d.a.m.n. gynr! -- our family hiking/biking/etc. blog: December 2012

It is now winter, we just celebrated Christmas -- and I've got a lot of catching up to do! This post is dedicated to two hikes done separately by myself and my husband. We did not bring the kids on these ones, but they were "big" hikes (for us), so I definitely want to record these. I'm starting with with what I know about hubby's big hike -- which are only the main details about this incredible accomplishment (please forgive me, the details are approximate!)

4 State Challenge (PA, MD, VA, WV)

While I was doing my big hike in Colorado, Hubby was back on the East Coast attempting the 4-state challenge (and succeeding!) He had the pleasure of accomplishing this crazy task with a good friend & someone that we both happen to like and look up to, we'll refer to him as "A". I'm going to get hubby on here to write out the details of his experience soon, but-- In a nut-shell, they hiked 43 miles (I think?) on the Appalachian Trail -- through 4 states, starting in Pennsylvania and hiking down through Maryland, Virginia and to West Virginia. They did this in LESS than 24 hours (I don't know the exact time it took, but I remember being very surprised at how quickly they managed this!) And the icing on the cake? Our friend A. forgot his hiking shoes, so he accomplished the first part of this hike in my husband's Saucony minimalist running shoes, which were a couple sizes too small (OUCH!).

I'm sure my husband will have more to add to this, so stay tuned!

Mount Bierstadt

This photo was taken from the trail head. We hiked
through here and up to the top of the mountain on the right.

While hubby was on the Appalachian, I was home in Colorado where I had the opportunity to climb my first 14'er, Mount Bierstadt. I and was lucky enough to be able to do this with an old friend, my College roommate & AOII Sorority sister, "V". Mount Bierstadt is considered one of the "easiest" peaks to climb in Colorado. Even so, I was a little nervous about climbing to the summit of a 14,000 foot peak (rightly so, it was hard!) It was a 7 mile hike round trip. We had a 2850 foot elevation gain, and it took us about 5 hours (with plenty of stops to catch our breath up that high!). It was a cool 39 degrees at the base of the mountain right as the sun was rising (in AUGUST!), it warmed up pretty well on the way up, and stayed in the 50's in the sunshine. It was cool again at the summit, if I had to guess, I'd say it was in the high 40's.

- It was tough. Climbing from the base of the mountain, you really can't see the peak, you can see a very large "hill". V and I struggled for about an hour and a half to climb to the top of what we thought was the summit. Upon arriving to the top of that first "hill", we were a little disheartened to realize we were only half way there. And we had only managed to climb the "easy" part. We still had to climb the steep, boulder-ous part... The part where there is no trail... We regained ourselves and made it through all of those rocky boulders to the top. V navigated that second part beautifully by the way -- she was hopping lightly from boulder to boulder like a bird!

- It was fun. Although it was physically challenging, it was one of the best experiences I have ever been through. There were a few times during the hike, when we were gasping for air in the high elevation that I asked myself "Why did we want to do this again?". All I had to do was turn around and look back over those beautiful Rocky Mountain views to make it all worth while. The feeling and the view that we had when we made it to the top (and especially when we made it back down and looked back on what we had done) was a wonderful reward!

- I was lucky enough to have a hiking buddy (and best friend) with me to laugh with, complain with, make fun of ourselves... oh, and to stop and enjoy one of a kind Colorado pizza with at Beau Jo's on the drive back home. I would absolutely do this again, and more if I am able! Next time, I will pack less food and water -- Pack more lightly all around. I was worried about what I had read about weather changes and conditions at the summit. I came loaded with first aid, a full water bladder, ponchos & food. Having so much in my pack kept me well prepared, but my heavy pack made it difficult to climb and balance around the boulders at the top. V had the right idea, she packed very lightly in an old camelback holder.

Below I've posted some of my Mount Bierstadt photos. They do not even come close to capturing the true beauty of that hike... (Ask V, I was an echo of the "double rainbow" guy for most of our trek)...