Experiencing Your First 14er

Excitement soon turned to dread as the backroad we were currently winding along, leading up to Greys and Torreys peaks, became impassable. The area had received quite a bit of rain over the last couple days, resulting in the road being completely washed away. Even four wheel drive wasn’t going to cut it this time.

With nowhere to go and not exactly sure what to do, Sloane completed a 15 point turn on the narrow drive and slowly started back down. Unfortunately, this was the only road leading to the trailhead of the twin peaks that we were planning to ascend the following morning. Reaching the bottom, we brainstormed all of our options.

Option 1– We could leave our car at the bottom and hike the three miles up to the trailhead before night fell. The problem was that we had planned on car camping, and apart from a couple pillows and blankets, we had no gear to protect us from the elements.

Option 2– We could car camp at the bottom of the road, and then hike the 3 miles up the following morning. However, this solution added 6 extra miles on top of an already extensive 8.5 mile trek.

Option 3– Scratch Grays and Torreys and call it a day. The major downside of this option is that I had been planning on hiking my first 14er all summer. I was SSSSOOO stoked! So stoked that I was going to hike not one but two 14ers! I had the trek mapped out, all my gear, everything. So not hiking was not an option.

So that brings us to Option 4- Finding another 14er

One of the beautiful things about Colorado is that it is the LAND of 14ers. 58 to be exact. We had more than enough to choose from. We were, however, slightly short on time so decided to pick a viable option nearby. We were both beginners, so we wanted to make sure we were picking a trek that we were confidant we could handle.

Lucky for us, Mt. Bierstadt was less than 10 miles away and a lot easier to access. With the sky darkening and the both of us anxious to get some good rest, we quickly found a pull off half a mile away from the trailhead, and settled in for the night.

At 2:00 AM, the alarm went off and Sloan and I rapidly pulled our items together and headed towards the trailhead. Even though it was August, the trailhead started at an elevation of 11,656’, leaving a brisk chill in the air. The first mile gained only a 100 feet of elevation, but that wasn’t our struggle. Since it was still very much dark out, Sloan and I were both wearing headlamps.

Yet, as we moved into the undergrowth, Sloan’s headlamp began to dim, until finally, gave off no light whatsoever. So the two of us were navigating the rocky upward climb with just my headlamp. PSA: always have an extra headlamp.

At first I led, but Sloan has about four inches on me and was having a hard time seeing the trail. So we switched. Sloan leading the way with the headlamp, and me, following a couple feet behind. As we ascended, the trail became steeper and steeper.

I am really into weight lifting, so my training for this 14er consisted mostly of the stair stepper as well weighted leg movements. So my legs were fine. But as we got into higher and higher elevation, I was having a heck of a time getting enough oxygen. Sloan on other hand did a lot of running in order to prepare for our trek. She was used to the lack of oxygen, but her legs felt like rubber. We made quite the pair.

Since this was our first 14er, our only goal was to complete it. But we really did want to get to the summit in time to watch the sunrise. The sky began to lighten as we reached the base of the final portion of our climb. An incredibly strenuous ¼ mile straight up scramble.

At this point, my head was pounding from the elevation change and my body was utterly exhausted. But we did not get up at 2 in the morning, and hike all this way to not make it for the sunrise. A good sunrise isn’t the only reason for night hiking but it was our goal to catch one.

Full of determination, we plodded on, sometimes using both hands and feet to climb upwards. Not going to lie, it was the longest ¼ mile of my entire life. I am pretty sure I was crawling at the end of it. But as we reached the summit, all the pain and exhaustion floated away…at least for a couple seconds.

In the distance, the sky was turning a ruddy orange and light was beginning to stream across the neighboring peaks. The wind was whipping all about, but Sloane and I took a moment to sit and take in the scene.

14,065 Feet

We did that! Every little bit of it.

Sitting atop Mt. Bierstadt, I could see Grays and Torreys off to the west, two twins in the distance. “What a view!” I thought to myself, wondering if it looks any different from over there.

I guess there is only one way to find out.