Mt Sherman

After some debate about whether we had the energy, we packed up the car Friday and drove to Fairplay, CO.  Our plan was to camp Fri night near the base of Mt. Sherman and hike the trail Saturday to do another 14'er, and drive home Saturday afternoon.

PICTURES - click here and see the second half of this album

Fri night we successfully found a campsite at Four Mile Creek and opted to try out Rachel's new sleeping bag. We were given this bag as a hand-me-down from friends, and we are thrilled to say that it was awesome!  Rachel slept on her own mat in her own bag all night long.  She did not even wake up when we left the tent at midnight to go use the facilities!  She slept from about 8pm until 5:30am, which would be a good night even at home.  

Part of the success may have come from these facts: 1) it wasn't that cold at night 2) the campsite was at 10,000ft which always makes people sleepy 3) Jason slept beside her and I (Meggan) was on the further side of the tent 4) Jason did the whole night time routine while I fell asleep.  

So 5:30am Sat morning we woke up, had breakfast, packed our packs, and drove out of the campsite by about 6:20am.  We were determined to get an early start to avoid any afternoon thunderstorms - something Colorado has had a lot of recently and something that the local 14,000+ft mountains are known for.

 

We left the car parked at the trail head (approx. 12,000ft) and started hiking in the cool shade and strong breeze.  The hike starts straight up along an old mining road, through some old mines.  The wind took our breath away as we kept hiking up and up.  Our guidebook suggested the total trip was 9 miles and might take 8 hours, but we were not exactly clear on what the starting point would be according to the book.  Before long it seemed that we were crossing a small snow field to ascend to the ridge.  On top of the ridge, we could see a few other hikers ahead, mountains to the West, and lots more wind ahead.  

The last mile to the summit is the real challenge of this one, as it gets steeper and, today, it was W-I-N-D-Y.  Rachel fell asleep for about a mile or so, but was woken up by the wind and wanted snacks frequently.  The wind just below the summit was anxiety-provoking for all of us, and we decided to take Rachel's cuddly Nunu blanket away from her and put it in the pack to prevent it from blowing away.  This caused her to start screaming, which only heightened the anxiety.  By the time we reached the summit, we were tired and decided that hiking with a screaming child in the wind was not much fun.  We attached Nunu back to Rachel's area of the pack with a beaner clip, and then sat down at a small wind block to have a snack and try to calm down and warm up.  Other hikers were relaxed and happy to hang out at the summit, but we were not sure if Rachel's upset was entirely about Nunu and thought it best to get her back down.

We made a decision on top of the mountain that we will be doing the next big hikes we do without Rachel.  We were not at any safety risk today, and we know that we CAN do these kind of things with Rachel.  Typically, she enjoys the outings for the most part.  But it's really not as much fun with Rachel as it would be without her and we would love to be able to relax and take our time and enjoy the views without worry.  Plus, although Rachel giggles, sings songs, cheers on other hikers and dogs, loves seeing animals and pointing out nature, we think she'd probably enjoy herself more at a playground or at home.

I tried to don Rachel in the backpack for the way down, but only made it 15 feet before I returned the pack to my mountain goat of a husband.  Rachel's pack is quite high, so the wind blows it and makes you feel off balance.  We made it down through the wind quite quickly and with no problems, enjoying the view of all the mountains around under a clear blue sky.  Many other hikers were on their way up, including several children and teenagers.  

Below the ridge we enjoyed sliding down a snow patch, and then I was able to take the backpack for the remainder of the descent.  Rachel fell asleep almost right away, and was still asleep when we returned to the car.  The whole trip, up and down with all our breaks, was just under 4 hours.  Stats from our Garmin to be uploaded still.  It was not the prettiest or most relaxing hike in the world, but it was a fun adventure and we were happy to check a new mountain off our list.

On the way home we drove through Alma for lunch, Breckenridge for a playground stop, and then successfully home with a sleeping girl to our Boulder home.  It was 92 degrees in our house when we got home, and we do not have air conditioning.  Hello summer!!!