Friends, Colorado and One Hell of a Day

OK, so just one more post about the West and then we'll move on. This one is  from my good friend Matthew Birdsell, a former Tennessee boy who now resides in Denver,CO. His generosity is one of the primary reasons Caitlin and I had such a good time out West. Matt was our host, guide, and even went so far as to let us borrow his car for almost a week. Just an all around good dude, Thanks Matt.

Mr. Birdsell, in his younger and hairier thru-hiker days

Having lived in colorful Colorado for over 16 months now I’ve had the fortune of experiencing some incredible weekends; baseball games, microbreweries, skiing with my brother, countless day hikes and bike rides up mountains and through valleys just to name a few. But one weekend in particular took the cake, dare I say the whole bakery.  It’s difficult for me to admit that that beautiful August weekend has been the finest I’ve experienced here, but after careful consideration it was without a doubt.  

I could go on and on about the weekend; great food, morning runs,  REI, Red Rocks, etc, etc…. but for the sake of my time and yours I will concentrate on one day in particular, a Monday ascent of Longs Peak. This mountain is the pride and joy of the Denver area.  You can see it from almost anywhere.  It’s the only 14,000+ ft mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park and there is a collective feeling that we are all lucky to live in its shadow.  So as the nature of man goes it must be scaled.  

Thanks to some thorough research by Caitlin we had a good idea of what to expect and how to go about the endeavor.  It started with a 10:00p.m. bed time in Estes Park, the Gatlinburg of Rocky Mountain National Park.  The excitement was not subtle and we had some trouble falling asleep.  So after 5ish hours of restless sleep we were all wide awake and ready to go by 3:00am.  We drank our ritualistic coffee and ate our peanut butter honey and banana sandwiches and started under way to our ultimate goal.  We turned on our headlamps, laced up our shoes and signed the registry as a group of 3 starting at 0430hrs.   It had been a long time since I had hiked in the dark and I enjoyed it greatly.  The weather was, as Dave described it, like being wrapped in a warm blanket.  We managed to get above tree line before sunrise, the first real treat of the day.  The red warming light lit up the mountain in a way only witnessing it can describe.  Many pictures were taken, but all failed to fully grasp the scene.

We pressed on.  Up up and up we continued.  The trail was well maintained and cut at a good gradient.  We spotted Marmots, Pikas, wildflowers and fellow mountaineers.  We saw rock that appeared to be stacked by the hands of giants, mountains that didn’t quit and refused to let go of the past winters snow.  Up and up we continued, getting ever closer to our goal.  A piece of cake so far.  At this rate we should get there in no time!  But then we met “The Keyhole” and in a moment everything changed.

The Keyhole

The Keyhole is when you find out if you will thrive or wilt on this endeavor.  You see it from afar and don’t realize its size until you get right underneath it.  When you pass through it you get your first real look to the southwest.   Before this moment I had used the word “breathtaking” as a cliché, but once I climbed hand over  hand to that view I truly understood the meaning of the word.  Jagged peaks as far as the eye could see, clouds trying desperately in vain to move up and over them.  Every once and a while one would break loose and shroud us in a brief fog.  Hand over hand we continued following the bullseye trail marks and wondered if this truly was the only way!  It was.  Countless times my knees would weaken and I’d look over to my side knowing that one idiotic move could cost me my life.  Adrenaline was certainly a part of the experience.  And so we pressed taking our time and being sure of our footing.  Then came a great ascent, one with plenty of altitude to gain and loose rock to help you along the way.  The altitude becomes an element. All of us at this point were a little light in the head and weak in the knees.  Stop, rest, have some water, now press, and so we did. 

I do believe the most powerful moment of the trip came during this ascent.  Weakened by altitude, hunger, and probably dehydration Caitlin felt the weight of a 14,000 ft mountain begin to press on her.  No worries!  Her loving husband was there to calm and reassure her of her strengths and abilities.  While I was not there for it (I had decided to press on) I can imagine the strength of their relationship and the love they possess for one another being the power that motivated them both to the top of that mountain.

Through the Narrows and up the Homestretch I scrambled to finally make it to the top!  Oh what a feeling to conquer such a beast to stand upon that highest point.  There is no feeling that compares!  And less then 20 minutes later I look down to see no other then the Worths making their final push to the top of that 14,255 foot monster.  Alas we are victors!  I had no doubts, only the weather gods could have kept us from making it.  It is common knowledge that only 1/3 of attempts on Longs are successful and that people are killed regularly attempting it.  But not us, not today, we are triumphant!

Victory

So we soaked it up, admired the view, had some snacks, and snapped some pictures.  Smiles were thrown back and forth and awe was expressed.  It was time to return to the low lands.  We had accomplished what we had set out to do and now it was time to return to tell the tale.  Back down “The Homestretch” past “Keyboard of the Winds” through “The Narrows”, down “The Trough”, through “The Keyhole”, scramble across “The Boulderfield (which I must add felt like we were traversing the moon) down to the treeline and finally to the car.  We signed the register at 1600 hrs just shy of a 12 hr expedition.  What a day.

And so we did it, we made it; we did something that 66% of the people who attempt do not achieve.  We are mountain killers.  A great day I say without the least bit of doubt.  Caitlin and Dave I commend you for such an accomplishment and thank you for letting me achieve it with you. 

Matthew R. Birdsell

Mountain Killer