve done some class 3 mountains too. Therefore, I was expecting this hike to be pretty straight forward. It was a total of about 11 miles, round-trip, and again, expecting about a 6-8 hour hike depending on how we were feeling. We also had absolutely perfect weather! No storms in sight and blue skies all day long, which is everything you could ask for on a hike like this!

The hike started in the trees at about 8,500 feet elevation. We hiked through a beautiful area of aspen trees and wildflowers, and then through a few miles of pines and evergreens. We enjoyed most of this section since it was in the trees and we were still fresh.

We hit the tree-line around 8:30am and continued towards the summit. This first section to the base of the summit was long, steep, and narrow. There were even a few spots with lots of snow still on the trail, causing our time to be slower than planned.

We made it to the base of the summit and headed up where it looked like there was a trail. Unfortunately, the trail ended pretty quickly and it became a “choose your own adventure” situation. A few people were already heading down from the summit, but they were coming down in all different parts. And there were several others going up at the same time as us, but again, all at different spots. We lost each other at one point and I remember thinking to myself, “Well, I hope we all find each other at the summit.”

When I made it to the summit, I realized how dumb I was to leave my friends. I’ve climbed a lot of mountains, and one of the first rules is don’t split up… and I had done just that. So I found a place to sit and rest, where the wind was blocked but I could also see most of the summit. And I waited. Eventually my friends joined me and we took a few quick pics.

After a quick chat, two of us decided to continue on while the other waited and rested. We had two waiting points. One was on the summit, and the other was the base of the summit. We knew we would all meet up at either of those locations in the next few hours. So we started our descent down the first, across the saddle, and up the second.

The problem was, there was also not a clearly marked trail on the second summit. We now believe that the trail ran across the ridge on the top, but that was completely snow packed and too slippery to hike up. So again we took the “choose your own adventure” route and headed towards the summit area by scaling the side of Tabeguache. We eventually made it and I was so thankful to finally be at the summit! …other than the fact that we were only half way done with the day and I was completely out of water.

We once again headed down the peak and across the saddle. This time we got to slide down a few “snow slides” on the way, which was both terrifying and amazing all at once! As we approached the summit for Shavano, we saw a flight for life helicopter. These are helicopters that are often called to the tops of 14ers to rescue people who fall, need some other medical attention, or get struck by lightening. I sometimes see these helicopters on my hikes, but this time was different because it was landing on OUR PEAK. In fact, it was landing in the exact place we had decided to meet up.

We began to pray for our friend and any other people who may be in danger and tried to get cell service to text our friend. Thankfully, she was okay and the helicopter was for another man who was severally dehydrated. I am so thankful for these men and women who come to rescue people on these mountains!

Anyways, we re-summited Shavano and then headed down to the meet up location at the base of the summit. But, as you know, we didn’t follow a trail up so we had no idea how to get down. I decided to head towards the right, but that was definitely the wrong choice. We ended up on the side of the mountain that was full of unstable boulders. It felt like a class 4 mountain and literally every step felt like a risk. My friend and I quickly realized the situation we were in. There was no trail on this side of the mountain, we could no longer see the trail we needed to get to, we were all alone, and we were in big trouble.

We were able to take one step at a time, maneuvering around and over boulders. We made it back to the correct side of the mountain, but still no trail. We were simply thankful to be back in eye-sight of our friend. We never truly found the trail on the way down, but did eventually make it down with only one bruised-up and bloody knee, and a few tears.

Even though it felt like we had just conquered the world by getting off the summit, we were still only at the base of the summit… meaning we still had a few hours of hiking. So we began to walk and walk and walk. Now, I know that a lot of people like downhill better than uphill because it’s easier on the lungs, but I sure hate downhills. They are the worst part of the hike for me because of the strain they put on your body. Even with trekking poles, it took us just as long to go down as it took to go up due to the amount of rocks and the steepness of the mountain.

We made it back to our car at 5:40pm with a total time of 11 hours and 20 minutes on the mountain. We had all run out of water a long time ago and were thankful just to be back at the car where we could sit and re-hydrate.

All this to say, these mountains were a beast. Maybe it was due to the fact that it was early June, maybe it was due to the extra snow on the trails, or maybe it was due to inaccurate trail reports from others. Either way, it was definitely an adventure… but one that I will never suggest anyone else to do.

I’m thankful for my friends, who hiked for 11 hours with me just to help me get a little closer to my goal of hiking all 58 14ers in Colorado. Here’s to #15 and #16. Never again, Shav & Tab. Never again.

2020: It’s Hard for Everyone.

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I have a goal of climbing to the summit of every 14er in Colorado. (A 14er is a mountain that is over 14,000 feet elevation.) This is a tedious goal and one that will take me years to complete. I have summited 14 of 58 over the past 9 years, so I’m about a quarter of the way there!

The thing about 14ers is that they never get easy. It doesn’t matter how many 14ers you hike, they are always hard. And every single 14er is different. They have different elevation gains, terrains, and distances. The weather shifts and they each have their own difficulties.

The year 2020 has reminded me of 14ers in a lot of ways. It has been hard for everyone. It doesn’t really matter what you had planned for 2020 because it has changed… probably a thousand times. Some people have had much harder years than others, but no matter what, I know 2020 has been hard for you.

Friend, I pray that you will not give up. I pray that you will continue on even though it is hard. I pray that you will see that this year has been hard for everyone, and yes, maybe it’s been especially hard for you. But the fact that it’s been a hard year for everyone gives you a pretty wide variety of people to talk with who will likely understand and relate to some of your hardship. So lean into community, family, and friends. Let them hear your hardships, weep with you over the losses, and sit with you in the sadness.

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

Romans 12:15 (ESV)

I think the worst part about what most of 2020 has brought is that it encourages people to hide and remain in isolation. This is exactly where the enemy wants us. He wants us to feel alone, isolated, and afraid. He wants us to be convinced that we are the only one struggling or suffering, and that no one could understand or help. I know this is his desire because of what John 10:10 says…

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

John 10:10 (ESV)

You see, the enemy is a thief who does not care for you or me. He only wants to steal our joy, kill our dreams, and destroy our lives. But Jesus came to give life. And not any life, an abundant, full life! He is the one who came to save us from hiding and isolation. He came to redeem us and give us true life. There are still hardships in this life with Jesus, but there is also joy, abundance, and fellowship.

The year 2020 has convinced many of you that you are alone. But I want you to hear today that you do not have to be alone. There is a God who sees you and cares for you. He sees your every need and created your very being. And He longs for a relationship with you.

2020 is hard for everyone. But if there’s anything I’ve learned in hiking 14ers, it’s that it’s way easier when you hike with good company. And in my opinion, the best company you could get is Jesus. Lean into Him. Ask Him to draw near. Spend time in His word. He is for you. And He is with you! May you be reminded of His nearness as we step into the last month of the year.

Thankfulness for 2020

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This year, instead of sending a Christmas letter, I decided to jump on the early bird train and send a “Thanksgiving Letter,” because despite all the curveballs from 2020, there is a lot to be thankful for! This is the letter I sent out to several people but also wanted to have it digitally right here to share with those I was unable to send letters to this year. I want to tell you about 20 things I’m thankful for this year, and I pray this will encourage you to end your year with gratitude too!

1. New Washer: Our washer broke in January. One of our friends came to look at it, and was going to order the right pieces for us and fix it. Instead, his family bought us a brand new washer AND installed it for us! This may seem small, but I am thankful for this family and the way they loved me and my roommates!

2. Spin Weekend: We were able to have our annual spring student event, SPIN, in March a few weeks before the pandemic hit Texas. That was one of our last times seeing our students, and I am so grateful for that weekend together!

3. Roommates and Movie Marathons: Once the pandemic hit, my roommates (Shelby and Margie) and I watched over 40 movies! I am grateful for their friendship, willingness to eat popcorn every night, and for their grace during quarantine.

4. Loving Neighbors: One blessing the pandemic provided was the opportunity for me, my roommates, and a few of our other friends to meet our neighbors, pray with them, and have spiritual conversations with them. Even in the midst of a pandemic, we were invited in for hours to talk with people who were really lonely, several who were sick, and many who were struggling during this season. We had frequent conversations with our closest neighbors, but knocked on almost every door in our apartment complex over the span of a few months. I am grateful for these friends to love neighbors with, the conversations we got to have, & the men and women who trusted Jesus!

5. Sabbath Rhythms: This quarantine season honestly gave me a great opportunity to truly practice sabbath. I know I haven’t “nailed it” yet, but I am thankful for the new mercies each week to practice sabbath rest and trust the Lord deeper.

6. Parents 30 Year Anniversary: On June 9, my parents celebrate 30 years of marriage! Although I didn’t get to be there in person to celebrate with them, I am incredibly grateful for the ways their marriage is an example of faithfulness, devotion, service, and humility. They love God, each other, and others with the deepest love, and I am proud to call them my parents! Congrats mom and dad!

7. TVC Residency Program: I began the Residency Program at The Village Church in the Fall of 2019 and completed it this spring! This program grew me in uncountable ways, including challenging me in how many books I could physically read in a year! We had in depth conversations about culture, postmodernism, theology, and the church. I am thankful for the challenge and the ways I was pushed to be a deeper disciple of Jesus.

8. Backpacking Trip: With all of our student summer events canceled, this gave me the opportunity to plan a backpacking trip with a few friends! None of us had backpacked before, which made for an interesting trip! You can read about this trip (and the many other hiking adventures I’ve had recently) on my blog under the “Adventures” tab. But, I am thankful for these adventure friends and the opportunity to be in the middle of nature with them!

9. Accepted Job at Storyline Fellowship: In August, I began a new job as the student minister at Storyline Fellowship in Arvada, Colorado. It was not an easy thing to apply for this job, simply because I loved my community, my friends, and my coworkers so much at The Village Church. This decision took weeks of fasting, prayer, and guidance from others. I am thankful for the ways the Lord showed me more of Himself during these stressful few weeks and the clarity He provided through it all. Although I deeply miss the students, my coworkers, my roommates, the families, and my close community in Texas, I know this is exactly where God wants me, & for that I am grateful. Also, I love my new job a whole lot!

10. Mom Healed from Cancer! My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer on the first week the pandemic hit. So yeah, it was a rough week. On the day I accepted the position at Storyline, my mom also went in for her last treatment and is doing great! I am thankful for the ways the Lord guided her, provided friends around her to love and support her when Austin and I could not be near, and brought her healing through incredible doctors. And I’m grateful that cancer has been defeated in her life, & prayerful it will not return!!

11. My Texas Family: There are several families that impacted me during my time in Texas & invited me in. But I have some favorite little people who I love deeply & miss daily (pictured below). I am grateful for my 5 years in Texas, all God taught me, & the people I call my family.

12. Moved in a Pandemic: My friends who were planning on driving the moving truck with me ended up getting Covid two days before we left. That led to a day of panic about how I was going to move to Colorado, followed with sadness that I wouldn’t get to see them before I left. Yet, the Lord provided two other friends who were willing to drive for 13 hours straight with a moving van across three states! I am thankful for these friends and their willingness to go on a spontaneous moving trip with me!

13. Hiked My 14th 14er: I was able to hike four 14ers (mountains over 14,000 ft) this summer, reaching number 14 on my list! My goal remains to hike all 58, & now that I’m back in Colorado, I hope this goal will come sooner than later! I’m thankful for the friends who hiked 14ers with me this summer, the majesty of God I get to see from that altitude, & for the physical ability to hike. I never want to take that for granted, so I’m thankful for a healthy body this year!

14. New Roommates and New Traditions: Upon moving to Colorado, that meant I needed new roommates and a place to live. Praise the Lord for two other single girls, who both moved from Texas and The Village, and who were looking for roommates! Caitie and Lindsay have quickly become great friends and I am so thankful for the community they have provided during this transition and continued pandemic. We also have started a tradition of getting up early on Saturday mornings (mostly to beat the crowd and be more efficient… can you tell we are all enneagram 1’s?!) and go on a nice long hike! So if you’re in town on a Saturday & want to get up early, you know where to find us!

15. Early Snow: We got hit with early snow in September and it made my heart happy! Again, this may seem like a little thing to mention, but it’s something I am grateful for! The snow seems to bring with it this sense of peace and the remove of urgency to be everywhere and do everything. Plus, it’s been really fun teaching my Texas roommates about all things Colorado, preparing for winter, and how to shovel a driveway!

16. Community: In Texas, I cherished living within walking distance of a lot of people I knew, spent time with, and loved. And yet, I remembered moving to Texas a little over five years ago and having no community at first. God answered that prayer over time as I lived there! Moving back to Colorado has led me to pray for the same thing! I am thankful for the community God provided in Texas, especially during a pandemic, & for the community he has provided here in families who moved from Texas at the same time!

17. Family Visited: My brother (Austin) and sister-in-law (Jenna) came to visit for two whole weeks in October! That was a really sweet and unexpected gift since Hawaii has been in full lock down for most of the year. I’m grateful they were able to come and spend a few weeks here with us, & thankful for the ways they encourage me, along with all the fun we have together.

18. Student Came to Faith: During the second month of my job, I got to see the Lord save one of our students and totally transform her life! I’m grateful to be on the front row of seeing all God is doing in the lives of students in Arvada!

19. No Instagram: I took a year off from Instagram (except the one week in August to announce I was moving) and it has been wonderful! I am thankful for the ways this has led me to be more present with those around me & less concerned about getting the perfect picture and caption everywhere I go.

20. YOU! Last but not least, I am grateful for you! Thank you for reading this post and many other posts from this year! I pray that these have been an encouragement to you and a little glimpse into my life while I take a break from Instagram! And I hope this list encourages you to make your own list of things to be grateful for from this crazy year!

Stay around for more posts in the future and follow my blog using the links below so you won’t miss a post! Until then, Happy Thanksgiving!

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.

Psalm 9:1 (ESV)

Mt. Quandary

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Mt. Quandary (14,265ft) was my 13th 14er and 3rd for the 2020 year. I hiked this mountain on July 21, 2020. Our total time was 6 Hours 25 Minutes, with a total HIKE time of 5 hours, 48 minutes. Two of my friends also went with me and we had a great adventure.

We spent the night in Breckenridge the night before, which is a great place to be. It’s only about a 10-15 minute drive to the trailhead from there and well worth it! We started at 5:57am. The beginning of the hike was pretty “easy” for a 14er. It was in trees and had some steep sections, but it was relatively good for the beginning of a 14er. Once you get out of the trees though, it was a pretty decent hike from then on…plus, there are a few false summits.

The best part about this hike was the mountain goat! We named him Billy and he was big and super close to the trail! At one point he did start walking towards us which was a little scary at first!

We made it to the summit by 9:18am and ate our Uncrustables sandwiches …which by now you should know is my go to lunch snack for all hikes. (#uncrustables…sponsor me!) It was beautiful at the top! You could see several lakes from there that looked like glacier water. Then we started the decent at 9:55am, reaching the parking lot by 12:22pm.

This was a great hike, and a relatively easy 14er. It was one friends’ first one and another’s second, but we were all traveling from Texas, low altitude, so it was a great hike for us. There were a TON of people on the trail though, even amidst Covid-19. I was really surprised by the number of people on the hike for a Tuesday! I was glad that we started before 6am and reached the parking lot before 12:30pm though. It seemed like a lot of people started around 8-9am and it would have been way more crowded of a hike.

Another great part of this hike was that after we were done, we only had a 10-15 minute drive back to Breckenridge! Staying in Breck really is the only way to hike this!

If you are looking for an easy first or second (or 13th) fourteener to conquer! The views are great, it’s a popular hike, and it should take you about 6 hours! Best of luck out there friends!

Belford and Oxford.

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This post is a continuation of our backpacking experience, but it also stands alone as a play-by-play of our double 14er day hike up Mt Belford and Mt Oxford.

We woke up pretty early after a shorter night of sleep due to our lack of planning and a strenuous night hike into our camping location the night before. Because of this, our group split up and two of us went on the adventure for the day while the others spent the day resting and enjoying the fresh mountain air.

We began at 7:28am from our campsite, which was right below the treeline at about 11,000 feet elevation. This is the latest I’ve ever started a 14er, but we also were technically almost halfway up it already! It was an additional bonus to be able to hike during the daylight for the entire trek!

We made it to the first summit (Mt. Belford) by 9:45am, which is a 2 hour 17 minute time. It was faster than I was expecting us to go, but it felt nice to have one mountain down before 10am…and before the wind picked up.

Mt. Belford – 14,197ft. My 11th Colorado 14er.

We enjoyed some PB&J uncrustables at the top (which always taste the best on top of a mountain for whatever reason), and then started down the saddle towards our second mountain for the day, Mt. Oxford. The saddle took us just over an hour to complete (summiting at 11:30am), and it was extremely windy. The wind was the hardest and worst part of the day since it never really let up and we were completely exposed on the tops of the mountains and on the saddle.

Mt. Oxford – 14,153ft. My 12th Colorado 14er.

At the top of Mt. Oxford there is a small hole that you can sit in to be protected from the wind. This gave us a chance to catch our breath and consider how incredible the views are from the top of the world… as well as consider the goodness of the Lord knowing that every peak we could see belongs to Him!

For the Lord is the great God,
    the great King above all gods.
 In his hand are the depths of the earth,
    and the mountain peaks belong to him.

Psalm 95:3-4 (NIV)
One of my favorite pictures from our hike!

The only bummer about the Belford/Oxford combo is that you have to hike back up Belford in order to get down. There is no other way. So technically, we hiked three 14ers in one day. 😉

(The saddle. The trail is on the ridge on the left side of the picture. This is a picture taken from Oxford looking across to Belford. The Belford summit is the tallest point in the picture, which is the circular rock area at the center of the photo.)

We began the hike down the saddle and back over to Belford at 12pm and made it just under an hour, faster than our way over which we were impressed with! The backside of Belford is a beast! It is one of the steepest hikes I’ve done, making it difficult for both the way up and the way down.

Once we arrived at the summit of Belford for the second time, we took a nice, long break, enjoyed some food, talked with others who had just made it to the summit, took in the incredible views, and let the sun warm up our faces. The sun felt so nice after being in the wind for so long. We took our sweet time up there knowing that we only had a few hours left and it would likely be in the wind…again.

We began our descent at 1:46pm and made it to the campsite by 3:38pm, just under 2 hours. Our total time on the mountain was 8 hours and 10 minutes, though our actual hiking time was 6 hours and 23 minutes.

Overall, this was a great day of hiking and we kept an awesome pace all day. We also saw a TON of marmots and the tiniest chipmunks you have ever seen! This was a really fun addition to our day! The marmots seemed to be continually following us up the mountain and we were totally okay with that!

At the end of the day, here are some words we used to describe our hike: Difficult. Majestic. Hard. Content. Achieving. Perspective. Thankful.

Everytime I make it to the top of another 14er, I am filled with feelings of gratitude and awe. Gratitude for those who make the journey with me. Gratitude for God to give us mountains to climb, legs to walk, and lungs to breath (even if it’s very minimal amounts of oxygen). Gratitude for surviving at least half of the hike. Gratitude for being able to experience a view that very few people ever get the opportunity to see with their own eyes. And awe that God allows us to experience His creation at this level.

Mountains make me feel small and remind me that God is big! They show me that God is majestic. I was reading in J.I. Packer’s book Knowing God this week and he says, “The word majesty, when applied to God, is always a declaration of his greatness and an invitation to worship.” This is what the mountains do. They declare the greatness of God and invite us to worship Him because of this greatness!

Today, I’m thankful for friends who hike mountains with me for over 8 hours, and a God who is gracious and kind towards us in allowing us to experience His creation at new levels!

Backpacking in the Dark.

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I recently went on my first backpacking trip with some friends. I didn’t want my first time backpacking to be with only first-timers like me, but that’s how it ended up. So we did some research, asked some friends, bought some gear, and borrowed the rest. We planned out easy meals, shoved things into our bags, and then managed to cram it all into the back of a car and head to the mountains.

Oh, and we brought spike ball because are you really camping without it?! 😉

(The start of our journey up the mountain as the sun sets.)

We planned poorly because we started our trek into the campsite right as the sun was going down. This was a new trail I had never done and it became dark outside quickly. I had read up about the trail online multiple times and everyone said it was about a 1-1.5 hour hike in and then you arrive at a small, run down, old cabin…which you cannot camp inside of. (That was a key point that everyone made very evident on the trip reports.)

So the four of us were in the dark, looking for a small cabin, with way too much stuff. I’ve heard that everyone packs too much on their first trip though, so I think we were doing it right.

Well, we got tired really quickly. And it got darker and darker. Then we started to doubt our directions, believing we made a wrong turn, but unable to see where we were or where we were going. We came to a bridge that was made of trees just laying across the river. I crossed this bridge first to see if I could tell if it was the right way. There was no way to tell either way, so the rest of the group slowly crossed this bridge and we continued in the dark.

(The bridge was really scary actually. It was wobbly and unstable and looked way longer in the dark…especially with a heavy pack on your back.)

(The bridge! Not that crazy til you have a heavy pack on and it’s dark.)

Anyways, we made it to a good stopping place and two of us continued up the mountain to see if we could find the cabin or at least a good place to camp for the night. We managed to find several other tents and a good place to camp that was decently flat for our tent. We went back to get the other two and then headed back to our prime location… except we missed the spot and ended up further up the mountain.

But…… we found the cabin!! 🙂 This was a joyous moment as we realized we had made it and taken the right trail!

So we set down our packs, set up the tent, and then headed to bed. It was a cold night and we were on a slope so we slid down to the bottom of the tent all night.

But it was all worth it.

Our backpacking trek may have been less than ideal, but it was worth it because we were together, trying something new, as a group of friends. We were on an adventure!! And when you are on an adventure, everything that is less than ideal or things that seem to go wrong, simply make the adventure that much more exciting!

This was the end of our backpacking portion. Yes, it was a short backpacking experience, but it was one that gave us a good taste of what it would be like to backpack for a few days next time…with less stuff, less elevation change, and more daylight.

From our campsite, the plan was to hike some 14ers each day for the next few days and just enjoy being in the mountains. The camping area was right below the treeline, so we had some wonderful evenings of stargazing and incredible views of some of the tallest mountains in Colorado!

Check out future posts about our hiking adventures!

P.S. As I researched some of the info below, I came across a website that said: “Missouri Mountain Trail… is only recommended for very experienced adventurers.” So if you need any “very experienced adventurers” we are now your people! 😉

Trail: Missouri Gulch Trail near Buena Vista, Colorado

Elevation Gain: Approx. 1,350 feet

Time: Approx. 2 Hours

Distance: About 1.5 miles

(Trail on the way back, obviously, during the day and not in the middle of the night!)

How to Hike a 14er

moremarsh2 Comments

I love hiking and going on outdoor adventures! One of my favorite adventures has been learning to hike 14ers. 14ers are mountains that are over 14,000 ft in elevation and Colorado has 54 of them (give or take depending on how you classify them, but that’s not a necessary conversation here). Anyways, I have hiked, as of 2019, 10 of these 14ers in Colorado and my goal is to hike them all!

I love bringing people with me when I hike. Yes, that is mostly because it is dangerous to hike alone, but it also allows others to experience something great too! Many times these friends are ones who have never hiked a 14er before, and they have all made it to the top! So in this post, I wanted to give some tips for hiking and preparing to hike a 14er for all the friends that will go with me on an adventure one day!

  1. Find someone to hike with. Obviously you want to find a buddy to go hiking with you, but it is even more helpful if you can find someone who has hiked, climbed, or backpacked before …especially if you have never done those things! This friend will be a major help along the way, both with tips and encouragement.
  2. Get in shape! You don’t have to be in the best shape of your life to hike a 14er. Mountains have a variety of types (or “classes”) of routes. These routes all vary in difficulty meaning that there are easily mountains that are much shorter than a 14,000 ft but are classified at a much higher rank in difficulty. Just because you are hiking a 14er doesn’t mean you are hiking the biggest, baddest mountain out there….just the one with the best view (in my opinion). So prepare for this adventure by getting in shape. Go on a walk every day for a few miles at a steady, quick pace. Going for a run a few times a week is even better! Do some lunges, run some stairs, swim a few laps, hit the bleechers. Anything that is going to get you working at a level with less oxygen than normal is the key. Be consistent with your training and remember the joy you will have at the top of the mountain! That is your motivation!
  3. Drink water! At least one week before you hike, you need to start drinking more water than normal. This is essential for anyone just going to visit a high altitude location, and so it is life saving for those going to an even higher altitude (aka: 14,000 ft above sea level)! Drink lots of water, and then drink more. My coach in college used to tell us, “Drink water like it’s your job.” So do that.
  4. Know the mountain. Before you head out to the trailhead, you need to do some research! Every mountain has multiple routes. Study the route you want to take and know where the trailhead begins. Check out 14ers.com or alltrails.com to see recent reports from people who have hiked. Learn from their mistakes and take their advice!
  5. Gather your gear. Each 14er is different and the length of the trails and difficulties are also different. So for longer hikes you will need to bring more food and a wider variety of clothing. But here’s a general list that should get you through most one-day 14er hikes: camelback backpack (if you have this, it’s a life saver!), 1-2 extra water bottles in your pack, easy access snacks (granola bars, fruit snacks, apple, trail mix, PB sandwich, etc. …things you can eat while you walk), sunscreen, first aid kit, toilet paper, ziplock bags (for trash…pack it and keep it with you please!), LAYERS (tshirt, long sleeve shirt, jacket, rain jacket, etc.), hat/sunglasses, hiking boots (or good running shoes will work if it’s an easier 14er), hiking poles (optional), headlamp, good socks, gloves (if you are like me and have Elsa hands that are always cold) and of course, a sign that has the name of the 14er along with the height so you can take a picture at the top!
  6. HIKE! Now you are ready to hike! Before you head out for the day, make sure to check the weather! Storms tend to roll in around 2pm in Colorado most afternoons. Therefore, you need to summit before the storm arrives. My personal rule is to summit every mountain before noon. So if you are doing a double or triple, you must leave early. The most common call for a rescue from the top of 14ers is due to lightening, so please, please, stay safe and forget about the summit if a storm rolls in unexpectedly early. Now, when I say start early, I mean early. I typically want to be at the trailhead by at least 5am, but that changes depending on the difficulty of the mountain, the number of peaks, and the weather. So just be smart and start as early as you can. (Which is why you need a headlamp because it will be cold and dark.)

So friends, those are my tips for having a great 14er hike! It really is worth it! Our God created these tall mountains, and I pray that as you stand on the top, you would realize how vast and unsearchable our God is! He is bigger than the mountains and yet He knows every detail of our lives! We will never understand all that He is and yet we can know Him personally. And I praise God, that He has given us mountains to enjoy and incredible views to see His creation! May the Lord bless you and keep you on your journey!

Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;
    let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving
    and extol him with music and song.
For the Lord is the great God,
    the great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth,
    and the mountain peaks belong to him.
The sea is his, for he made it,
    and his hands formed the dry land.

Psalm 95:1-5