My New Ranching Adventure: Quandary Peak

So, I left off with the beginning of the hike.

Within moments, the truth came out. I am out of shape.

This whole time I thought I was doing pretty well. I'm not huffing and puffing to walk from the barn to the lodge anymore, but that's purely getting used to the elevation.

I'm pretty sure I was the weakest link, although Urska was always happy to take a break when I did.

Duff kept asking me the whole way up, "You doing ok? How's it going?" Ugh.

That being said, I'll just do some pictures and then continue the story at the bottom, because there's really not much more to be said until we get hiking!

This is while we're still in the trees.

The crew (Cookie is taking the picture) as the trees are thinning out.

Sandra, Dizzy, Urska, Me, and Duffer.

Dizzy! Stop taking a picture of Urska's butt!

He tried to say he wasn't taking a picture of her butt, but I didn't believe him.

I guess he wasn't lying...he's got proof.

Here was my view the whole way. Harumph!

Anyone else feel like singing "The Sound of Music?"

We got to a point where I started to feel really good, so I got to look down on everyone else.

And you know the whole "Tortoise and Hare" story? Well, I decided I'm the tortoise while Cookie is the hare. I just did a whole lot better plodding slowly along, instead of racing up, resting, racing, resting. Then again, I do have the build of a distance runner not a sprinter!

This is the base of the actual summit looking to the top. We are at the top of the false summit here. And this is where everything changed.

As I was hiking this narrow-way, the view on the south started moving a lot faster than the stuff in front of me. I guess it's like being carsick. Or what people in the biz call, "vertigo".

So, I was at a decision point. I was starting to feel the pressure in my neck and ears, which usually leads to an elevation headache for me. The weather had changed; it was starting to spit rain/snow stuff and the wind had picked up considerably.

Note that there are no trees for protection from the elements.

Note that you are supposed to be down from 14ers by 12 or 1 (it was about 12 at this point) to beat the afternoon storms.

I asked someone who was heading back down if the weather had been like that at the top for a while or if it had just come up. It had just come up.

And then I saw this purty lady heading back down from the summit.

It didn't seem like that much farther to the top...until I realized how small the people were.

And here's what I told myself:

Self, you are starting to get an elevation headache. You got 5 hours of sleep last night. While everyone crashes on the way home, you're going to be driving 3 hours, exhausted and with a headache. The weather isn't good and people die because of afternoon storms on 14ers. And above all, the mountain goat is heading back down!

As I was trying to decide up or down, I pulled out my Clif bar for nourishment and read the back while I was eating. Gary, the founder and owner of Clif Bar & Co, is talking about climbing Dhaligiri in Nepal, one of the world's highest peaks. Here's a line from it:

I don't believe in reaching the top at any cost.

I decided that was my sign and with Sandra, I turned back down the mountain.

Yep, you heard me. I quit. I turned back around and went down.

This whole stinkin' hike was my idea and I didn't even finish it.

And you know what? I don't regret it one bit.

We followed Missy down the hill.

And I couldn't have been happier to see this sight.

I moved stuff around in the back of Duff's truck, got all curled up in our sleeping bags, and had one of the best naps, EVER!

I drove back to the ranch, fully refreshed and headache-free.

We got back around 10 pm...10 hours later than planned. So nothing went as we thought! But what's it matter? Life's about the journey, not the destination, right?

However, for those of you who want to know what it looks like from the peak...