Visiting the Top of Colorado

I went to Colorado to visit John at his new job. We played some Texas Hold ‘Em, hung out with his friends in Rangely, and… oh yeah, we climbed a frickin’ mountain! Mt Elbert, the tallest peak in Colorado, to be specific. I’ve never climbed a mountain before, and at 14,433 feet this was a great place to start. The trailhead is at about 10,000 feet outside Leadville, and the book says the trail has 4,700 feet of elevation gain.

We started out well before sunrise using headlamps until we were above the treeline. Sunrise at 12,000 feet is pretty great. We had perfect weather, no major injuries, and we reached the summit in time for lunch while the wind graciously settled down for an hour or so. A great first experience for me, and more will follow.

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