Belford and Oxford - October Surprise

Mt. Belford from the summit of Missouri Mountain

We have had an unusually dry winter in Colorado this year, and while this doesn't bode well for many aspects of life here, it bodes incredibly well for hiking. The 14er climbing season is short enough as it is, so I am always glad when it stretches out into the "winter" months, like this year. For at least the past month, we would have a weak system move through early in the week that may drop a little snow that would be nearly gone by the weekend and make for superb hiking conditions. I've not been able to get back out to take advantage until last weekend, with yet another perfect weekend forecast and nothing pressing on the family agenda. I decided that on Sunday October 23 I would take a shot at Mt Belford (14,197) and Mt. Oxford (14,153).

I spent the previous night in Buena Vista. The whole week prior I had felt like I was fighting a cold, so I was a little concerned about how I would feel the morning of my attempt. 14ers usually destroy me when I'm feeling really good physically, and I didn't need any additional handicap for this one. With the help of a lot of Advil, a great dinner at Eddyline restaurant (highly recommend by the way), and a pretty good sleep (which is unusual for me before a big hike like this), I woke up at 4:30 Sunday in pretty good shape. Off to the Missouri Gulch trail head, which was about 45 minutes away.

The standard route up Belford and Oxford is 11 miles round trip and about 5900 feet of gain. This was a similar distance and gain to Shavano and Tabeguache, which I had done last year and consider one of the most difficult hikes I had ever done. I anticipated a good 10 hours on the trail, so I wanted to get a relatively early start to make sure I had time to finish and make the three hour drive home before it got too late. Weather was not going to be a factor today. I arrived at the trail head about 5:45, and while this trail head is usually packed in the summer at this time, this time when I arrived there was just one car there. This made me a little nervous, because my last solo hike of Missouri Mountain from this same spot still involved a lot of people in the area, and now it appeared I was truly going to be alone for awhile. I actually hung out in my car a few minutes in hopes that someone might show up, but no luck. At 6:00 I geared up and headed into the woods.

As I mentioned, I had just climbed Missouri Mountain from this same trail head a few weeks ago, so I knew the first two miles of trail and its 2000 foot gain to the Belford-Oxford/Missouri split. I remembered this being a lot harder for Missouri than I anticipated, so I tried to pace myself this time but still got to the split in about an hour and a half, exactly as long as it took the first time.

I stopped here about 20 minutes to have a snack and take in the views.

From here, the trail wastes no time in getting down to business. I saw the 2300 feet of switchbacks up the northwest ridge of Belford as I was making a much more gradual approach to Missouri last time and was grateful I didn't have to go up it that day. Today, however, I would have to tackle it head on. It was perhaps the slowest progress I've ever made on a climb, and I eventually was moving forward no more than 20 feet or so before I had to stop and breathe a few seconds. It was incredibly slow, but more importantly it was maintainable and I knew I had some time. Plus, the views of Missouri Mountain across the valley were incredible from up here and got better with each step.

I'm not all that fast but I'm incredibly persistent, and I slowly chipped away at the elevation until I got to this flatter area just over 14,000 feet and I could finally see the summit.

This was about as much snow as I saw the entire time. The trail went through it but it was only a couple inches deep and pretty frozen at this elevation. I had my spikes with me but didn't use them. That summit block was a pretty small pile of rocks that is usually very crowded in the summer, but today I would have it all to myself. No one was here to get my traditional picture with all the fingers, but this was my 31st summit.

 Looking southwest, Emerald Peak is the pyramid shaped one near the center, and Missouri Mountain is on the right.

Towards the east, Mt. Oxford is a mile and a half away.

 It was gusty up there but wasn't as bad as the bad audio would make it seem.

I spent about 15 minutes on the summit of Belford before starting toward Oxford. The standard route here sharply descends...

..into a saddle at 13,500 feet...

...then gradually ascends to the summit of Oxford.

 None of this was very technical, but I knew I would have to retrace every step I was taking down from Belford, as the standard route reascends the first peak. I counted on knowing I would have no choice as my motivation to push me over it, and in the meantime, I enjoyed another summit all to myself, number 32.

To the southeast, Mt. Harvard (the 3rd highest 14er in the state, on the left of this picture) loomed above everything.

Looking east. This summit was pretty big and flat.

Looking back toward Mt. Belford, which is the high point near the center of the ridge waaaaaay back there.

Again, apologies for the windy audio.

Another 20+ minutes on the summit. I had a sandwich and a couple granola bars as I put off heading back up the ridge where I could finally begin my descent back to the trail head. The ascent back up to Belford is a notorious point of immense suck on this route, and I knew it would be another slow go. Again, in a series of 10-20 foot increments, I got back up just below the Belford summit and rejoiced knowing that I would have no more elevation gain for the remainder of the hike.

The standard route goes back over the summit of Belford and descends on the same nasty swtichbacks that one would use to ascend. I had been considering a different descent, along Elkhead pass, which would add another mile or so but would be a much more gradual descent. In the spring, this entire hillside is just loaded with wildflowers, and I've heard from many people that this is a much more enjoyable way down. While my upward progress was pitifully slow, I could still move quickly downhill, and I decided the extra distance would be worth it to see this trail (even without the wildflowers).

The Elkhead Pass trail slowly descends following the ridge on the left of this pricture and makes its way to a junction at the base of Missouri Mountain, which is right of center in this picture.

This is from the above mentioned junction, looking up at the East ridge of Missouri Mountain.

This is the view south from the same junction. 13,904 foot Emerald Peak is on the right. The twin peaks near the center of the picture are simply point 13,762 and an unnamed point. You'd think these would at least be named, but apparently not.

This picture looks back along the ridge I had just descended. Imagine this covered with flowers.

I continued my descent along the foot of Missouri. The route I had used to ascend it last time gains the ridge on the far right of this picture, then makes its way all the way across to the summit on the left. I'd never seen this mountain from a perspective this far east of it, and it was really spectacular.

A little further down, I came across a covey of ptarmigan. I've never seen these in the wild before. I knew they are well camouflaged, but I was amazed when I nearly stepped on this one in the snow.

I would soon pass the Elkhead / Missouri Mountain split and be back on familiar ground as the trail gently rolled across the upper basin below Mt. Belford. Though it would have been more direct, I knew I had made the right choice to take the route down Elkhead. The ridge up to Belford looked really cool from down here.

The rest of the hike went quickly, and I made my way back through the woods that I ascended in the darkness earlier that morning. Near the trail head, I checked out grave site that I had heard about but had never checked out up close. William Huffman, a 1 month old infant, died of pneumonia in 1884. I'm not familiar with his whole family story, but he will always be the gatekeeper of these mountains.

At 4:00 PM, exactly 10 hours after I set out, I made it back to my car, 11.5 miles and 5800 feet of gain. I was not as wiped out as I had expected to be, and maybe that was because I was going so slowly up the steeper ascents and was able to conserve some energy. My pack was as heavy as I'd ever taken on a hike, but I still had good legs to descend quickly which was good. In all, I saw 6 people the entire time I was out, which is a condition you'll never see here in the summer. This kind of opportunity this late in the year is extremely rare, and I am thankful I was able to get out there for (maybe?) my last 14er hike of the season. These were my 8th and 9th 14er summits this summer, which was my goal when the season started, so mission accomplished on that front. I only have two of the fourteen 14er summits left in this range (Harvard and Columbia), and from here on the summits are either much further away and/or more technical, so things are bound to get interesting.

Break out the snowshoes, and let the training begin!

Martial Arts Journey

My kids earned their TKD 2nd degree black belts and I earned my 3rd degree black belt on Saturday, 9/24/16. Part of our testing involved a "martial arts journey" journal of sorts to highlight our journey to black belt and beyond. For this, I made a short video that highlights our progression through our previous black belts. Enjoy!

Huron Peak - The Epitome of Colorful Colorado

Flashback to September 2015. Nicole and I planned to hike Shavano and Tabaguache on a Sunday morning, but we headed out the day before to possibly try to summit Huron Peak the afternoon before, weather permitting. We got to the trail head a little too late that day to actually summit, but we were awestruck at the fall colors we had seen on our way up. A few weeks prior, I had organized a Fox Creek Fitness 14er outing for less experienced climbers on Mt. Bierstadt, and after seeing the colors on Huron Peak, the seed was planted to attempt Huron Peak the following year with another group of less experienced hikers. Saturday, September 18, 2016 was that day.

We ended up with a group of 9 of us that morning with a wide range of climbing experience. Nicole Smathers supplied the 4wd skills and would be attempting her 32nd summit. Laurie Bates, another 14er veteran, would be going for number 20. Jenny Rabenhorst and Kim Styles each have climbed in the neighborhood of 5-10 peaks. All of them are great hiking buddies that I've done several hikes with. In addition, Renee Godfrey and Melissa Decino have each done two 14ers, Lori Hewitt has done one, and this would be Chris Rabenhorst's first summit. Although I've never done any 14ers with these four, all are great friends and I was looking forward to finally getting to hike with them as well.

We stayed in Buena Vista the night before, and left at 6:00 AM to shoot for a 7:30 start from the Clear Creek trail head. The sunlight was starting to hit the tops of the hills around us, which made it difficult to get good pictures of the colors on the way in, but on the way out, they were completely lit up.

It was probably in the upper 30s when we got started, so we layered up and started walking. The standard route on Huron, the NW Slopes, is only about 6.5 miles RT from the 4wd TH at 10,500 feet, but the elevation gain is still a substantial 3500 feet. The route starts into the woods for over a mile until you approach treeline at about 11,900 feet.

Shortly into the hike, we could see the moon setting behind a peak on the other side of the valley.

One of the highlights of this hike is a view of "The Three Apostles", which are North Apostle, Ice Mountain and West Apostle, at about 11,700 feet. This was as far as I got up last year, and the view was still just as incredible.

Near 12,000 feet, we exited the forest and made our way to the upper basin below Huron's summit. The sun was just peaking over the saddle that we would soon be climbing. This pond at 12,300 feet was the focal point of this basin and made a great place to stop for a few minutes on the way down.

On the far side of the basin, which gave us a short stretch of less elevation gain, this was the view behind us back toward the pond in the previous picture. This is where the easy hiking ended and a 1500 foot climb to the summit began.

We started our way out of the basin...

...and looked back down at every switchback to see just how far we had come. The previously mentioned pond is in the center of this picture. The colors on the hills made a great background.

Near 13,500 feet we reached the point where the saddle ridge connected to the summit block. The trail got much less distinct here (just beyond the rock outcropping on the right) and much rockier and steeper.

On the summit block, we had split into several groups. Jenny, Kim and Laurie led the way and got to the summit first. I hung back a short distance with Melissa to help her with route finding to the top. Nicole was down a bit further helping Renee who was nursing a sore foot. After about 3 1/2 hours, we made the summit and spent the next 45 minutes enjoying the views.

The Three Apostles to the south...

Missouri Mountain and Belford across the valley to the east.

View to the southwest. Taylor Park Reservoir is in the distance in the center.

Browns Peak, a 13er on the other side of the saddle from Huron. We ascended the ridge in the foreground from the basin that would be to the left in this picture.

Huron Peak was my 30th 14er summit.

 There were many people up on the summit this day.

After about 45 minutes, the wind picked up a bit, and even though it was completely sunny, we all were starting to get pretty cold. We gathered our packs and made our way off of the summit.

Looking back up the ridge, there were a lot of hikers, some coming down but many on their way up. As usual in this stage of the hike, I was glad to be part of the descending group.

At the bottom of the ridge, heading back into the upper basin, looking back up the route to the summit.

Various members of our group descended at different speeds, so the pond in the upper basin made a great place to get everyone caught up again and relax. The descent to this point was steep and rocky, and the basin marked the point where we would follow a more well defined dirt trail which was much easier on the legs. This pond would have made a great place to lay down and nap for awhile.

This is a panoramic shot from the upper basin. Huron Peak is on the left, with the Three Apostles in the center and Granite Peak on the right.

I got to hike with many great friends this day, some with whom I have done many hikes, and some with whom I have never hiked. One of the friends that I've done a few 14ers with is Laurie, whose photographic eye, calm demeanor and love of nature always make for an enjoyable outing.

I've done over half of my 14er summits with Nicole. She is the most passionate 14er hiker I know, and somehow she always seems to stay just a few summits ahead of me for bragging rights. Her 4wd skills are the reason why this was a 6.5 mile hike and not an 11 mile hike. The Three Apostles made for a great background from the lower edge of the upper basin.

And this is Melissa. She is an avid hiker with only a couple 14er summits under her belt, so this was a relatively new level for her. This was the first time I've gotten to hike with her, and one of the highlights of this hike was seeing her reaction and appreciation of the beauty of nature. On the descent, she was stopping about every 100 feet to take pictures of the scenery around her. I love that she gets the significance of this experience, and that she doesn't take for granted that we are doing something that many people are physically not capable of doing.

My time with rest of the group was also enjoyable. Jenny has done one 14er a year for the past three years, and I've been with her on all of them. Her long legs usually keep her in the front of the pack on her hikes. I've also done many 14ers with Kim, and it is always fun to see where the conversations go when she is part of them. Renee did her first 14er earlier this summer, and although I've hiked with her before, this was the first 14er I've done with her. Her foot had been bothering her, but she toughed it out and was able to summit this day for her 3rd. I've also never hiked with Lori, who did her first 14er just a few weeks ago. Lori injured her calf the previous week but wanted to try this hike anyway. Unfortunately after about 30 minutes, she would be forced to turn back, but I know when she recovers that she'll be back hiking again. And finally, there was Chris, who is Jenny's husband and was making his first attempt at a 14er summit. He owned the other Jeep that, along with Nicole, would take our group to the higher trail head and cut several miles off of our round trip. After he started displaying signs of altitude sickness, he also decided to turn around after about 45 minutes. His first 14er would have to wait for another day.

After about 7 hours on the trail including summit time, we finished our hike. All but two of us summited, and all of us made it back safely. Huron has the reputation of being one of the prettiest 14er hikes in the state, and with the fall colors surrounding it, it more than lived up to that reputation. With the perfect weather conditions and maybe a week before the fall colors peak, this was the most beautiful 14er hike I've ever done. It was a very social hike, and everyone I talked to allowed me reflect on various aspects of my life in different ways. It was fun to get to hang out with some friends that I generally only see at kickboxing classes. It will be tough to beat this hike next year, but I'm going to do my best to do just that.

If this is my last 14er for the season, it would end up being a very successful 7 out of 7, but the summits are still free of snow. Like the tube of toothpaste in my bathroom that any rational person would think was completely empty, maybe I can squeeze out one more before I put another season to sleep.