25 Things I've learned while conquering 14ers in Colorado
Living at 300 feet it's hard to imagine just how your body will react at higher elevations, it effects everyone differently. So my friend, Pammi, and I decided we had better try to experience some altitude above 300 feet before heading to the highest freestanding mountain in the world, Mt. Kilimanjaro. Here are just a few of the things we learned while climbing three 14,000 foot mountains in Colorado.
1- Horizontal feet is very different than vertical feet.
2- Where you're heading and where you can see you're heading are two different places.
3- Water is a precious resource.
4- Meandering paths and switchbacks are necessary to get you to the top. Straight is not always the best approach.
5- Your body may say stop, but your mind pushes you forward.
6- Your body is capable of more than you may think.
7- Hikers are friendly people.
8- Just because you sleep in a tent doesn't mean you need to eat bad food.
9- Hot water does wonders for sore muscles. (No pic necessary)
10- Sleep at high altitudes is optional and may elude you all together.
11- The view at the top is always worth the effort (except maybe Pikes Peak where there is a parking lot).
12- What goes up must come down. No short cuts.
13- Fires don't maintain themselves in a fire pit.
14- Mountain goats own the mountain and allow hikers to pass or not.
15- Colorado men like to wear shorts to show off their calf-tats.(Slightly hard to photograph someone's calf inconspicuously)
16- Beavers really are busy.
17- Pika have been known to pass through a hikers legs during a chase scene.
18- Sunrises and sunsets are even prettier with a mountain present.
19- The stars outnumber the trees.
20- The way down makes you forget the struggle to the top.
21- Colorado leaves you wanting more!
22- When the way gets steep, all you can concentrate on is putting one foot in front of another.
23- Mountains should really have name tags prominently displayed.
24- Clouds can turn to rain and produce lightning in an instant while on a mountain.
25- Go big in Colorado so you don't go down in Tanzania!
Photo credit to Pammi Simone
