New Website

I have finally switched over to a new site. All the Journals are on the site as well as a photo feed. I am still working on the site but it has been launched.

Check it out at http://freeoutside.com/

Plans for the future of the blog

In the next month I will be transitioning over to a full site in which I can link up my Instagram feed (photos) and begin blogging daily. The goal for the daily blog is to recap my current adventures while also mixing in past short stories. I hope to create a full engaging website that will be set up to handle all my future adventures and also to create a better user experience.

In the meantime, I will try to post short recaps and some pictures on this site until I am able to launch my site.

Grays Peak and Torrey Peak

This was very uneventful and was done nearly entirely in the rain, hail fog and thunderstorms. I did do it the right way though. On the approach up to the climb I noticed some suspicious clouds that were followed up by the blue sky. I figured that if I could time that blue sky right I may be able to make it to the top of these two peaks. I heard thunder leading up to the final ascent but due to some very lucky pacing and hard work I was able to get to the top of torreys just as the clouds were moving in. This mean that I better hurry across to Grays peak in order to get far enough back into the valley to feel safe before the lightning started up again. To my surprise I wasnt the only one still on these peaks as the weather moved in as two other young guys were up there too. Luckily we all made it off in time and moved back towards the valley and on down the trail. I hiked the whole way with them as I had no more mountains to climb for the weekend and it didnt look as though the weather would allow me to if I did. I told them how I was going to climb all the 14ers this summer and they were pretty impressed. It was nice to get to chat with people while hiking for a change although it was a bit slower than my usual break neck pace. I hope everyone is enjoying the pictures and the stories of these mountains.

Check out my instagram for more great photos of all my treks: @jgar15

 Grays Peak just ahead of the storm

Torrey Peak in the middle of the clouds

Mt. Bierstadt and Mt. Evans

I started out at Guanella pass very early, but since Bierstadt is one of the most popular 14ers many other people had the same idea. It was just getting light on the trail as I walked along the flat muddy ground and began passing people. The trail was muddy and required some puddle jumping on the way up the where the climbing begins but since it is such a well maintained and popular trail, there was a board walk along the muddiest of spots. The climb along the well maintained trail was fairly uneventful until I got very near the top and the clouds began to roll in. It was very cold and windy and caused me to throw on my rain jacket in order to break the wind. At the top I saw a man celebrating his 70th birthday with a friend and his son in law dressed in a suit and tie. It was pretty cool to see them supporting his desire to climb bierstadt on his bday. At the top it was so cloudy I only took a couple pictures in which you cant see anything but the surrounding clouds. Then I headed towards the sawtooth traverse to make my way accross to Mt. Evans. The traverse was rocky and gravelly to climb down to and one on the connecting ridge it was one of the "Create your own adventure" moments where you can take the more technical and challenging high route or the lower much more comfortable route. Of course I chose the high route and with only a few challenging sections I navigated it just fine. From on top of Sawtooth it was picking out a cairn on the Mt. Evans trail and making your way to it. It was smooth sailing from here to the summit. After all there is a road that goes up this high. It is a little demoralizing to see people three times your size taking pictures on the same peak as you. The way down was a new adventure. Instead of going back over the traverse I went down the hidden gully. It was very steep, slippery and rocky the entire way down. It did not help that my poles are pretty bent and beat up and did not provide much support. The plus side of this route is the amazing view and beaver ponds that I got to walk b. The downside is the six inches of mud and continual wet shrubs that I had to walk by for a couple miles. I was wet, muddy and soaked. Luckily I got to see some goats, pronghorns and ponds full of fish to take my mind off the quagmire I was navigating. By the time I reached the trail I was quite a site for those taking the traditional trail and I got asked a few questions. I made it back to the car and was off to beat the afternoon storms to the top of Grays and Torreys Peak to round out the weekend.

Pictures: To see photos of all my adventure check out my instagram: @jgar15

The Morning from Guanella Pass

Mt. Evans Summit

Beaver ponds from the hidden gulley on the way back to the car

Mt. Bierstadt Summit

Quandary Peak 8/15

After finishing up with holy cross it was time to drive to Quandary Peak and get up and down the second 14er of the day. I arrived in the parking area and saw many people and cars leaving. As with most 14ers it seems that this was one that people tried to do early in the morning even though it was a fairly short one. I began climbing up with my head on a swivel in order to ensure that the thunderstorms would not be rolling over Quandary peak and put the climb in jeopardy. On the way up I passed many people wearing anything from sandals to mountaineering boots and carrying everything from nothing at all to nearly 50 pound packs. With the number of people on this peak it was nothing short of astonishing at the wide array of people climbing up the mountain. It was great to see so many people on the mountain but also a little sad to see the impact and liter that they had on the wilderness. I was able to take some great picture of the mountain goats on the way up and worked my way up the long drawn out scree field to the summit. I ran out of water with about a mile to go to the top and I also did not have any in my car so I found a snow field off the trail a bit and was able to fill up my water bottles with the snow run off. For those wondering, I do not treat my water and in exchange for this lack of water treatment, it causes me to be much more careful where I take my water from. Overall I focus on untouched water and preferable (in Colorado) from sources above 12,000'. I summitted with full water bottles, grabbed a couple pictures, heard the thunder, picked up some trash, and pulled out a couple snacks on the way down. At this point I really noticed how I had hit the wall. Due to lack of sleep, nutrition and water, I was already drained and it made me very slow and casual on the way down. At this point I only focused on not rolling my ankles. I saw maybe 15 people on the climb down as compared to the hundreds on the way up. It was very straightforward and uneventful for the most part. As I finished I knew I needed to begin eating better and more often if I would continue to do 6+ 14ers a weekend. The plan for the next day was to do Bierstadt, Evans, Grays, and Torreys. 

For more pictures check out my Instagram: @jgar15

"There are no easy Fourteeners"

Goats on the way up Quandary

Summit Picture

Mt. of the Holy Cross (8/15)

I got to the trailhead on Friday night and enjoyed numerous "shooting stars" during the Perseid meteor shower before I headed to bed. I woke up as more cars arrived at the trailhead and grabbed my pack and headed out on my first fourteener of two scheduled for the day. The trail was well maintained and not too steep on the way up and then it began to descend to the creek. This descent had me thinking the whole time "this is why this climb has 5600' of elevation gain." I refilled my water from the creek and began pushing ahead and passing all the early risers. This being my 31st 14er in the last handful of weekends, I was a bit more in shape for these types of climbs. Up above the tree line most of the hiking consisted of walking up stone steps that seemed to stretch for quite a while. They were pretty exposed and I assume this is where the sunburn on my neck is from. I passed a trail crew, putting in more of these steps, and topped out on the ridge as I worked my way around to climb the side of Holy Cross and hit the summit. The trail consisted of mostly rock hopping up to the scattered Cairns, but it was essentially just "Aim for the top" style of climbing. I finally reached the peak about 845 and was greeted by a few others who had ascended to the top. I got a couple photos and then saw a protruding ridge down below that jetted out and imagined a great photo on that ridge. So being young, in shape, and always in to a challenge I went ahead and climbed out to that point for the photo shoot. The climb back down the mountain was pretty uneventful like and definitely accentuated by the 1200' of uphill to climb out of the creek basin. Little else took place on the way back to the car and I would describe the hike and the route as PLEASANT overall and one I would definitely do again. This cannot be said for a few of the 14ers that I have done so far. At this point it was mid morning and time to move on to Quandary. 

Check out my instagram for more photos: @Jgar15

Snowmass, Castle and Conundrum

Due to a commitment in Denver I was unable to make it out to the Elks range until late on Saturday. At this point I drove straight to the Snowmass trailhead, prepared my pack and hiked just past the second gate and camped at the first campsite near the creek. My philosophy has always been that I am climbing these mountains for fun and therefore I done use an alarm and I get up and start hiking whenever I wake up. This time I slept in until 630 and was on the trail by 640. The Snowmass trail is not especially steep or difficult, it is just long. I cross the semi-stable log jam and walked past Snowmass lake where it seems that many people camp on their way to the summit. Other than some over grown bushes and a few scratches, the hike was pleasant. After leaving the lake, a climb to the summit began. It was very taxing due to the unstable scree that made up the majority of the climb. Once the top of the ridge was reached, it was continual boulder hoping nearly up to the final ridge. From the top here, the view was amazing. It was easy to pick up the true summit and to walk the ridge the final few hundred feet. At the summit there were a few other hikers enjoying the amazing day. It was 930 and I spent a good half hour up here and relaxed and took it all in before beginning the long walk back. On the way back it was very difficult to navigate the scree field and it claimed one of the tips of my trekking poles as well as a little of my blood and skin. But once the section was passed, it was a very easy hike back out to the car. 

Now it was time to drive to the Castle Creek trailhead. I did not like the look of the road so I parked at the 2WD area and walked the road for the countless miles up to the end pullout. From here it was very difficult to find any semblance of trail so I picked out both Castle and Conundrum peaks and aimed for them. Once again it was essentially taking two steps forward and sliding back one. But in this way I was able to climb above the loose rock and find a trail that followed the east ridge around and up to the summit of Castle. After a couple pictures at the top and noticing the sun would soon be setting I walked the ridgeline traverse across to conundrum. It was very straightforward and there was not issues with snow. I reached the summit and spent a few minutes just watching the sun sink into the horizon and snapped a few pictures before beginning the decent. I walked back to the low point on the ridge that connects the two peaks, then descended into the valley on the compact snow. It was half walking and half sliding down to the edge of the frozen lake. just as I neared the road and began boulder hopping in order to avoid going out of my way to rejoin the trail, it became very dark and it was about time to adopt a headlamp and walk the rest of the way in the dark. It was very amazing to see all the stars on the way down and it was hard to not let the view slow my progress due to continually stopping to admire them. I saw a few pairs of eyes staring back at me during my long road walk in the dark. I am sure they were either porcupines, deer, or foxes. I was not too worried. Finally about 1030 I finished out my very long day and reached the car and was on my way back to Denver and another week of work before more peak climbing next weekend.  

Climbing the 14ers in one summer while working full time

My attempt to climb all the Colorado 14ers this summer (over 14,000 feet in elevation). There are 54 official Peaks rising to this level but I have added 4 and am looking to end up with 58 peaks under my belt by the time the weather turn. Current count to date: 27. Below are the pictures on the peak (listed alphabetically) of the ones that I have completed. 

Mt. Antero in a Thunderstorm

Mt. Belford

Mt. Blanca

Mt. Bross

Mt. Cameron

Challenger

Columbia

Crestone Needle

Democrat

 Mt. Elbert

Ellingwood

Harvard

Humboldt

Huron

Kit Carson

La Plata

Lincoln

Little Bear

Massive

Missouri

Oxford

Pikes Peak

Princeton in a thunderstorm

Mt. Sherman

Shivano

Tabeguache

Yale