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2003 Colorado Highpoints Expedition

(Click on the links for more detail about each highpoint, including pictures.)

Tom Buckley and I set out from Garland, TX, with the aim of capturing some state highpoints on the way to Longmont, Colorado.  On the way to Longmont, we bagged the highpoints of Kansas and Nebraska, despite a very suspicious appearing stop at a gas station in Kansas.  In Longmont, we met up with Jim Buckley.  From there, we did some acclimatization hiking in the Indian Peaks.

Next up, for Tom and I, was a hike to Chasm Lake at the base of the east face of Longs Peak.  The view from the lake is spectacular!  The walk out was under beautiful blue skies, but right as we neared the lake, a few clouds started to appear.  Our lunch break was cut short by a thunderclap, pointing out some now dark clouds behind us, the weather was deteriorating rapidly!  We packed up and headed back towards the trailhead, as quick as we could.  From Chasm Lake, it is quite a ways until tree line, so this hike was a little nerve-wracking.  We didn't get dumped on, though, until we were well into the trees and almost to the trailhead.

Me and Tom with the east face of Longs Peak in the background.

After this, we drove to Keystone, where we had the use of a condo for a few days.  We continued our acclimatization by ascending Mount Silverheels.  We brought the snowshoes in the car, but decided not to pack them.  The route we wanted to take was completely snow-covered, so instead we hiked up a steeper grassy flank.  This was a pretty good workout.

Me hiking up the grassy slopes.

Mount Silverheels.

We continued the acclimatization with some hiking on the (closed for off-season) ski slopes above the condo.  We spied a bear a little ways off at the bottom,  Farther up, the trees next to the ski lift seemed to be decorated with quite a lot of women's underwear.  We picked up a lot of loose change that had been dropped by previous skiers, so this was a profitable hike.

The base of the ski slope.  A bear was to the left.

Unused ski lift.

View down to Keystone.

With our blood thickened, we spent two days reaching the top of Mount Elbert, the high point of Colorado.  After this, we returned to Longmont, stopping for some Beaujo's pizza on the way back.  Tom and I then returned to Garland, adding the highpoint of Oklahoma along the way.

(Photos by Tom Buckley)