Mt. Belford was the first 14er we have done on a Saturday in quite a while, because it can mean a lot of hikers on single wide trails. Since Anna, Jesse, and Mary had a long hike on Thursday (watch for that post Monday!), we wanted to give them a rest day on Friday, and we were leaving on Sunday so that left us Saturday. Sarah stayed back at the cabin to edit her book.
It took us 1.5 hours to drive to the trailhead from our cabin. The last 3 miles the gravel road had the worst washboard we have been on so we drove slowly through there.
This climb was supposed to be 8 miles with 4500 feet elevation gain. We were ready to hike just as it got light so we didn’t need our headlamps.
We began the hike through a pine forest that leveled out a bit in a beautiful aspen grove. Once we had climbed above the trees, it was switchbacks all the way up the mountain. With so many hiking on Saturday, we could see the steady stream of people making their way up.
We worked and worked for the summit, only to find it was a false summit, and we still had further to go. We enjoyed conversations with several others who were hiking up about our pace.
Not long after starting the switchbacks, Jesse, Anna, and Mary moved ahead to summit as they still had a great amount of energy. Steve and I planned to turn around at noon if we hadn’t yet made it to the top. We summited at 11:20 while the others had been enjoying the views for an hour. Jesse, Anna, and Mary (and Sarah and John) had climbed Mt. Belford before when they did a double 14er of Mt. Belford and Oxford.
From where we rested and ate lunch on top of Mt. Belford, we could see the path on to Oxford and people on it, but our plan was just Mt. Belford.
There were two ways down–the way we had come up and another trail that appeared not to have so many switchbacks and was a mile longer. After some discussion, everyone agreed that Steve and I should go back the shorter way we came and the others should check out the alternate route.
Going down, we spotted them on their trail, and they spotted us on ours. They were much further down, so they again rested while we poked our way down. Downhill is much easier than uphill, but Steve and I take it slowly because of loose rocks on the trail and our weak muscles after the climb up.
Steve and I thanked the Lord that we could make this longer 14er hike with more elevation gain than the one earlier in the week.
Trusting in Jesus,
Teri
“Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city
of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.”
Psalm 48:1
My! There are many hikers along the way! I believe this is the first time I’ve seen a pic of that many others along your hikes. We they families, scouting groups, friends?
We haven’t seen any pics of the extended family this trip. Were none of them available to go along? This must be the smallest group of family to go so far. It is a blessing that you and Steve are still able to go.
No St. Elmo and chipmunk’s this trip?
I love to hike and as much as I might like to, I don’t think I’ll ever do what you are able to do Terri. Your amazing.
Johnna
We didn’t see children on this 14er hike, maybe a teen or two. Mostly small groups. One group we talked to were from a ministry in Colorado Springs, two others were work friends. With our family growing so much, we don’t fit in the cabin we stayed in when just Nathan and Christopher were married with fewer children. Just the six of us of went, and we were one less than last year with John now married. Without children of our own and grandchildren, we haven’t made the trip over to St. Elmo the past two years. Plus there was a short hike on the drive to St. Elmo to a falls that we liked, but it was closed a few years ago after a tragic rock slide. Without that hike we have less motivation to make the drive.
Also, there were more hikers because it was Saturday. We generally do our 14er hikes on weekdays.
You mentioned having your lunch. Will you talk about figuring out what food to take on a climb? Do you eat full-on meals or do you consume smaller but packed with protein snacks? The photos are spectacular!
On our hikes, we focus more on fuel/carbohydrates than protein. I take a sandwich (usually ham) to eat on top, but I am the only one in our family who does that. We hike with and graze through the day on granola bars, Cliff bars, protein bars, and Clif Block Energy Chews.
What beautiful pictures. Where do the girls find their skirts, the ones with the white stripes?
Ashley
Those skirts are from New Creation Apparel.
How many 14ers do you do on one one-week vacation? wow!
Normally we do two, weather permitting. This year Jesse, Anna, and Mary added in two others.