COME ON OUT AND HIKE WITH A BUNCH OF FLATLANDERS!!!
It's been nearly 4 years since I stood atop a Colorado 14er and XZQ&Dad have never cached above 10,000', so it's time to climb! Join us as we attempt to summit the highest point in Colorado (and the 2nd highest point in the contiguous 48 states) during our week long binge of caching and climbing.
Our plan is to camp at the Twin Peaks Campground and climb the Southeast Route via the Black Cloud Trail. We want to be up and down early, so we're going to hit the trail at 5AM. With a little luck, we should gain the summit by 9AM, where we can sign the logbook and swap stories of adventures and glory. I'll be wearing a black vest with my Geocaching event trackable patch, along with my well worn Minnesota Twins ball cap. Once the event has concluded, we can hike back down, knowing full well that we've accomplished that which most can only dream.
No matter which route you choose, this event requires at least an 8.5 mile round trip hike with over 4000 feet of elevation gain. As Colorado 14ers go, this is among the easiest but (as this flatlander can attest) this is no walk in the park. I strongly suggest you be in good physical shape if you wish to join us. The best time to start training for this hike was yesterday; the second best time is now!
Please check out the 14ers.com page that gives all the info on what to expect and advice for making this climb. This website is an invaluable resource for climbing 14ers. As a novice climber, it has helped me a lot in making wise decisions while out on the trails.
At the time this event was held, it was the highest event ever held in the USA, the 2nd highest event ever held in North America, the 7th highest event ever held in the western hemisphere, and the 12th highest event ever held anywhere on Earth.