14Er Report (3 Col)

- 1 - Barrier 14: from Eolus to Longs by Jerry Wagener

“Old and young climbers alike sometimes discuss the prospects for climbing the fourteeners in fourteen days in hushed, reverent tones.” Gerry Roach in Colorado’s Fourteeners, Fulcrum Publishing, 1992

The phone in room 219 rings (though not the trickiest) day and one things needed to and rings, with no answer. So so far, starting at 5:30am and make it possible for the I dial 107, and immediately finally emerging, via head- endeavor to succeed. the sleepy-sounding voice of lamp, from the darkness at Jean and I talk for a the Leadville Inn manager 11:30pm. (The trickiest had minute, set the alarm for 4:30, answers. been day 5, involving an and crawl in with the “I’ll be right down”, she unscheduled 5.4 downclimb already-asleep others. A says, “we’ve been expecting off of Ellingwood, following meaningful first meeting with you. Your party has not yet summiting Little Bear and my bedmate, Jim, whom I arrived.” Blanca, when the ridge to hadn’t met before, would Lindsey deteriorated.) The have to wait for later in the It’s nearly midnight and adjustments to the schedule the “party” - Jeff Wagener day. With my arrival, Dave, would make the last two days Jim, and Monica could sleep and his support team - is long and hard. spending a rare night in a in for a change, and luxuriate motel instead of camping at I check into rooms 219 and with a shower, while Jean and some remote trailhead. I’m 206 and pay the bill, as we I run support for Jeff in the just in from near sea level to would be leaving early the morning. join them for the homestretch next morning, then drop off to sleep next to the phone in At the 4:30 alarm Jean in Jeff’s quest to become the and I jump out of bed, pull on first person to climb all of room 219. At 12:30am the phone rings. It’s Monica, a warm jackets against the chill Colorado’s 14ers (the 54 mountain air and, in the mountains over 14,000' high - member of the support team - they had just arrived after a motel parking lot, start the or 56, depending on how you two-burner propane gas count Cameron and Chal- long but successful day. I rush out to meet them: Monica stove. On one burner we heat lenger Pt) in less than four- water for a quart of hot choc- teen days. This is the tail end Davis, then Jim DiCarlo, Dave Hauser, Jeff, and finally olate, on the other burner a of day 12 and, if he was suc- large pan of sliced potatoes cessful on Snowmass, Capi- Jean Wagener, all looking a bit like death warmed over. and onions. The pancake bat- tol, and Castle today, he will ter gets mixed while the pota- have climbed 46 of the 54 in They mumble greetings and head straight for the beds. It toes are frying. At 5am we get the first 12 days. Just 8 more Jeff up (no mean feat), serve to go with two days left. was plain to see that the record pace had taken as him the hot chocolate and Originally, day 13 was to great a toll on the support fried potatoes, and begin fry- be an easy 4-peak “rest” day, team as on Jeff himself. ing the pancakes. By 5:30 Jeff finishing on day 14 with is still half asleep, but stuffed, Longs Peak and Pikes Peak. Unlike a long-time-on-the- and we are ready to roll. Jean But the day 13 plan was mountain expedition, like and I haven’t eaten any of moved to day 8, as Jeff was Denali, where the climbers do that feast (no time); but even exhausted following days 5-7 all the work themselves, an with meals like that (includ- and he needed a break before expedition such as this is ing lots of syrup on the pan- the Huron-Missouri-Belford- more like a presidential visit cakes) Jeff is rapidly losing Oxford-Harvard-Columbia in which the unsung support weight. An important func- marathon day. The latter, day team bust their butts behind tion of the support team is to 9, had been the longest the scenes doing the million pump food into him at every opportunity. © copyright 1995 by J.L. Wagener

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The other major function come down). In another ten the turn north of Leadville. of the support team is to get minutes he emerges from the That mistake costs us a half him to the trailheads while he trees, moving briskly; it’s hour (though Jeff gets more sleeps. This sounds simple, taken him 3 hours and 20 sleep), and I feel like an but rare are the days like minutes round trip. For the imposter on the expedition Huron-...-Columbia in which entire two weeks, with a cou- and a detriment to it. he is deposited at the trail- ple of exceptions, he has con- Jeff finally gets on the Mt head in the morning and they sistently beaten his time Holy Cross trail at 1:10. It’s 13 don’t see him until he finishes estimates, which are based miles round trip with a 5500' that night. A more typical day upon the conservative (for elevation gain. His formula involves picking him up after him) formula of an hour for says 8 hours, but Jeff says to one or two peaks and making each 3 miles plus an hour for expect him in 6 or a little a mad dash to another trail- each 1500' of elevation gain. more. About 5:20 Monica and head for the next one, fol- Jean lights the stove as we I start up the trail to meet lowed by yet a third ferrying approach and has a quart of him. It soon becomes clear jaunt. During these between- juice ready. By the time Jeff that she’s faster than I am (I trailhead dashes Jeff catches has shed his elaborate fanny would like to think the reason up on some much-needed pack (the only thing he car- is that I’m not yet acclimated sleep (lack of adequate rest is ries on these hikes - it con- to the elevation, but ...), so I turning out to be a bigger tains snacks, storm gear, and suggest that she step on out if problem than losing weight). two quarts of gatorade that she would like. She does, Today, day 13, is another he can reach while walking) soon disappearing from view, one of those three mountain, and had a swig of juice, a while I experiment with find- three trailhead days. While hearty soup is ready. We pack ing a workable pace. (I’m not Jeff sleeps, Jean and I drive up as Jeff eats, and in a few the only one having trouble, from Leadville down route 24 minutes we’re on our way to all the males except for Jeff to Clear Creek Canyon Road. the next trailhead. seem to be suffering from the Twelve miles in, at Winfield, continuous high elevation; we head north for two miles Mt Holy Cross is next. It’s the females - Monica and Jean on a 4-wheel-drive road to about as far north of Lead- - are faring much better.) No the LaPlata trailhead at ville as LaPlata is south. Mon- sooner do I find a comfortable 11,000'. It is about 7 miles ica, Jim, and Dave are ready pace than here they come; we round trip to LaPlata, with and waiting. We transfer Jeff get back to the trailhead at nearly a 3500' elevation gain; to the other car, where he can 6pm. Jeff has done Mt Holy Jeff starts at 6:30 and thinks it stretch out. Dave joins me as Cross in less than 5 hours, will take him about four navigator while Jean dozes making up for that lost half hours or a little less. It’s a off for some badly-needed hour and then some. “He’s a beautiful morning; Jean and I rest. climbing machine”, remarks decide to go to Buena Vista “How did the vote come Jim. for breakfast. out last night?”, asks Dave, There’s one more 14er It takes an hour to get to referring to the senate vote on today - Quandary Peak, south Buena Vista, and 45 minutes the president’s budget bill. of Breckenridge. That means for a leisurely breakfast of Dave’s interested in politics a mad dash down the inter- omelets and homefries. Back and talking about something state, stopping for a snack in at the trailhead, we arrange other than climbing. It Vail along the way. While the the car for a quick getaway couldn’t have been closer; 50-50, subs are being made we gas and set up the stove for a with the vice president breaking up both cars and buy Jeff a quick meal. At 9:30 I start up the tie. I had listened to the new pair of shoes. This is the the trail to meet Jeff and ten report while driving to Lead- third pair of heavy duty trail- minutes later find a good ville from the Denver airport. running shoes for him on this vantage point (I’m not exactly We get to talking about this trip - he’s been wearing a pair sure which way he might and related things and miss out every six days. Until

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there’s an opportunity to get ridge. “Sure that wasn’t a and human forms take shape a new pair the team has kept twinkling star?”, asks Jean. out of the darkness. It has him on the trail by sewing up Could be, but it looked a little taken Jeff 2 hours and 10 min- the ripped seams with char- different than the stars. Later utes on Quandary. treuse dental floss (mint fla- we learn that’s where Jeff What a fantastic sight, I vored). turned on his headlamp, and remark as Jeff and Monica are soon we’re all seeing head- he Quandary trailhead is rejuvenating with hot Ramen T lamp flashes on the summit Noodles, watching your head- at about 11,800' on Monte ridge. He’s moving up and Cristo Blue Lakes. It’s lamp go up the summit ridge, away from us, so the flashes then down and onto the snow, roughly 2.5 miles round trip are sporadic, but we can fol- and a 2500' elevation gain - and then to see both headlamps low his progress up the ridge. for the final part. “I went to the the formula says two and a It’s obvious when he gets to half hours, but it’s 8:10 when snow”, Jeff explains, “because the top and turns around, there’s serious exposure on he starts so not only will he giving us the full force of his have to descend in the dark the other side of the ridge that headlamp. He spends a few I didn’t want to cope with in but the last part of the ascent minutes on the summit, sign- will be by headlamp. Monica the dark. I’ll bet following the ing the register, recording the headlamps in the dark WAS goes with him, expecting to moment (it’s too dark for pic- get about halfway up and to interesting.” He seems sur- tures, but he also has along a prisingly chipper after a (rela- come down the last part with microcassette tape recorder), him. This route on Quandary tively “easy”) day of over 22 and perhaps catching a quick miles of trail and 11,000' of would appear, from where snack. we are, to have three distinct elevation gain. sections, each roughly a third The descent is fascinating Maybe it’s because there’s of the way. The lower third to watch, as we can see the just one more day to go on appears not too steep, with headlamp continuously, min- the quest for the record. The good footing. This leads to a gling with the stars just above last day is a long one, though, broad ridge along a snow- the summit ridge. But, too and would prove to be a cliff- field, hooking above the soon, he drops below the hanger. To get ready for it we snowfield where it meets the summit ridge. He’s coming have to go down the road to summit ridge. We can see it down the snowfield. “Ah, sure”, Alma, take route 416 to Kite all clearly from where we’re mocks Dave. “Why would he Lake, at 12,000', and find the parked at the lake. do that?” asks Jean. It’s too trailhead for Democrat-Cam- dark for us to see the snow, so eron-Lincoln-Bross. The plan Jim has departed with we can’t be sure that’s where them, not to climb but to seek is to climb this group in the he is. My guess is that he’s dis- morning, Longs Peak in the some twilight solitude. Soon covered the snow conditions are his vivacious spirit, arrested afternoon, and finish on Pikes good for descent or he’s bypass- Peak after dark. There is ade- by the altitude malaise, ing some tricky part of the ridge; escapes momentarily and quate time, as he has until he continues dropping from 6:50 am the following morn- wafts across the valley in the the ridge, convincing me form of a pennywhistle mel- ing to break the 14 day bar- even more that he’s on the rier. In anticipation, we set up ody. At dusk he emerges from snow. About halfway down his hidden stage and joins camp on Kite Lake and for the snowfield he abruptly the second night in a row the Dave, Jean, and me in scour- cuts over to the broad ridge ing the ridge as the light team gets to bed well past where Monica, it turns out, is midnight. fades. waiting. After the hookup There he is. It’s a little after with Monica we watch two Those early morning stal- 9pm and quite dark except headlamps bobbing their way warts, Jean and Monica, start for bilyuns&bilyuns of bright in tandem down the moun- day 14 at 5am, frying pota- stars. But I saw a quick flash tain. At 10:20 the two head- toes and mixing pancake bat- at the base of the summit lamps approach our vigil, ter. Jeff gets up at 5:30, eats as

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much as he can, and is on the the way up. Just before get- “LET’S GET TO PIKES” trail by 6:10. Monica and I fol- ting to the col I see Jeff top comes the shout, muffled by low about ten minutes later. Bross; it was going to be the car window. I awake Our plan is to go to the col close. with a start (guess that novel between Democrat and Cam- A storm blows in, with hail wasn’t that gripping afterall) eron and then possibly do the at 13,000'. Jeff catches Monica to see Jeff. “It’s bad up there, Cameron-Bross loop. Don’t on the way down from Bross and I don’t have a death wait for me, I advise Monica, and they hurry into camp, in wish. I made it to 11.5, the knowing that I’d only hold a downpour, a few minutes clouds are down to 12, the her back. She skips on ahead before 10am. I follow about wind is REALLY strong, and while I plod along, trying to five minutes later and am it’s getting worse. Longs is no find my pace. All the way to promptly served a bowl of go at the moment.” It’s 3:50. the col it is a struggle, with hot soup, which hits the spot Defeat, snatched from the several hikers overtaking me after the cold rain; Monica jaws of victory by the fickle and watching me disappear and Jeff are well into their weather. “I ran all the way in their rearview mirrors. soup. Jim and Dave and Jean down, hoping we can get to When I finally get to the have everything ready to go, Pikes, and then come back col I see Monica near the and five minutes later we are and do Longs last.” Cameron summit, moving on our way to Longs. By this Five minutes later we are well. What to do now? I’m time the rain has really settled on our way to Pikes. The race too far behind and too slow to in, with low ceilings as far as now is to make it to the Pikes risk the Cameron-Bross loop, the eye can see. We are get- Peak road entrance before it but there is still time before I ting out just in time - and closes at 7pm. After gassing have to head down. So I opt hoping for better weather on up in Longmont we are ready for the Democrat summit and the front range. to roll, almost. “We’ve got to then straight back. I hadn’t cancel our motel reservation”, gotten far when here comes There is no elegant way Jean reminds us - the “vic- Jeff down; he’s in high spirits. from Breckenridge to Longs tory” arrangements at a Man- “So you’re going to Demo- Peak if you are trying to make itou Springs motel for that crat”, he says. Yeah, I’m too time. Route 72 to 7 looks to be night. “You do it”, says Mon- slow for the loop. See you at the the most direct, but it’s curvy ica, “we’ll start out with Jeff. bottom. “OK”, and off he flies and slow and tough to access Meet you at Pikes.” With that, up the Cameron ridge. from I-70. So we decide to go and with Dave at the helm, via Denver, Boulder, and Jeff stretched out, and Jim After a day maybe I am Lyons. My second driving starting to acclimatize, but and Monica riding shotgun, error in two days is to think one car takes off. The phones more likely it was the gummy that 121 is a shortcut between bears at the col. At any rate I at the gas station are out of I-70 in Denver and route 36 order, so Jean and I drive to a begin to feel a little stronger, into Boulder; we should have and even begin to make up nearby shopping mall. On the gone I-70 to I-25 to Long- first try the motel line is busy. ground on some of those ear- mont, and taken 66 into lier passers. When we finally hit the road Lyons. At any rate, we put we figure the other car is 6-7 While talking with some- Jeff on the trail up Longs at minutes ahead. one on the summit, I look about 2:10 and settle in for across the cirque and see what we expect will be a 6-7 We should have made it Monica (or is it Jeff?) midway hour wait. It is a bit windy at easily. But a construction bot- on the Cameron-Bross the trailhead, and there are tleneck on I-25 in Denver traverse. I need to get going, quite a few high clouds, but slowed us down, as did the as it is farther from the top of the weather doesn’t look too “open” road south of Denver. Democrat to camp than from bad. I curl up with a novel; They’d never get away with it the top of Bross. On the way it is nap time for most of the on the German autobahns, down to the col I pass all rest of the crew. but on the US interstates slow those who had passed me on drivers “park” in the left lane © copyright 1995 by J.L. Wagener

- 5 - with impunity, blocking traf- “Nope, no exceptions. We him up. ﬁc. Consequently we arrive at want everybody down by The ranger turns to an the Colorado Springs exit, dark. Is it the guy I saw a little apparent colleague who has and a long stop light, at while ago on the rocks? He just joined us. “We have a sit- eleven minutes to 7 with was moving pretty good.” uation here. These people about nine miles to go; it’s not Could have been. He’s fast. have a climber out there looking good. But then the We’ll be out the gate by 9:00, or who’s trying for a record.” lights give us a break and the close to it. (That probably was Eying my gray hair: “They’re road beyond Manitou fudging a bit.) I’m a good probably relatives or some- Springs is great. The gate is driver on these kinds of roads - thing. They want a few more still open, we pay our ten darkness won’t be a problem. minutes. I’m going to take a bucks, and as we roll through chance on them.” the time changes from 6:59 to “Climbers are on their 7:00 and they close the gate own. Cars have to be through In that instant I know that behind us. The other car, it the gate by 9:00, so we can go it all depends on the weather turns out, had made it home.” He was making me on Longs 6-8 hours from now. through a few minutes ear- feel bad - suppose he has kids lier. They dump Jeff at the waiting for him at home. I am We park near the Pikes 11,000' mark at 7:15, and we hoping he isn’t going to force Peak summit plaque. Jeff catch up with them at 12,000'. me into refusing his order to appears at 8:45, right on Both cars arrive at the summit leave, causing an awkward schedule. Because we’re here together at 7:30. We expect situation. But there is no way to greet him, he realizes, Jeff about 8:45. Jeff can descend all the way to without us saying anything, the gate in time for us to that we’ve been granted a As it was working out, we make it back to Longs on favor. The ranger has have plenty of time to get Jeff schedule, and I am pretty cer- watched the ﬁnal part of the back to the Longs trailhead tain that even if we picked ascent, and pulls up beside by 2am, the time he wants to him up at Crag campground us. You may have to ride off the start his second try on Longs. it would be too late. We have summit with us, I whisper to But there is a problem. The to let him summit, descend Jeff. exit side of the gate we came on the road as much as he in on Pikes closes at 9pm, and After making the decision wants, and then whisk him to take a chance on us the they start herding everyone off to Longs. off a few minutes after 8. The ranger seems to warm to the Dave/Jim/Monica car has I understand, but he’s near project, even though he says already started down, to wait the end of a record climb of the that the boss is mad (maybe for Jeff below. That leaves 14ers. He won’t make it if we the boss has kids at home Jean and me to face the can’t pick him up. too). The four of us chat for a minute, then Jeff says “I have ranger’s “Everybody off.” “Why now? why didn’t order. one more favor to ask. Can I you come earlier? This is a run down the road a ways I halfheartedly start look- private road, and you know before they pick me up? I’ll ing for the ranger to explain the rules.” make it fast.” “OK”, says the our predicament, not know- The schedule had us doing ranger, and Jeff takes off. ing quite what to say. As it Longs this afternoon, ending on Jean and I chat with the was, he found me. “You have Pikes this evening, in the dark, ranger a while more and we to start down”, he says mat- from Crag’s. But he got blown exchange business cards. ter-of-factly. off Long’s by the weather and Then we present him with had to abort, so we had to change one of the expedition T-shirts, I wonder if you could give us that say the schedule. We would have a few more minutes; we’re the 14ers in fourteen ! ? expecting a climber a little after preferred it different, but this is 8:30. how it’s worked out; we still on the back. After that, it’s off have a shot at it if we can pick to pick up Jeff.

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By the time the headlights headlamp breaking trail, he find him he’s already way was off. down the road and running We nap in the car, waiting hard. We trail him for quite a for dawn. At 6am the skies breaking the barrier while further, until he’s satis- are clear and the air balmy. 93:07:26:06:50 - 93:08:09:05:55 fied that he’s descended far He’s got it, if the wind’s not too 1. Eolus, Sunlight, Windom enough from the summit. We bad on top. We grab some load him up and rendezvous 2. El Diente, Mt Wilson, Wilson Pk, breakfast and Monica and I Sneffels with the other car, waiting start out to meet him. As outside the gate. 3. Uncompahgre, Wetterhorn, before, she pulls ahead, but Sunshine, Redcloud, Handies A Pizza Hut in Colorado somehow we reach the 11,400' 4. San Luis, Culebra Springs says that they can Chasm Lake cutoff together, 5. Little Bear, Blanca, Ellingwood, have pizzas to go in 15 min- at 8:40. Maybe she was hold- Lindsey utes. That gives Dave and me ing back, but maybe I’m get- 6. Crestone Needle, Crestone Pk, time to gas up the cars. But ting better acclimated too; we Humboldt, Kit Carson, Challenger Pt it’s just 10pm, and with only had averaged 1400'/hr this 7. Yale, Princeton, Antero, three hours to the Longs trail- time - less than 2/3 Jeff’s Tabegauche, Shavano head the gang decides to take pace, but not totally shabby 8. Grays, Torreys, Bierstadt, Evans the time to eat the pizza there either. 9. Huron, Missouri, Belford, Oxford, rather than on the road. As And here comes Jeff, strid- Harvard, Columbia we’re wolfing down three ing down the trail, jubilant. So 10. Massive, Elbert, Sherman large pizzas Dave, with a what time did you summit? 11. Pyramid, South Maroon, sheepish grin, sneaks over to “Just before 6”, he answers, North Maroon the jukebox, and in a minute “with an hour to spare. I Happy Birthday blares out 12. Snowmass, Capitol, Castle stayed on top almost an hour, 13. LaPlata, Mt Holy Cross, Quandary full blast; I never should have and watched the sun come told them it’s my birthday. 14. Democrat, Cameron, Lincoln, up. It was absolutely beauti- Bross, Pikes, Longs At 1:45am we roll into the ful - what a great way to fin- Longs trailhead. Jeff has slept ish.” all the way from Colorado ust below 10,000' Jean is Springs, but he pleads “Give J (Note - these times are from the summit waiting for us. “How did it of Eolus to the summit of Longs. While me 20 more minutes; I’ll get go?” she asks. “Did you bring this is a common practice with some on the trial at 2:15”. While he a laundry pen?” Jeff climbers, subsequent clarification of the “rules” have it that the time must start gets a few more winks we ser- responds. “We need to cross vice his pack and check the roughly 3000’ down before the first the question mark off the T- summit and stop 3000’ down after the weather. It doesn’t seem too shirts.” last summit - adding about 3 hours to windy, and the sky is full of Jeff’s time. This revised time is still stars. ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ easliy the current record, but perhaps 14ers can still go on talking in hushed Jeff would like the snooze Jerry and son Jeff have climbed exten- tones about “fourteen days” .) sively together, and are the first father/ alarm set for yet another 20 son team to have climbed the highpoints minutes, but it’s time to go; of all 50 US states. They’ve climbed the two highest mountains in North America he pulls on his shoes, straps together - Mt McKinley (Denali) and Mt on the pack, and is ready for Logan. Jerry would have liked to have accompanied Jeff on the 14ers, but he his last mountain. There’s 4 says there’s no way he could have kept hours and 40 minutes in up with 25-year-old-and-in-great-shape which to reach his goal. I Jeff this time. And, after sending husband and son off on many mountain adven- walk him over to the trail and tures, Jean enjoyed being in the thick of give him a hug. Go for it, but one herself. She says it was really tough, but she wouldn’t have missed it for the respect the mountain. “OK”, he world. replies, “and I always respect the mountain.” And with © copyright 1995 by J.L. Wagener