Mount Jones

We decided to climb Mt. Jones Tuesday (a 13er), allowing Wednesday as a rest day before the 14er adventure.

The first part wasn’t too hard, just steady climbing, picking one’s way along the rocky path. We split into three groups near the base of the mountain. The younger decided to tackle it straight up, going two different routes, while Dad, Mom, and I preferred to follow the path and take the saddle over.

Thank you to Mary for selecting the pictures for this post. We missed John, who had to stay back due to a work project.

Joyfully His,
Sarah
PS – I can’t wait to share our 14er adventure!

DSC_4165

DSC_4168
Mount Jones
IMG_1243
Time to split up.

DSC_4179

DSC_4182

DSC_4188
The views from the top are breathtaking.

DSC_4195

DSC_4217
Don’t you love those shadows on the mountains?

DSC_4218

DSC_4220

DSC_4226

DSC_4234

IMG_1244

DSC_4270
Ptarmigan Lake.

DSC_4245

DSC_4281DSC_4300

DSC_4304

DSC_4315

DSC_4338

DSC_4348
On our way back, we stopped at a lake, because we saw Christopher, Anna Marie, John (done with work for the moment) and Joshua. Joshua was enjoying throwing little rocks into the water.

“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection,
and the fellowship of his sufferings,
being made conformable unto his death.”

Philippians 3:10

Little, Furry, and Fast

Our time is drawing to a close, but I have a number of posts still to share of what we’ve been doing. I can’t wait to share about our 14er adventure yesterday, and yes, we did summit, and most of us summited two 14ers. More on that later.

Feeding chipmunks is always a highlight for the little ones, and the one-year-olds especially were excited this year. It amazes me what simple things bring a smile to their faces!

Serving my Lord,
Sarah

DSC_4039

DSC_3967

DSC_3951
All Christina wanted to do was catch one, and she came close!

DSC_4059

DSC_3959

DSC_3990

DSC_3996

 

DSC_3938

DSC_1435

I meandered over to the bed and breakfast and ended up receiving a tour. The hostess’ husband built the place over a period of 10 years with reclaimed materials. It was amazing!

DSC_1429

DSC_4090

DSC_1431

DSC_1433

DSC_1437

DSC_4099
Joshua gets this silly grin and a sparkle in his eyes. It’s so cute.

DSC_4104

DSC_4110

DSC_4120

DSC_4123
After the chipmunks, we found a little place we could picnic beside a stream.

DSC_4132

“Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous:
for praise is comely for the upright.”
Psalms 33:1

A Quick Update

Hi y’all! Things are going great here in Colorado. We’ve been enjoying the addition of my brothers’ families. I don’t have time to do a full update, but I’ll leave you with a few pictures from the other day. We’re about to embark on another big 14er. I’ll share more pictures and a report later.

Joyfully His,
Sarah

DSC_3747

DSC_3756

DSC_3759

DSC_3763

DSC_3784

DSC_1367DSC_3801

DSC_3815

DSC_1371

DSC_3830

DSC_3833

DSC_3901

DSC_1405

DSC_3918DSC_3929

“The pastures are clothed with flocks;
the valleys also are covered over with corn;
they shout for joy, they also sing.”
Psalms 65:13

“The Creator of the Ends of the Earth”

We took a quiet day after our 14er, and then we went back to hiking on Friday and Saturday. I can’t quite describe the beauty and peacefulness of God’s creation as we hike. The stunningly rugged mountains, bubbling crystal-clear streams, pretty wildflowers, stately aspen trees–all are reminders of their awesome Creator. It is a joy to soak in God’s majesty!

Joyfully His,
Sarah

“Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that
the everlasting God, the LORD,
the Creator of the
ends of the earth,
fainteth not, neither is weary?
there is no searching of his understanding.”

DSC_3535

DSC_3542
Jesse has become very proficient at being able to point out mountains.
DSC_3565
What a view!

“He giveth power to the faint; and to
them that have no might he increaseth strength.”

DSC_3568
If you look very closely, you’ll see the five youngest walking along the path. They sometimes take longer at a viewpoint and catch up to those of us who need a bit more time to make it to the next destination.
DSC_3595
This was such a lovely place to eat our lunch, perched on the edge of a mountain top. This is where my Gorillapod and timer come in handy. 😉

“Even the youths shall faint and be
weary,
and the young men shall utterly fall:”

DSC_3573

DSC_3618

DSC_3626

DSC_3627

DSC_3631

DSC_3654
Jesse enjoys his waterproof boots.

DSC_3666DSC_3671

DSC_3678
We discovered an area that had incredible echos!

DSC_3680

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings as eagles;
they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
Isaiah 40:28-31

Mt. Yale, A Perfect 14er

3:45 am: We wake up (and wish Mary a happy birthday). We have personal Bible time, prayer, and eat a quick breakfast. We packed our CamelBaks the night before, so that part is set.

5:14: We reach the trailhead. Piling out of the van, we don our CamelBaks. Those who have headlamps put them on, and others use flashlights. The moon is gorgeous, but it won’t give us enough light on the tree-shrouded trail. We fall into a line and begin up the trail. We can hear the steady crunch of our hiking shoes making contact with the ground. There were other vehicles at the trailhead, but we don’t see anyone for over two hours. (BTW–we stayed on Central Time, so it was actually an hour earlier Mountain time).

IMG_0994

IMG_1003

7:00: Headlamps and flashlights are no longer needed.

IMG_1007

7:50: The summit of Mt. Yale is clearly visible. It is exciting after only 2 1/2 hours to see the summit so clearly. We trek along the trail. Sometimes it’s steep, and we take breaks to catch our breath. Occasionally a reminder is passed along to drink water. Those Camelbaks are so handy!

IMG_1023

IMG_1037

Distances are very deceiving. The summit in the above picture is over a mile away. At this distance, you can not discern someone on the top.

IMG_1038

8:22: We take breaks as needed to catch our breath and grab drinks from our Camelbaks. It’s very important to stay well-hydrated on such an intense climb.

IMG_1039

It is about this point that John tells us this is the tough part. We climb steadily, taking breaks as needed and enjoy the views.

IMG_1053

9:02: We’re getting close to the saddle, our final ascent to the top. The path is great to follow. Yes, it is still chilly at this point since the sun is on the other side of the mountain.

IMG_1057

Walking sticks are a huge help to me. 😉

IMG_2129

9:02: John, who has led our trek so far, is the first to reach the saddle.

IMG_1068

9:05: It’s gorgeous on the saddle. We take a break, and then we split into three groups. Jesse and John take the lead, with Joseph, Mary, and Anna next, and Dad, Mom, and I taking up the rear.

IMG_4898

9:23: Jesse is the first person of the day to summit Mt. Yale (out of probably 23-25 people)! Congratulations, Jesse!

IMG_10749:28: Dad, Mom, and I work our way along the boulders. Mom is a great trooper! One thing I like about this 14er are the solid rocks! Sometimes rocks can be loose, and you have to carefully make sure it’s solid before trusting it. With Mt. Yale, this is generally not the case.

IMG_1089

9:42: Still working along the boulders.

IMG_1090

9:45: I’m really enjoying this climb!

10:00: We have all summited. Praise Jesus! The view is gorgeous, stunning, and amazing. We spend the next hour on the summit enjoying the views, eating lunch, taking pictures, and exclaiming about the incredible weather.

IMG_1153

IMG_4906

IMG_1142

The birthday girl!

P1060666

IMG_2152

IMG_1102-2

P1060613

P1060634

We are grateful for some fellow hikers taking our family picture.

IMG_1111

IMG_1146 11:00: The descent begins!

IMG_1163

P1060715

As Joseph, Anna, Mary, and I climb over some boulders, we meet another group of hikers. One of the guys comments to us, “I’ve never seen someone mountaineer in a skirt! That’s cool!” Another of his buddies adds, “I like your mountain skirt.”

P1060721

P1060723

11:34:  At the saddle, we meet two ladies. One has summited almost all of the 14ers, except for one, and she is bringing her friend on her first. When we comment that it is Mary’s birthday, we find out her friend’s birthday is the next day! We grab a picture of the birthday girls.

P1060728

We really enjoy talking to hikers as we go along.

P1060732

P1060744

P1060755

12:26 p.m.: My awesome younger brothers and sisters.

IMG_1112-2

P1060769

IMG_1171

P1060776

12:53: These badger-type little guys are so cute. Talk about a view!

P1060777

1:07: We arrive back in the treeline. Now we start seeing scenery we had missed in the dark.

P1060787

P1060789

P1060792

2:06: About a half hour ago, we heard our first rumble of thunder. It’s important to summit a 14er as soon as possible due to afternoon thunderstorms. We are glad we are off the summit. It sprinkles a bit, but never pours.

3:00: All the Maxwells have finished the hike. Our Mt. Yale adventure is almost 10 hours (including our time on the summit).

“Thy righteousness is like the great mountains;
thy judgments are a great deep:
O LORD, thou preservest man and beast.
How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God!
therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings”
Psalms 36:6-7

Happy 17th Birthday, Mary!

Happy Birthday, Mary! Although we had a birthday celebration at home, we look forward to a very special one today. We’ll be attempting to summit Mount Yale (a 14er). Mary thought it would be wonderful to climb a 14er on her birthday. It will be an intense day.

Mary, you love the Lord Jesus with your whole heart and delight in serving Him. You exude the joy of Jesus to everyone you’re around. Your winning smile radiates Him.  We all LOVE you!

Happy Birthday, Mary!

DSC_3333

DSC_3341
We couldn’t pick just one picture. Amazing photo opportunities around here!

“Thou wilt shew me the path of life:
in thy presence is fulness of joy;
at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”
Psalms 16:11