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.
I was in no hurry to start the trek back down but on the encouraging side of things, I saw some hikers heading toward me
across the ridge from Mt. Harvard. These were the first people I had seen all day - well, except for the little dots I saw
moving along the path in the valley. This is a shot toward Buena Vista and beyond. And as I have said before, this does not begin
to capture the essence of being on top of a 14er.
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