Here is a series of 2D representations of what would have been the first two mountains of the year - Challenger Point and Kit Carson. I wasn't able to summit because of pretty bad fog. I ran into another guy, Robby, just as I was getting into the thick fog. Only 400 feet from the top the visibility was about 10 ft. and the conditions were only getting worse. Robby, a much younger and more experienced climber than I, was becoming quite concerned. "Dude! If we hear thunder we are so totally fucked! This is not the mountain I want to die on." The fog was getting darker meaning that a storm was coming in. Because of the poor visibility it would take quite a lot of time to find a safe route down. He finally decided that it wasn't worth his life, so I followed suit. Took us about an hour to get back to tree-line.
So for now, I have been denied twice on Challenger and Kit. When the route is visible, like on a sunny blue bird Colorado day, the mountain is strenuous but not that dangerous and I think for most hikers it is uneventful maybe not even memorable. The second mountain, Kit Carson is a little more exciting and the main way to climb that is by going over Challenger. So another day awaits.
Honestly, not summiting is actually pretty minor. I still got in one serious work out and kind of took myself to the limit as I usually do. The other thing is the whole experience of camping out up there and just attempting to walk up a mountain is beyond description. For me it is spiritual and it brings me closer to what really matters. I met a complete stranger up there and we ended up working as a team to make the best decisions we could and ultimately had a really good time doing it. For an introvert such as myself this is nothing short of a miracle. These experiences, which are many, are stunning and they stop me cold.
Just like every time I look at one of my boys, it's a challenge to believe that what I am seeing is real.
One can choose to stay and live in the negative. I don't have much time left so I am staying on the positive side.
Thank you G-d. I really appreciate the mountains. Fantastic work.
“Spinning around in circles
Living it day to day
And still twenty four hours, maybe sixty good years
It's still not that long a stay.”
- James William Buffett
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