Quandary Peak

We woke up early for the big 14er. None of us slept well despite trying go to bed early. Our nerves were getting to us, and fear of weather changes on the summit didn't help. But this was what we had trained for, so it was time to go.

We can do this! That was our mantra.

This 14er didn't waste time getting our heart rates up. The 6.6-mile trail included 3300' elevation gain. Beautiful views about a quarter of the way up.

The tree line faded quickly as rocks & boulders covered the trail. 

The trail just went up and up...never flat to allow you to catch your breath.

Every 20-30 min I had to stop, drink water, eat a quick bite, and allow my heart rate to level. It's the slower way to go, and I applaud all those runners who passed me by, but this is how I climb. Slow and steady. I think at this point Halie was already at the top.

With only a mile and a half to go, here's the view of the summit. I don't know if you can click on the picture to expand, but it's pretty daunting and quite humbling. There's tiny specks of people on the trail ahead. One step at a time. I can do this.

A pair of mountain goats block the trail. From this picture, though, you can get a better sense of the incline.

Halie waited for us over an hour, but we eventually made it! Whew, what a climb! Judy packed a mini bottle of white wine to toast at the summit. None of us took more than a sip. We just wanted water and carbs. 

Here's the geographical marker showing the exact point of the summit.

On the summit! Bucket list item, check.

Another view from the top of Quandary.

Being exposed like that makes it chilly. What's worse, is the clouds looked ominous in the distance. Just one more summit picture, then we headed down.

As we headed down, I glimpsed back and Judy snapped this pick. It's probably my favorite of the whole trip.

Cousin Hike - CO

Six fabulous ladies from six different states met up in Breckenridge, CO for a week of hiking. We represented (left to right) Texas, South Carolina, Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Oklahoma.

When we all arrived, we set our things down in the rented condo, changed clothes, and headed out. One hike per day for five straight days. Each hike increased in intensity to prepare us for the 14,000 ft. mountain at the end.

For Day 1 (arrival), our hike was a relatively easy 1.5 mile walk to Lily Pad Lake. This helped us to stretch our legs from the plane trip and get use to breathing the dry, high altitute air. A cute sister picture with the lake in the background was in order.

Dinner was fun...margaritas and enchiladas! Lots of laughter, hugs, and stories to catch up. As the shortest of everyone, I was given the top bunk. 😂

Day 2 involved a 6-mile moderate hike with gorgeous views! The summit was a little windy with dark clouds in the distance, so we cut our lunch break short to head back down.

You can see tiny people in the distance on the trail as well as those ominous clouds rolling in. Shortly after this picture was taken, we got soaked. 

By the time we got back to the condo, the weather cleared, but we were all still cold. Our hot tub on site was the perfect remedy!

Day 3 was the last day we were all together. This was our longest hike of the week with 9 miles and 1500' elevation gain to Willow Creek Falls. It started out lovely with lots of positivity.

We arrived at the falls like pros. The sun was super hot, but we enjoyed the cool water on our feet and faces, a nice rest for lunch, and a toast to Julie on her 50th birthday.

The return hike, no so good. Teresa wanted to take a different route back to increase our adventure, and we all decided to stick together. Issue #1, the water crossings were all sketchy.

Issue #2, Halie's backpack got stuck on the next water crossing. Judy to the rescue!

Issue #3, Julie is not having fun. Teresa said she didn't realize our detour was a steep incline.

Issue #4, the trail becomes boulders with no markers and we are all feeling the same as Julie.

Issue #5, we are all running low on water. Through shear fortitude and the release of choice words we rarely express, we managed to find our way back. Happy faces at the end!

Our last night with all six of us was fun! Board games, beers, and lots of laughter! We promised to get together again in Aug. 2023.

Day 4 was a hike with just Halie, Judy, and me. We went 8.5 miles with 2,100 ft elevation gain to Mohawk Lakes (a set of 3 lakes). It was beautiful!

The terrain started very woody with cool weather and plenty of shade.

After the initial big climb, our reward was an amazing view!

There was also a neat log cabin up there that is still used today for overnight campers.

Our destination was still a long way up, so again we climb.

Once past the tree line, we enjoyed cooler temps, a different terrain, and lots of sunshine.

Finally, our destination at lake #3! Lunch time.

But we can't relax yet...Halie said there's a fourth lake just a few more miles up and we should go see it. "You Only Live Once", she said. Urggh.... Why does the youngest have so much energy??!!! We pack up and keep hiking, using rocks as our lilly pads to jump across what I thought was our desitination.

Now the final, final destination, and time to relax.

As we decend, I realize how far we have to go. My knees are hurting just thinking about it.

At least there's a cute billy goat to see on the way down. 

Tonight was little dinner, little talking, and going to bed early. The big hike was tomorrow.