The Goal: Thirty peaks
One of my major passions is hiking. Especially hiking that brings me to the slopes of an even deeper passion, mountain peaks, specifically me climbing up them and being on them. This year I made what I thought was a modest goal of thirty peaks. (I say modest, but I make this a goal almost every year, yet never reach it). Now with the year coming to a close I can look back and see...
I failed not even half way there. That is not to say that I did not have fun trying! So now I will give a short run down or what was acomplished. I must mention that some of them are not named on maps, so those are named by wht I have heard from others, or more usual, names I give them that reflect where they are in relation to other peaks or such.
Day 1 Mid-June
Peaks- Blackhead (12,500 ft.), Nipple (12,060 ft.), Chair (12,220 ft.), Quartz 1 (12,376 ft.), Sand (12,410 ft.), Quartz 2 (12,320 ft.), Quartz 3 (12,390 ft.)
I am in the process of writing this hike out as its own blog to be posted in the next month or two. A quick rundown. Started hiking before dawn and reached Blackhead at sunrise. Backtracked to the gap and then scaled Nipple. Headed toward Chair Mountain from a direction that I have never been from. After that I briefly got on the Rito Blanco Trail that takes you to Quartz Lake. Leaving the trail I headed up Quartz 1, and from there it is pretty easy to follow the ridge line from one peak to the next. A beautiful and fulfilling early season hike if there ever was one.
Day 2 Late August
Peak- Rio Grande Pyramid (13,821 ft.)
A long hike deep into the Weminuche Wilderness to the tallest mountain in the area.
To read about this hike check these links:
Day 3 Late September
Peak- Pagosa Peak (12,640 ft.)
Another one that I am working on to post later. This was just me and my 8 year old daughter, Thalia climbing a classic peak.
So that adds up to only 9 peaks. A sad number, but every hike was so memorable that they have more than made up for the lack. I think for 2010 I will try for a more modest goal of 25 peaks.
Wish me luck!
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