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