Hiking 1:05:00 [1] 9.2 km (7:04 / km) +907m 4:44 / km
shoes: 201304 NB 860
After the model, I drove to Alma, CO to hike my first 14er. The plan was to drive six miles on Route 8 to Kite Lake, hike Mt. Democrat, Mt. Lincoln, and Mt. Bross, and return. I made a 30 minute error when I drove past route 8 and had to double back, and "Route 8" turned out to be an unpaved, heavily potholed, rocky death road. I was terrified my rental Versa's suspension would be unable to handle it.
I started my hike quite late - at about 5:30. I reached the Col at 45 minutes, and summited Mt. Democrat - my first 14er - at trip time of 1:15, after my GPS died. I tried to push as hard as possible without redlining, and I only walked or jogged. I returned to the Col at about 1:40 after taking pictures for ten minutes on the summit; at this point, I should have descended - especially since I had forgotten my flashlight. While acknowledging that my actions were stupid, I decided to ascend to Mt. Cameron with a turnaround time of 2:15 - about 7:45. I reached the top at exactly 2:15, snapped a few pictures, and promptly turned around. I hit the Col again at 2:35, and reached my car by 3:15 as total darkness descended.
I hiked minimally - shorts and a t-shirt, a fleece, 1L of water, some trail mix, my camera, sunscreen, and a small tripod. I saw a marmot and some pikas. On my descent on the road of hell, I saw a moose and came across a truck that had lost a wheel. I gave four self described hippies (who may have consumed some marijuana and alcohol) a two mile ride.