Mountain Journal "the Mt Elbert Trip"

9/10/95-Bob and I went to Colorado last week. We spent the first night at the Pan Ark Motel in Leadville. We had a nice room with a fireplace and a great picture window view of Mt Elbert. At 14433' its the second highest mountain in the
continental United States, and our first destination. Leadville is the highest town in the country at around 10000’. We spent some time there, and although at first glance it appears to be kind of a run down place, it definitely grew on me. The people were nice and the food was good!
9/11/95- We arrive at Twin Lakes at 11:20AM. My pack was very heavy, and we decided to lighten the load to one night of camping. At 12:30 we hit the Colorado Trail, and after 3 hours of fantastic scenery, we set camp at 10850’. The site was wonderful, with a nice flat soft spot for the tent and a fire ring well away. It was raining lightly when we arrived, but soon cleared out. The fire was good, we ate lots of food, and there was a stream nearby. Mountaineers paradise!!! No problems with the altitude. Tomorrow we try for the summit.
9/12/95- Slept so-so, but feel pretty rested. A deer walked through camp during breakfast, and a couple from Connecticut paused to say hello. It’s a gorgeous day!! It’s 9:15AM, and we’re heading up. A horseback rider passes us on the trail. At 11400’ we see many small piles of fine loam. I can’t figure out how they got there, since there doesn’t seem to be a hole underneath. There are many tracks around, like deer with rounded hooves. Also there were many, many wildflowers in bloom. I have photos with 4 different flowering plants in a clump. The summit is near. I can feel it! On September 12 at 2PM we stood together on this mighty peek, having climbed it in good time with heavy loads. A truly
uplifting experience…

     We were getting close to the summit of Mt. Elbert. It had been a long climb, but I was so focused on the wonders around us, and the anticipation of summiting, that all the pain was forgotten. To our backs was the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains. The west was blocked by the summit we were trying so hard to reach. As we struggled with the last few steps, the tension and excitement grew. We could sense that, with the final step, the view of a lifetime would open up for us. The hair on my arms stood up. Tears came to my eyes, and I started to laugh. I was at the top of the world. Mountains spread before me in every direction as far as my eyes could see. Wondrous mountains! Unending, overwhelming, majestic mountains. Wave after wave of them. My eyes couldn't take it in fast enough. I felt like I had flown up the mountain. All fatigue was gone. It’s a feeling I will never forget.
                                   
  
    We spent 2 hours at the top. There was no hurry, and neither of us wanted to leave. We met several other people while there, and shared stories and picture taking. It was a wonderful climb. Eventually we headed down, and spent a second night at camp.
9/13/95- Saw a mink while making breakfast. Soon we’ll pack up and head down. The mountain was extraordinary, the weather was great, and the people were nice. We climbed a very large mountain, and decided to try another. So off we went to Mt Massive. With relatively light packs we trekked up to Willow Creek where we bivved for the night. Near this camp we found the ruins of an old miners shack. We poked around there for a while digging and looking. Inside the shack there was an old crate that had been made into some kind of sifter or something. On the side of the crate, still barely legible, was printed “Boston, Mass”. So cool!! That night I wrote in my journal while wrapped up in my bag. It was raining lightly, but Bob had an enormous fire going. There was a thunder storm moving up the valley, but it missed us and we stayed dry that night.
9/14/95- I didn’t sleep at all last night, and we have another big mountain to climb today. We’re starting at 11400’. Ninety minutes and 1000’ later we decided to call it quits. Bob and I are both dragging, and we still have 3 miles and 2000’ to go. I looked longingly at the summit, but it looked so far away. There were 2 specks on the final slope that we assumed were climbers, and they were barely visible, and barely moving. We headed down. It was disappointing, but realistic.
              The variety of plant life in the high meadows was amazing. It was not unusual to see 6 different blooms in a 2’ clump. Many yellows, daisies, buttercups, and many I didn’t recognize. Some fuzzy and some like coreopsis…purples, asters, bluebells…reds, pinks, and white yarrow…many butterflies and very large crickets. We heard coyotes in the night.
9/15/95- We spent last night in a motel. Showers!!! And ate at Pizza Hut! Today we rented mountain bikes at a sporting goods shop in Leadville. The elderly woman who owned the shop drove us and the bikes to the top of a mining mountain outside town. There were abandoned mines all over. We spent lots of time poking around the piles, and collected lots of fools gold…Bob even found a rusty old pocket watch. The ride down was a lot of fun!! I went mountain biking in the Rocky Mountains!!!
    After we were home for a few days, I discovered that I still had a new bike tire tube that we had borrowed from the bike shop, and also realized that we hadn’t paid for the ride up the mountain. I sent a check and got a nice letter back, which I still have.

11/22/96-Now, over a year later, that trip, and even the more recent Rainier climb, feel almost like dreams. Was I really there? The memories and photos say I was, but still, sometimes I'm not so sure. I cleaned up my gear last week, and upon inspection I found pine needles in my mess kit. They were from Cougar Rock campground in the Mt. Rainier National Forest. "I was really there", I thought. I really sat at that picnic table making coffee and feeding the birds from my hand, surrounded by giant firs and cedars, some of the needles of which I still have. A direct and important connection to the most incredible adventure I have had so far.