At 5 a.m., the Colorado mountain resort of Beaver Creek lies eerily still. Windows remain dark, shops closed and only starry reflections dance on the ice rink. Even Starbucks is padlocked, much to the disappointment of those gathered at the hiking center. Four vacationing souls have cut short their sweet dreams in order to pursue another sort of dream. They are off to climb a “fourteener.”
The term is given to those summits that scrape the sky at least 14,000 feet above sea level. South of Alaska, there are only 68 in the United States: one in Washington, 13 in California and 54 in Colorado. While they might be less than half the height of Mount Everest, they offer ordinary people the challenge of overcoming thin air, steep terrain, muscle fatigue and caffeine deprivation.
“We’ll stop for coffee at a bakery in Leadville,” promises trip leader Nate Goldberg.
Nate runs the hiking program at Beaver Creek, the upscale ski resort a dozen miles west of Vail. To provide residents and guests with summertime activities, he and his crew lead hikes ranging from one-hour strolls to all-day mountain climbs. Wednesday is Fourteener Adventure Day, and this week’s objective is Mount Elbert. Peaking 14,433 feet above sea level, it stands as the loftiest summit in Colorado and second highest in the Lower 48. Only California’s Mount Whitney, at 14,494 feet, tops it.
The trail to the top starts from a gravel parking lot at 10,060 feet. There, Nate opens a cooler filled with granola bars, bottled water and Gatorade. He invites everyone to dig in.
“It’s important to make sure you’re snacking and drinking. We need to keep blood sugar and hydration up.”
Nate and his assistant, Matthew Cull, distribute metal hiking poles and help each participant adjust them to the appropriate length. At 7:15 the climbers, who range in age from 19 to 54, hoist their packs.
“Head ’em up! Move ’em out!” shouts Matthew.
The rounded hulk of Mount Elbert looms over the parking lot, seemingly close yet far away. The route to its summit is not difficult, but it does require negotiating 4 1/2 miles of trail with a 4,400-vertical-foot climb. That’s more than the summit day on Everest.
“On the trail, pay attention to your feet,” warns Nate. “If you start to feel a hot spot or burning sensation, let us know and we’ll either duct tape it or apply Compeed, which goes right over blisters.”
No one reports any problems with footwear, much of which was provided by the Beaver Creek Hiking Center. In addition to covering guides and transportation, the climbing fee includes free use of boots, packs, poles and parkas.
“We furnish about everything but lunch and desire,” brags Nate.
The first part of the trip heads through the forest, passing the remains of a miner’s cabin and sluice ditch. The trail is wide and while not too steep, it progresses steadily upward. Because afternoon thunderstorms are the norm, Nate figures the climbers need to ascend 1,000 feet of altitude per hour.
“I pretty much tell people we have a turn-around time of high noon, give or take 30 minutes.”
Storms seem as distant as the summit on this warm, sunny morning. Conversations roll and camaraderie builds as participants share their reasons for wanting to scale the mountain.
“I looked on some maps and I said I want to do Elbert,” says first-timer Jim Ursy, who lives near Nashville. “I need a goal every year. It’s not just doing a mountain, it’s keeping myself in shape. I wanted to know how I would perform above 11,000 feet.”
“I’m here because my second fourteener last year got canceled,” laughs Melinda Epperson from Marietta, Ga. “My first was a lot of fun and got me hooked.”
Local Beaver Creek employee Emily Jacob admits she climbed her first and only fourteener about 10 years ago. “I have tried to get back into doing things like this again. This was an opportunity to tag along and start my new goals.”
The youngest member of the group, 19-year-old Casey Leake from Denton, Texas, offers an Everest-like reason for climbing his first fourteener. “I’m here for the heck of it,” he says. “I just like hiking and climbing mountains.”
Although none has done more than one fourteener before, all had been screened for ability before Nate accepted them on the climb.
“We want to make sure we don’t get someone in over their head,” he says. “A fourteener is not for everybody.”
Timberline arrives with the suddenness of a clear-cut. First there is forest and then there is none. The summit, still a vertical half-mile above, shines bald as a rapper’s pate. It’s 8:55 a.m. and the group stops to hit the bars – granola and energy bars, that is.
“As we start to get up in altitude, you might feel like your respiration is picking up,” says Nate. “The key is deep, diaphragmatic breathing. Draw breaths in and slowly exhale.”
He explains the importance of pacing oneself in the thin air of altitude. Like the tortoise and the hare, some folks go out fast and become too exhausted to make the summit. Wiser climbers start slowly and keep a steady pace, taking only short, standup breathers.
“I see my body as a symphony orchestra with my brain serving as conductor,” says Jim. “Right now it’s playing a Strauss waltz. On the summit, I suspect we’re going to have the ‘William Tell Overture.’ “
Peaks rise across the valley and beyond. Using his pole as a pointer, Matthew identifies individual summits. As it is with people, knowing a mountain’s name adds an air of friendly familiarity.
A climber on the trail ahead wears a T-shirt that lists all the fourteeners and allows him to mark the peaks he has accomplished. Twenty-one of the mountains have been checked off.
Scaling all 54 fourteeners has long been a goal for Colorado’s climbers. A third of the peaks require little more than uphill hiking and another third present only the added difficulties of longer climbs or summits without trails. It’s the final third that offer the harshest challenge.
While none of the more perilous peaks actually requires ropes or technical rock climbing, the combination of vertical chutes, deadly drop-offs, knife-edge ridges and rotten rock make climbing these mountains real sphincter-tightening endeavors for most weekend warriors.
Since 1923, the Colorado Mountain Club has kept a tally of those who have stood atop them all. As of January, the list held only 1,037 names.
The path to Colorado’s high point ascends the mountain’s broad northeast ridge in a steady, unrelenting grind. Up here, the higher one gets, the slower one goes. At 14,000 feet, the air pressure and its available oxygen has dropped to nearly half that of sea level. Casey and Melinda seem less affected and take off ahead. The others lag a bit behind.
“How are you feeling, Jim?” Nate asks.
“I’m OK. I’m just going to go slowly until I can’t go any more,” he answers in a tired voice. “You can call me molasses.”
A young woman, who looks like she dressed for a Central Park stroll rather than a mountain climb, scurries downward. If the weather had changed, she would have become a rescue candidate.
Far too many people tackle the peaks unprepared. The Colorado Mountain Club urges that all hikers carry the 10 essentials: map, compass, flashlight, extra food, extra clothing, sunglasses, first- aid supplies, pocket knife, matches and fire starter.
“I came up last year with a group of six ladies,” says Nate. “We got about 500 feet from the summit, and we could see this black wall of weather coming at us. We put on rain pants, rain jackets, wool caps and gloves. The storm pelted us, but we stayed warm and dry.”
Like diesel trucks in low gear, the climbers grunt up the final slopes. The slow pace allows ample time for enjoying the yellow alpine sunflowers and purple sky pilots that bloom between the rocks. At 12:11 p.m., the climb ends. There is no more uphill to be found.
“Way to go! Good job! Outstanding!” Nate and Matthew congratulate everyone. “Now, we’ve got to feel the love of the mountain.”
The group forms a circle, and with poles pointed toward the center, they start tapping the metal shafts together. It sounds like a hail storm pounding a tin roof. Everyone then finds a rock to sit on. Boots are loosened, water gulped and lunches devoured. It’s past noon and nary a cloud can be seen.
“Normally, we would leave by now,” says Nate, “but because of the good weather, I’ll give us some flexi-time today.”
The added minutes allow more time to savor the setting. Snow- streaked mountains appear to stretch in every direction, their gray and white summits springing from a blanket of forest green. Ridges fall to valleys and creeks tumble to lakes. Scanning the far horizon, Matthew and Nate identify at least 30 of the state’s fourteeners.
“I feel like I’ve conquered Colorado,” says Casey, quietly beaming.
For many, the value of the view is worth the cost of the climb. For others, it’s the satisfaction of the accomplishment. One could have stayed in Beaver Creek, quaffing brews and whacking golf balls. Instead, these folks chose to challenge themselves with a muscle- tiring slog.
“It was just me against Elbert,” says Jim. “And the big guy didn’t win.”
Half the journey is the way down. In preparation, Nate suggests everyone remove boots, pull socks snug and tighten lower laces to keep the front of the foot from slipping. He shows how to lengthen hiking poles and use them for the descent. At 1 p.m., it’s time to depart.
“Head ’em up! Move ’em out!” shouts Matthew.
If you go
Hiking Colorado’s highest peaks
GO: This trip is ideal for mountain lovers who are in good physical condition
NO: If the Stairmaster at the gym wears you out, don’t try climbing a fourteener
Need to know: Beaver Creek Hiking Center, (970) 845-5373, www.beavercreek.com
When to go: Although intrepid climbers will tackle the fourteeners year-round, most ascents take place during the summer. The Beaver Creek Hiking Center generally schedules its climbs from Independence Day through Labor Day, with private trips available through the third week in September.
Getting there: United Airlines offers service from Chicago to Eagle County Airport, about 20 miles west of Beaver Creek. You can also fly to Denver, then drive about 110 miles west via I-70. Take Exit 167 for Avon and follow the signs to the ski area.
Accommodations: The major hotel in Beaver Creek is the Park Hyatt ((970) 949-1234, www.hyatt.com), which offers rooms a short stroll from the hiking center. Summer rates range from $199-$259. After the climb, a visit to its Allegria Spa ((970) 748-7500, www.allegriaspa.com) can knead life back into sore muscles.
Several motels and hotels offer lodging in neighboring Avon. The Vail Valley Chamber and Tourism Bureau ((800) 525-3875, www.vailvalleychamber.com) can provide information and make reservations.
The fourteener climbs: The Beaver Creek Hiking Center offers guided climbs of six fourteeners: Mount Elbert (14,433), Mount Massive (14,421), Mount Princeton (14,197), Mount Belford (14,197), Missouri Mountain (14,067) and Mount Huron (14,003). All are relatively easy walk ups of varying lengths. The center also has permits for Mount of the Holy Cross (14,005), but because the route back to the car requires a 1,000-foot climb, it is normally offered on request as a private trip.
Climbs of the fourteeners cost about $125, and the price includes free use of boots, hiking poles and all-weather gear, packs plus bottled water, Gatorade and granola bars. Reservations must be made at least 24 hours in advance, and a minimum of two sign-ups are required. Climbs are normally held on Wednesdays.
The hiking center offers daily hikes ranging from one-hour loops to challenging ascents. It will also arrange private climbs for hikers of any ability level.
On your own: Only experienced hikers in good physical condition should try to tackle a major peak without a guide. Never go solo and always make sure to carry the proper equipment, including maps and a good guidebook.
For more information: To learn more about climbing the high peaks, check out “Colorado’s Fourteeners, From Hikes to Climbs” by Gerry Roach (Fulcrum Publishing, $19.95). Peak lovers who frequently visit the Rockies might want to consider joining the Colorado Mountain Club ((303) 279-3080, www.cmc.org) to take advantage of its volunteer-led hikes and climbs.
– Dan Leeth
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