TENT | BAIL-OUT POINT at 10,400ft. | MOUNT BLANCA | Dusk
The sound of rushing water in the distance is nearly deafening. The only thing louder was the silence before reached this point on the mountain.
Stillness reigns supreme.
The Mountain. Words nor pictures can do it justice. After a full day of climbing it’s treacherous embankments, we still cannot see any of the three peaks that exceed 14,000ft in height (Blanca Peak, Ellingwood, Little Bear). The smaller ones that tower above us in the waning sun are nowhere near the height of the peak we hope to bag… Blanca…
And yet as I look at them, the lesser brothers, I see no way my body, equipment, or even the terrain could ever make it possible. But of course we are not climbing these peaks… we are trekking ever closer to more difficult and technically challenging monsters.
Along the way we’ve passed several friendly climbers working on their descent as we slowly trudged our way in the opposite direction. Most of them failed to reach the summit of the peaks they’d attempted. A few had tried Ellingwood (the #2 peak) but had not succeeded due to weather conditions. Others had hoped to “bag” Blanca Peak, the highest, but didn’t even attempt it (again due to weather). In fact, out of all the people we passed (except two young men) no one made it. The two that had made it were glad they had succeeded but emphatically stated it was one of the stupidest things they’d ever done… what with all the slippery rocks faces and the dangerous possibility of lightening strikes. Beyond that, they said, “don’t even try to bag Little Bear Peak [the third highest] without climbing gear.”
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Yesterday was such a long day that none of us expected the insomnia which haunted our night. I arose around 3:20am and was not nearly the first one awake. I really thought I would be able to fall back asleep, but it wasn’t in the cards.
So, in a fit of brilliance that some would later call stupidity, John, Skip, and myself decided that a trek to the nearby sand dunes was in order. We wanted to see how far up the dunes we could climb in the two hours left before rally time.
Armed with two flashlights and just enough moonlight to outline the dunes, we set out with an intense desire for adventure.
These sand dunes are by far the oddest geographic anomaly I’ve ever encountered. Located at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range, the range that includes Blanca, these dunes stretch for miles and reach nearly as high as some of the lower peaks in the range that borders them. It is like the Sahara Desert… enormous drifts, huge cavernous valleys, and no apparent reason for their location made me wonder if, possibly, God was playing some joke here. If you are ever in Southern Colorado, I strongly suggest you visit this National Park.
In the moonlight of the morning we quickly realized there was no way we were going to summit any of the dunes’ highest ridges, but the view from the ridge we made it to was spectacular. Just three men, in the middle of nowhere, literally, standing on sand dunes that defied imagination.
It was an awesome and holy experience, one which I will never forget.
… the only other real thing worth noting was how winded I became. It should have been a huge warning sign but I didn’t think much of it at the time. The two-hour trek ended with shallow breathing and a depletion of energy for me. I should have noticed it and been prepared for what lie ahead, but I did not and was not.
It wasn’t until about 10:00 this morning (when we finally donned our climbing packs and began the ascent to Blanca) that I realized I was more affected by the altitude than the other guys. I noticed extremely shallow breathing and loss of energy.
As I’m quickly learning, extremely high altitudes are hard on the human body. The lack of oxygen in the air results in difficult breathing and extreme muscle strength depletion. No oxygen saturation in the blood means that muscles are not getting adequate oxygen for functioning… these muscles include the head, brain, and lungs. Those are the light symptoms. Only two of our guys have experienced the more intense symptoms, so far. Randy and Lee are suffering from vomiting, drop in body temperature, sickness, and nausea.
Tonight, we sleep off the trail at about 10,400ft. We began our ascent at Blanca’s base which boasts an already intimidating elevation of 8,600ft. Tomorrow we have another mile or two (including an elevation gain of 1,300ft) in order to reach Como Lake, our first real rally point. We had hoped to make it that far today, but after 6-7 hours of intense hiking/climbing we called it quits. We were all too exerted and the altitude sickness had been slowly sapping our energy.
Though the climb was EXTREMELY difficult, we continually were wowed by the views. You could see hundreds of miles. Range after range rose in the distance. It was like being in a plane and seeing the view from so far above the ground that it is almost surreal.
Entire storm systems could be seen and their path tracked across the plains. It has been an experience that defies explanation. I only can say that you can’t understand it until you’ve seen it for yourself and been the afforded the opportunity thanks to your physical stamina and exertion.
Today was, by far, the most physically strenuous, exhausting, and body annihalating thing that I have ever done. The non-stop hike on a trail that is so rocky you can barely find footing was bad enough… but combine that with a 50lb. pack, limited water & food, and the effects of the altitude… it’s a wonder that anyone makes it up.
Our trail to Lake Como, nestled snugly in the mountain peaks high above our heads, is also a 4-wheel drive trail (or road, as they call it). But do not be fooled, most Jeeps could never make this trip. It is a wonder that anything does. This road, Lake Como Road, is commonly known as the worst and most treacherous road in Colorado. And it is not even a road in the sense that any normal person knows. Because of the multiple deaths and rocks slides on this road/trail, most vehicles never attempt it anymore.
Everyone in our group, though, has made it this far and that is nothing to take lightly. Hopefully we will all be well enough to travel on tomorrow.
Tonight, I got the chance to speak for a few minutes about Proverbs 3:5-6 (“Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.” It was neat, especially the part regarding God making our paths straight. But the coolest moment happened after that as the guys began to speak their mind on the journey thus far and the impact it’s had.
To me it seems like little spiritual direction has taken place… but in their hearts God is working and that has been my greatest prayer.
So, as I drift off to sleep tonight with the rocky-cliffs to my left and pine forest rising to my right, I let the sound of the raging stream between them lull me to sleep. But as perfect as that is, I think that stories, events, lessons, and even burdens of the day is what will give me greater peace and deeper rest.