Goalwards: Twin Six Year Olds Set a Goal and Climb Two 13ers in Route to Their Frist Colorado 14er

It’s reached the point where I’ve climbed and camped and hiked in a lot of places. When people develop their passions, they also tend to develop favorites: favorite knitting needles, favorite beaches, favorite paints. So, I’ve developed my favorites, too: favorite shoes, ice axes… and hiking locations.

But what comes with favorites is comparison, meaning some other things are ‘not my favorites.’

So, while I love hikes and mountains in the Pacific Northwest, and (for some reason) I love Mayflower Gulch in Colorado, I don’t particularly like the Mosquito Range. That’s where Mount Sherman, the boys’ first 14er, sits. I settled on Sherman for their first because it is comparatively easy and I wanted my boys to have a taste of success, not because of the aesthetics. One of their 13ers that they summitted in their build up to Sherman is also in the Mosquito Range: Dyer Mountain. Again, I was thinking pragmatically about them getting used to the terrain and surroundings for when they would make their attempt of Sherman, not about the inherent qualities of Dyer, itself.

The other mountain in this video, and the boys’ first in their progression towards fourteen thousand feet, was Mount Sniktau. This is off of Loveland Pass, and sees a lot of foot traffic to join in the loud sounds of the nearby vehicle traffic. I think of Sniktau as a good avalanche safe ridge walk when you need some altitude for training but snow conditions make other routes unsafe… a kind of “last resort” climb.

Well, I should say that I “didn’t” particularly like the Mosquitos or Sniktau.

As I was putting this video together, celebrating the boys’ effort, I was struck by just how beautiful it all was. Sure, not the most beautiful by any stretch, but not ugly. Somehow I had been jaded by my other mountain experiences and built up in my mind the inferiority of these climbs. That’s kind of sad, really. These mountains have much to offer, and it was nice to really experience that and then relive it as I put together the footage.

One of the great things about having kids is that they allow you to see the world as new, again, through the excitement and awe they bring to each new experience.

Thanks to them, I got to experience these mountains as new, again, and it was amazing. Now, if I can just remember this lesson in the future…