Favorite mountain to climb

“Rainier and Sahale”

“I like the whole Hindu Kush Range.”

“Blueberry Hill?”

“Any route with an approach from Northgate TH--Mount Shasta”

“Any 14er, after I've been out for a few days to acclimatize so the altitude doesn't kick my butt. 13ers (Mt Tom) are cool too! I like getting high!”

“Mt Choksan, S. Korea, Mt Ranier and Mt St Helens(just to snowboard back out)”

“Harney Peak via Cathederal Spires Trail.”

“Any in Colorado, although South Dakota's Harney Peak is cool, too, like Dude said. (And a state high point to boot.)”

“I like you Lizs.”

“Any Colorado 14er”

“You see that mountain over there ... One of these days I'm gonna climb that mountain ...”

“Right on Snow Nymph!

I didn't think anything could top my climb up Pikes Peak but out of the 14'ers that I have climbed, Mt. Massive has been my favorite.”

“I'm gonna' climb Longs Peak next summer, if I can get past my fear of heights. The Ledges can be nasty I hear. My brother has shamed me into this little endeavor, so I will give it a shot. Have you climbed Longs yet, mountainchick? If so, are the Ledges as scary as my brother says they are?”

“Hey Bob, my dad climbed Longs Peak. You can do it.”

“My brother sent me a photo of what looked to be a guy in his seventies climbing down the Trough section. That's what got me to agree to the climb to begin with. The elevation alone will probably kick my butt, not to mention those shear drops.

I asked my brother why he didn't take any pictures while on the Narrows and Ledges, and he said he was too scared to pull out his camera!”

“The optimal peak is one that is challenging enough to be a little intimidating, and that physically challenges you. Rainier is always an impressive peak, and you have to be in incredible shape to not be challenged physically by it. These days, climbing up an 800 foot hill above my house is a challenge for me.

Spire Peak in the North Cascades is a peak on which the easiest route is a 4th class route. The top is a knife edge that isn't big enough for even one person to sit on. You don't want to straddle the peak, because one side drops off 2000 feet to the South Cascade Glacier, and is too scary for me to look down. We climbed it with a party of 5, and took turns being on the top.

The view from Sahale, also in the North Cascades, as I'll bet Spock can attest, is awesome.

Williamson in the Sierra is a favorite peak of mine, partly because Ansel Adams has a wonderful print of it from the Owens Valley. It was the first peak my brother and I climbed on our own, when we were teenagers.

Olancha, the southernmost Sierra peak is a fav, because it was my first Sierra peak, and I was sick from altutude when I climbed it.

Mt. Stuart in the Stuart Range of the Cascades, is a pretty nifty peak, and is impressive from all sides. We climbed it by the Sherpa Glacier route, and the north ridge.”

“Spire is cool...I basecamped below it on the way to Dome... which is also cool because of all the effort to reach it and the knife-edge summit.”

“Bobk,

No, I haven't climbed Longs yet but I know a lot of people that have. I have been told that the mountain is extremely exposed. Many poeple (60 I believe) have died while attempting to summit. Basically, it just depends on what route you choose. Pick up a copy of Roach's book, "Colorado Fourteeners" for some accurate info. I think you can do it. It's on my agenda for next summer. I can't wait. Have you ever climbed a 14'er before?”

“When we climbed Dome Peak, we claimed the first nude handstand on the peak (at least as far as we knew). That's pretty impressive, because the peak is very narrow, with huge dropoffs on both sides.”

“I'm impressed! You beat me with the handstand (nide nonetheless). That sheer dropoff... especially the south face. YIKES!!!”

“nide = nude”

“BobK....... I hiked Angel's Landing at Zion... and also saw people turn around right in front of me that couldn't do the knife-edge ridge at 1,500-some feet above the canyon floor.

Ya won't know till ya get there. I wish you the best!”

“IdahoBob: Olancha is on my "to do" list. Need 3 days, I think.

lizs: We saw people turning back at Angel's Landing. Another place with cables is Half Dome in Yosemite. After trying to pass, SnowDude and I got on the outside and went around the line of people. Would've taken all day the way they stood there.”

“Mountainchick, we plan to summit Longs taking the easiest and safest route possible, which is the keyhole route, a class 3 climb when you get past the Boulderfield. When my Dad was in college at Denver U. one of his buddies was killed climbing Longs. Of course a lot of the deaths occur from lightning strikes and falls on the more technical routes. But last year someone was blown off the Ledges portion of the Keyhole route by high winds. What a rush it will be to make it up that hill!

We plan on a week long trip to CO in late July, taking a couple of dayhikes and one overnighter up to between 9K and 12K elevation to hopefully acclimate to the altitude, do a rest day in Boulder and then hike up to the Boulderfield and camp. Weather permitting, the next day we will make our summit bid. At least that's the plan right now.

I have just started training in earnest for the trip. My brother says Longs in challenging enough that if you are not in really good shape, don't even bother.”

“BobK, SnowDude and I will be doing a 5 day trip with another group in CO sometime in July. We're extending out trip another 10 days after. Not sure where we're backpacking.

Mountainchick: Any ideas for a 10 day trip, maybe including a few 14ers?”

“Colorado talk on here, nice. Longs is definitely a long day. 16 miles round trip I think, with about 5000' vertical. Start early (I caught the sunrise from the Keyhole, pretty sweet). There is a little exposure, but nothing too bad. A few spots where it registers that if you take a digger, you're a done deal. August-September is the prime time for the easiest route, most of the snow has melted and the new stuff hasnt come yet. A long day, with a killer view at the top (the earlier you get to the summit, the clearer the view will be too).
Snow Nymph ---
There's all kinds of trips out here that you could throw a few 14er's in. I did a 5 day trip over the 4th a few summers ago where we packed into a valley, and then climbed a 14er on each side of the valley over the next couple days. Way cool - I can't remember the exact name of the creek we were near, but I know the 14ers were Huron to the east, and Missouri to the west. Keep the CO talk up, I'm about bored to death here...”

“SnowNymph,

I know of quite a few options for you guys. . . I'll tell ya if you let me tag along.

Actually, the first thing that initially came to mind when I read you post is right around Mt. Massive. You could plan a major bpacking trip up Massive, Elbert (Colorado's Highest), Mt. Princeton, Yale and Harvard. I'm not quite sure how it could be done but I will certainly check it out for you. On the way to Mt. Massive, you drive right past those other mountains. The area is absolutely beautiful and it does look relatively challenging. Right up your alley! Is the E-addy in your profile the best to reach you at?”