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.