My 100th 14’er Summit

Mt Belford, June 21, 2014
Mt Belford, June 21, 2014

 

I did it! This weekend I hiked to my 100th Colorado 14’er summit. Yes, you are correct, Colorado only has 58 peaks above 14,000 feet, but since completing them all in 2012, I’ve returned to many of them. Immediately after summiting Mt. Belford, I hiked to its conjoined twin, Mt. Oxford, for my 101st summit.

After a tough few weeks with my headache (see my recent post), it was rejuvenating to enjoy a day in the mountains with only minimal pain. Climbing my 100th and 101st 14’ers reminded me of the success I have been able to find despite my chronic headache. As I hiked, I thought of the many, many people with lifelong medical conditions who aren’t able to climb a 14’er even once, much less 101 times.

Gratitude. That’s what I found in the mountains this weekend.

Why do I keep climbing these mountains, you ask? Besides the intangible, unexpected gifts they give me (i.e. gratitude), I hike them again and again because I love to know them in their different seasons:

 

The Missouri Gulch in full summer (Mt Belford out of view to the left). Taken on my first trip to the basin, July 23, 2009.
The Missouri Gulch in full summer (Mt Belford out of view to the left). Taken on my first trip to the basin, July 23, 2009.

 

The view of the Elks from the summit of Mt. Belford, January 14, 2012.
The view of the Elks from the summit of Mt. Belford, January 14, 2012.
Spring conditions with quickly-melting snow this trip. From the summit of Mt. Oxford, June 21, 2014.
Spring conditions with quickly-melting snow this trip. From the summit of Mt. Oxford, June 21, 2014.

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