A Wonderful Antidote Over the Last Two Years

In my youth I hiked, climbed, and skied mountains all over Austria, Italy and some in Switzerland, and I still remember the exhilarating feeling of freedom arriving at a summit. In most instances, it took many hours, or even days of hiking, rock and ice climbing and sheer willpower to reach the much-coveted summits. But standing alone on top of a mountain on a nice day and taking in the breathtaking scenery of 360-degrees of the Alps is an unforgettable experience. Mountain peaks and valleys can be viewed without any sign of human encroachment. Not so long ago I came close to that feeling in Antarctica (Coastal Breeze News article on February 3, 2022), and although it was another lifetime experience, it did not involve strenuous walking or climbing and therefore did not offer the satisfactory feeling of reaching a difficult goal.

Over the past years I have been fortunate enough to enjoy visits in the Colorado mountains. I only really discovered the “Centennial State” when my son treated me to a mountain drive over a long weekend. Even from the road, the Rockies offer a scenery every bit as beautiful as the European Alps, albeit different. There are more “high” roads in Colorado connecting ski resorts at a higher altitude compared to the Alps, where most of the ski slopes end right back in the village at the lower end of the mountains. Mount Evans Scenic Byway is a spectacular paved road allowing you to drive up to a stunning 14,132 feet, and Pikes Peak’s 14,115 feet summit can be reached via a paved road. Only in the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, at the border of Tibet, have I driven to similar heights. The world’s highest paved road built for the Indian army, but also to promote tourism, was only inaugurated last December. The Umling La Pass Road near the Chinese border in India reaches 19,300 feet and thus is almost 1,000 feet higher than the base camp for Mt Everest. 

Colorado is home to 58 peaks of a height of more than 14,000 feet and locals affectionately call them their “14ers.” Forced to spend work and leisure time at home over the last two years, young and old have embraced the challenge of climbing and hiking these peaks in summer and even in winter at a rate that is 40% higher than in 2018. Six-year-old Alex Hamilton is the youngest, and Jim Strub at 92 the oldest to have summited all of them. 

Many of us have experienced a period in our life of disturbing insecurity. Even if everything is going well, we suddenly question our judgment and our job, wondering if we should continue as we are or if we should seek a new direction. Is this what we will be happy with for the rest of our life? Will we make enough money to retire comfortably? Many may opt for a change of routine by taking time off for a sanctioned sabbatical. Some college bound students take a “gap” year off, but that is before real life with responsibility starts. And then there is the so-called midlife crisis.

The last two years during the pandemic have changed that a lot for more people than ever since World War II. In general, people born after that war have had more choices and possessions than the previous generation, and this myriad of choices in the years following have been wonderful but have made life’s decisions and future planning also more complicated. During this time temporary escapes from the present have become a must for so many. People want to reevaluate themselves. The solutions range from totally quitting and becoming the equivalent of a “beach bum” to a “leave of absence” with a possible “safety net” for a later return. Challenging goals that the average person does not attempt can be tough. Perhaps involving some danger is a fairly responsible outlet but not for the ones temporarily left behind. One such activity is climbing and hiking in remote areas enjoying the tranquility of being embraced by nature and allowing ample time to find oneself.

Welcome to Colorado’s “14ers.”

To continue learning and challenging himself amidst a hectic job as an educator and to experience more of the beautiful state, my Florida born son, Nico, has now climbed or snowboarded 39 of the 58 14ers, six in winter conditions. He explains: "I was hiking the famous mountainous "O Circuit'' in Patagonia [in Torres del Paine National Park, Chile] when a couple asked me, 'but don't you have mountains like these in Colorado?'" "It made me realize that I needed to explore more of my home state." Quite a few of the 14ers are an easy hike in the summer and a good start. From there, one slowly progresses to the more strenuous mountains. Nico explained that to avoid too many people, camping at the trailhead the night before a climb and leaving during the dark early morning allowed him to enjoy the summit by himself on at least a third of his climbs. Even on “Longs Peak,” which is one of the most popular summits of the “14ers,” he summitted early in the morning in spring snow conditions after a storm the day prior and was totally alone. Weather is a major factor and can change a climb from relatively easy to very complex in a heartbeat. It is always best to make sure to be off the mountain around the middle of the day. However, just before the end of last winter he spent 14 and a half hours on a hike/climb. 

Despite perfect weather forecasts, storms can suddenly appear mostly in the afternoon. Experienced climbers download every available detail about a trail beforehand as security. 

Our son took a mountaineering course at the Colorado Mountain School, AIARE 1 Avalanche training and Avalanche Rescue courses and attempted to climb Mt. Rainier during the extreme heat of last summer with NOLS, the well-known non-profit global wilderness training school. The climb had to be abandoned as record high temperatures melted too many of the natural snow bridges used to reach the summit. Last winter’s climbs included Colorado’s highest mountain, Mt. Elbert at 14,433 feet, and three summits during a 45-mile round trip over three days in the Weminuche Wilderness without meeting one other person during the entire adventure. 

Long time well-known Marco Islander, Richard (Rich) Reisinger and his wife Tisha, have also experienced Colorado mountain hiking. They have summited six “14ers,” including Mt. Elbert, so far during short vacations from his Marco Island Beach concession during the summer months. Rich, who traveled the world as a youngster due to his father’s work for the State Department, can’t wait to go back to Colorado this summer, perhaps meet up with Nico and attempt a few more summits. These guys go back a long time when Nico and his older brother, Chris-Heijn, worked for Rich at his beach concession during high school. The Reisinger’s love for nature seems to have rubbed off on their fifteen-year-old twin daughters, Emily and Katelin. According to their father, they rather go camping and hiking than stay in a luxury hotel.

It is my plan to follow up with them at the end of this summer and vicariously live through their experiences for an update in the Coastal Breeze News.

Ewout Rijk de Vries and his wife, Jill, brought America Travel Arrangements to Marco Island almost 40 years ago. They specialize on high end small adventure tours and small safari groups for clientele all over the world, but also are experts on high end cruises with the help of longtime assistant and friend, Michelle Wegman. In combination with his writing and photography, Ewout has visited over 90 countries. Please direct your comments or questions to ewout@photodevries.com as he likes to hear from readers.