www.RogerWendell.com
Roger J. Wendell
Defending 3.8 Billion Years of Organic Evolution^SM

Quandry in November!

14ers! Mountain peaks over 14,000 feet/4,267 metres

Click Here for my 13ers page...

Click Here for the Longitude and Latitude of Colorado's 14ers...

Click Here for my notes on technical climbing...

"We've wounded this mountain. It's our duty to close her wounds. It's the least we can do to show our gratitude for all the wealth she's given us. If you guys don't want to help me, I'll do it alone."

- Walter Huston to Humphrey Bogart and Tim Holt
in the 1948 movie, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

Some "Rules" and History:

Me, Amber & Ham Radio on top Mt. Evans (1993)

The most popular climbs, in Colorado, are the "14ers" - 14ers are usually defined as any mountain with a summit that's over 14,000 feet with a rise of at least 300 feet above a connecting saddle with topographic prominence and isolation. Over the years there have been some disagreement over the actual number of 14ers in Colorado - the figure usually hovers between a total of 52 and 54, with 54 being the current agreed upon number. However, it's also recognized that Colorado has an additional four "unofficial" 14ers which brings our state total to 58. Nationwide, in the lower 48 states, there are a total of 70 14ers (not counting the unofficial ones) - One in Washington State and the remaining 15 in California. Gerry Roach, and many others (including me!), believe that you must ascend at least 3,000 feet under your own power to have properly climbed a 14er. This means that if you park your car at the lot on top Mt. Evans, the remaining walk of 100 feet, to its 14,264 foot summit, doesn't count! However, if you parked your car a dozen miles down the Mt. Evans road, and gained the final 3,000 feet on foot, while on the paved surface, your climb would be considered a success! Okay, maybe I've taken this a bit too far as helpful folks have seen me walking with a full pack a mile or two below the trailhead where everyone else is parked - they often have asked, "Need a ride to the trail?" What I'm usually up to is carefully monitoring my GPS ANYTIME I think we're parked closer than 3,000 feet from the summit! For example, on Culebra, the ranch officials said that parking at Four Way was a close as they could guarantee to 3,000 feet (plus, Four Way and the trailhead itself, up a mile further, are the ranch's only authorized parking). I think my GPS was a little flaky that day as I hiked back down one of the Four Way roads, about a third mile, to pick up almost 400 feet of extra gain before returning to the car/hike. I've taken similar actions on Bierstadt, Sherman, the Lincoln/Democrat/Bross/Cameron combo, and other peaks as well. Nevertheless, it's up to you, gentle reader/hiker, to decide what lengths you need to go to ensure 3,000 feet of elevation gain to claim that next 14er!

Anyway, in his book Colorado 14ers Gerry Roach goes on to explain that; "Climbers should carry their equipment, not let their equipment carry them." In that paragraph he's referring to bicycle rides to the summit and even somebody using a treadmill, all winter long, to charge their battery bank for an electric car ride to the top of Evans. Either way, after these few paragraphs of haranguing, I think you get the idea when it comes to 14er "ethics!"

Finally, you'll find that there's not much privacy on the more popular 14ers during the summer - the crowds are plentiful and the parking sparse. Late fall and winter offer the most solitude but, of course, have a lot more added weather danger. Anyway, even during the summer months you'll find that "Peak Baggers," in general, are a friendly bunch that are always willing to help out or just provide a cheerful "Hello!" along that slow slog to the top! Anyway, climbing 14ers offers all kind of nice experiences and rewards (physical fitness, getting closer to Nature, etc.) so get out there enjoy! And, of course, be safe!

Dangers:

Be prepared! Mountaineering and mountain hiking, regardless the elevation, can be difficult and hazardous. Did you know that at least one person has been killed, in Colorado, from a mid-summer avalanche! In addition to avalanche hazards people have been wounded by their own ice-axes and crampons, fallen hundreds of feet, been hit by lightening, hit by falling rocks, and died of exposure (just to name a few ways you can get hurt in the mountains!). Also, a good rule of thumb, for any peak, is that you should be heading back down before noon. And, of course, don't hesitate to turn around if a storm is moving in, there's lightning, or when you're feeling just plain miserable from the altitude or exertion (it happens to all of us - turn around, that peak will be there next weekend...).

Bob & I on Longs Peak (1996)

According to the July 31, 2005 Denver Post (Sunday, front page story by Steve Lipsher) Longs Peak is Colorado's second deadliest 14er (right after Maroon Bells) with 55 documented fatalities since Carrie Welton died of exposure near the Keyhole in 1884. Longs Peak was named after Army Major Stephen Long who made the first recorded American sighting of the peak in the 1820s. Colorado River explorer John Wesley Powell, in 1868, was the first to climb the peak. Over 25,000 people attempt the 15 mile round-trip climb each summer with about 10,000 reaching the summit. Average time for the round-trip ascent is about 12 hours with Chris Reveley having completed it in two hours and four minutes in 1979!

Mount Shavano (14,229')
Saturday, October 29, 2005

Greg Olson

Lisa Herter

Summit Register

Road to Shavano

Heavy Winds

Named after Chief Shavano, a leader of the Ute Mountain Tribe, Mount Shavano Peak is located in the Sawatch Range of central Colorado. Roger Edrinn, in his Colorado Fourteeners "Pocket Slam," rates it as moderate in difficulty. Greg Olson and Lisa Herter took me along for their Saturday workout (4,500 feet of elevation gain!!) in preparation for our Ecuador adventure just two months away. I thoroughly enjoyed Shavano despite the below-freezing temperatures and screaming wind gusts between 40 and 50 mph - the trail was relatively easy to follow and the views, during cloud clearings, were spectacular! There was some sporadic "post-holing" required, above 13,000 feet, plus I had to dig around in the snow a bit to find the summit register. All in all it was a grand fall day!

Mount Yale (14,196')
Saturday, October 15, 2005 - a mini epoch!

Tom and Linda Jagger, having already completed over 43 and 51 14ers, respectively, graciously agreed to lead me up Mt. Yale after a pretty good snowstorm earlier in the week. I think the snow depth (averaging between 12 and 18 inches) caught us all by surprise as it took us about five hours to climb 4,300 feet to the summit! The slick surface, with unpredictably loose rock beneath, took its toll on us as we post-holed our way across some pretty steep terrain. I didn't get any pictures of the hard parts because I was just too tired to take the camera out of my pack!!

Linda and Tom making their way up...

Tom and Linda on Yale's summit

A very thankful Roger on Yale's summit...

Grays (14,270') and Torreys (14,267')
Sunday, August 14, 2005

On this date I thought I'd just "run" up Torreys for some quick exercise since it had been raining for the past couple of days throughout most of the state. It turned out to be much more fun than I had imagined since there was a Ham Radio 14er event taking place all over Colorado that day (see more related photos at: my antenna page). Also, I ran into this wonderful couple (I hope they remember my email address so that I can properly label their photo someday!) practicing with their bicycles for the Montezuma's Revenge event. And, of course, I encountered the usual array of friendly, outgoing "peak baggers" who are always willing to help with directions or whatever on Colorado's 14ers!

Bikes at 14,270 feet!

Grays Peak from Torreys

Torreys Peak from Grays

Torreys Viewed from trail

Torreys from saddle

Ham Radio on Torreys!

La Plata Peak (14,336')
Sunday, September 4, 2005

Steve Bonowski took ten of us to the top:
(Sorry, couldn't catch everyone on film since it's like herding cats!)

Steve and the gang...

Siegfried on Summit Block

Mark, Me and the Summit...

Rainbow Coming Home

Babies on the Mountain!

On August 26, 2007 my friend John Aldag and I were just descening 14,067 foot Missouri Mountain when we encountered the Williams family hiking to the top with their 13 month old baby, Katelyn. They were at 13,800 feet, moving steadily, but I just couldn't resist asking to take their photo! They graciously agreed and gave me permission to post it here as well. What a lovely family - reminding me of the time Tami and I took our newborn son to the top of Mt. Evans for a bit of scenery and fresh air during late summer 1980. Much to our own surprise (and shock) our infant son fell asleep near the summit! This worried us so we rushed back down to Denver and met with the family doctor - we were worried the thin 14er air may have been harmful and asked to good doctor why our baby had fallen sound asleep up there. The doctor calmly replied, "because he was tired..." Oh to be a young parent in our early 20s again!!

Mt. Sherman (14,036') and Mt. Bierstadt (14,060')
July 20, 1997 and July 3, 2004

This summit photo was taken on July 20, 1997. It was a CMC (Colorado Mountain Club) hike that I now have little record of so I can't identify many of the people in the photo. In the lower right is my friend Ken Yarcho (on bended knee). I'm the one in the back, standing with my legs apart. The photo was taken by Ed Wilkes.

My brother Brian and I took a little hike up Mt. Bierstadt and enjoyed the summit with a dozen or so of our closest friends!! In this shot Brian is preparing to record his name in the summit register. These little weather-proof containers are maintained by the Colorado Mountain Club (CMC) and are very much appreciated by everyone!

A closer Look at Summit Registers:

Larry on Mt. Bierstadt	Bierstadt's summit register	In September, 2002, my friend Larry Trevaskis gave me these close-up shots of Bierstadt's summit register. As I mentioned above the CMC maintains and archives most of the summit registers throughout Colorado. I, myself, always try to "sign-in" whenever I'm on top but can't sometimes because of the severe cold or the canister can't be found in the deep snow... Remember, it's important to protect summit registers whenever possible - be sure to seal 'em back up, properly, after you've signed-in. Since summit canisters aren't usually used for "geocaching," don't leave anything in the them other than the register itself and something to write with.
Front page	Signature page	Oh, for those who were wondering, volunteers (like me!), at the Colorado Mountain Club, are the ones who distribute, collect and archive Summit Registers (and their weather-proof canisters) on most of the 14ers and dozens of other peaks around Colorado. My advise is that you treat any summit register with care and respect as they easily deteriorate with so much handling throughout the season. Also, as I mentioned above, please don't use the canisters for geocaching or any other purpose besides storing/protecting the register - volunteers, at the club, actually manufacture these protective tubes with their own free time and resources. Okay, now that I've scared you with all of the rules, I want to encourage you to fill out the summit register - especially on some of the less used peaks. The club's volunteers have been archiving registers for many decades and I've learned that many requests come through, each year, from folks looking for information off of them. So, have fun, climb high, and sign the register!

Click Here for a sample of the notes people leave when the summit register is buried in snow or missing! Note: I actually contacted Mr. Burkett and received permission to scan and post his note before I turned it over to the CMC for their register archives. In the Burketts' case they couldn't find the register beneath all the snow so decided to place a note, inside a plastic bad, wedged between some rocks on the summit. I found it there, two days later, and brought it down with me as I usually "swap-out" completed summit registers and other volunteer stuff - Roger

Pikes Peak (14,110') and Mt. Rainier (14,411')
2005 & 2000

Pikes Peak - 14,110 ft

On New Year's Day, 2005 CMC leaders Tom and Linda Jagger led a bunch of us to the cold and snowy summit of Pikes Peak. I have more pix on my Pikes Peak page...

Mt Rainier - 14,411 ft

Yet another CMC trip. This time it was to the top of Mt. Rainier in Washington State. I have more pix of this one on my CMC page...

Mt. Massive (14,421') and Quandary Peak (14,265')
2005 and 2002

Mount Massive (14,421') Saturday, July 23, 2005 Photo by Rick Tronvig

Quandary Peak (14,265') 11/17/02. There were two memorials up there, things are getting a bit carried away in the backcountry... [On an October 8, 2005 climb I couldn't find any sign of the skis!]

Mount of the Holy Cross (14,005 feet/4,268 metres)
Sunday, August 7th, 2005

Steve Hoffmeyer (of 14er World fame) took 11 of us to the top:

Me & Steve Hoffmeyer

Mt. of the Holy Cross

Snow in August

Gary and Steve

Me

Me

Lincoln, Bross, Democrat (and Cameron) (14,286, 14,172, 14,148, 14,239 feet, respectively)

On August 05, 2007 I experimented and left my home, located just west of Denver, a little earlier than normal (1:30 am sharp!) for this hike. It only took a couple of hours to get there (mountain traffic is usually light five hours before sunrise!) although I did have trouble seeing the turn to Kite Lake in the middle of Alma (Alma must be prospering as there was a lot of road construction going on - even obvious in the dark!).

As planned, I parked 2.5 miles down from Kite Lake, at 11,000 feet, to ensure the day's climbing met my personal minimum of 3,000 feet of vertical gain (actually, I walked even further down road, away from my car, to ensure I had the full 3,000 feet of gain I needed - I explaint his in more detail at the top of this page...). Walking in the dark wasn't too bad until I passed Kite Lake, itself, and then I got a little lost going up the side of the mountain - mistaking an old mining sideroad for the main one, etc. By sunrise it was clear I was relatively close to Mount Democrat and easily traversed the quarter mile needed to get me back on track - no problema!

My first peak, just at sunrise, was Mount Democrat. I then made an immediate U-turn and headed towards Mount Cameron. Cameron isn't an "official" 14er, due to the lack of saddle drop and other requirements, but certainly worth the extra few feet of foot travel to get you there. Mount Cameron is so wide open and smooth it kind of reminds of a moonscape or another planet. Anyway, Since I reached both Democrat and Cameron well ahead of the crowds I had to experiment with my old digital camera for some self portraits. I met a few more hikers/climbers on Lincoln and Bross but was somewhat surprised how few people there were on all four mountains considering how popular they are!

The four peaks, along with the extra five miles of round-trip travel for my 3,000 feet of "insurance" took me a total of 8.5 hours. Had I not been playing with my camera, GPS, and talking with people I'm sure I could have cut nearly an hour off that. Either way, these four peaks offer an excellent workout with a great view!

Self Portrait on Cameron	Mount Cameron	Self portrait on Democrat	Experimenting with the camera's timer...
Mount Lincoln	Me on Mount Lincoln	Mount Bross	Me on Mount Bross

My 14er Log:
Ranked by height
(includes the last date I climbed 'em if I remember to update the page!)

I, myself, wasn't hit by the "14er bug" until about age 50, during the summer of 2005. Prior to that, for over three decades, my interests were mostly with long hikes, backpacking, and technical climbing. Of course as "luck" would have it, I fell ill at age 50 (but fully recovered later) and started traveling way too much for my day job (that's another story...).

Prior to age 50 I did a few dozen 14er climbs but it was mostly repeats of the same old favorites (Mt. Evans, Bierstadt, Longs Peak, Grays, Torreys and Quandary) that provided easy access for a good workout. Also, I never had enough money for a 4WD so getting to some of the trailheads can be really difficult...

Anyway, now that I'm past the half century mark I'm going to try and complete all of Colorado's 14ers as time permits. Here's my list so far:

14er Waypoints

Just for the fun of it, I usually take a GPS "reading" on the top of each peak. WARNING: I can not guarantee the accuracy of these waypoints as my own GPS bounces around a lot or I simply take an incorrect reading! Please rely on a more accurate source for your Waypoints! That being said, I still enjoy "cataloging" Waypoints and I keep a bunch of other locations, from around the world, on my Waypoints page...

Click Here for red, pink, and "Watermelon Snow" at the bottom of my Snow Day page...

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