Lake City, CO-Wetterhorn Peak

My FIRST fourteener!!!
Fourteener (n.): A mountain reaching an elevation of 14,000 ft or above.

On Friday, myself, Elizabeth and Dan and Karla Clader ventured 2.5 hours out of Montrose to the Wetterhorn Peak trailhead. We got up at 3:00 am to leave by 3:30. We geared up, fueled up, packed up and left. We made it to the trailhead by 6 am and began climbing at 6:30. It was a beautiful hike/climb. For most of the beginning we could see the peak we would climb as well as some other mountains and ridges.

That's our peak in the back left.

Near the end of the climb there was a steep rocky area where we got off trail a bit. In order to get back on our course we had to contour the side of the mountain. It was both exhilerating and downright scary.

The last 150 ft of the climb requires what's called scrambling. You use both your hands and feet to climb to the summit.

Of Colorado's 54 fourteeners, this is one that has no false summits, so you're in the midst of the focus and concentration it takes to scramble through the last 150 ft when you reach the summit out of no where. We summitted at about 10:30 am. It's important to start your descent before noon because of afternoon thunderstorms.

There has never been a time in my life when I have felt such a range of emotions. I was scared, tired, excited, happy, accomplished, and amazed. It was by far the most fun, most awesome and most challenging thing I have ever done. It started raining about halfway down, but it was a light rain and we had on rain jackets. We reached the car at about 2:00pm and it was beginning to rain harder. After a light lunch in Lake City we drove back to Montrose for much needed showers and naps. It was a wonderful day.
We're hoping to climb Sneffels, another fourteener, before the end of the summer.