September 11, 2010 - Columbia Peak 14,073 ft - I got an early start from
home and had to use my headlamp for the first half hour of the hike through the forest. It took two hours to get to the fork in the
trail - left to Mt. Harvard or right to Columbia. I already did Harvard earlier, so to the right it was.
This hike ended up being the hardest one of the summer for me. The main reason for that is the steepness of the hike. There
were very few flat or even gradual ascents. As soon as I got out of the forest, it was a battle with the steepness, the loose
dirt, all the small rocks and those frustrating larger rocks that many times slid under my feet.
This is the last photo I took on this hike. I knew it was going to be time to focus on every step on the way down so
I packed the camera away after this shot. I wanted to get a shot down at Bear Lake with the trail to Harvard barely
visible on the valley floor. It was such a great feeling being here but it is a place I know I will not ever return to.
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