Another Summit

Here I am, surrounded by members of Erin's family, at the top of another mountain in Colorado!

The summit shot for Grays Peak (14,270 feet) displays the sky behind as deceptively clear. During the course of our hike, everything from rain to snow to hail fell, and fog continually drifted around us. We learned to be quick on the draw with our cameras, since minutes after a photo-op sighting, views would be engulfed in white clouds (see below).

Although freezing cold--literally!--we had a great time together, and completed the ascent and descent in less than 6 hours.

I was able to make it back home for a shower before work at the coffee shop last night, which was definitely a plus.

I've discovered that slightly overcast days for hiking are my favorite, since I tend to squint a lot in the sun, and end up giving myself a headache. It's also nice not to be dripping with sweat while enjoying the cool breezes at the top of a mountain!

So out of 54 fourteeners in the state of Colorado, I've now climbed five. Woopie. No plans to conquer them all, mind you. But it's fun to keep a check-list!

This is my last weekend in Colorado for the summer, and I'm convinced that climbing a mountain was the perfect activity for a final hurrah.

The good news is that Erin's family will be renting a condo in that area again over Christmas break, when it will be ski season! So of course, the hope is that I will be back there again in just about 4 months =) ....