James Peak

   For 2012, I set a goal of climbing 10 mountains above 12,000ft. On Saturday, Nick and I climbed our first one of the year, James Peak (13,294ft), which is just outside of Idaho Springs. We started at about 10,000ft and hiked up an old service road to St. Mary's Glacier. The glacier was rather steep, but the snow was firm, making it relatively easy for us to climb equipped with some yaktrax. Once we reached the top of the glacier, we were completely above treeline. There were beautiful vistas in every direction from the alpine tundra.

 We continued across the plateau and headed towards James Peak. We encountered several large snowfields, but had no trouble traversing them. We decided to take the steep and more direct route up to the summit. Besides, a telemark skier or two, we were completely alone. There was a thin layer of clouds covering the sun. It was a little gusty, which made it a bit chilly. I'd be lying if I said my calves and butt weren't burning on the last stretch up to the summit, but the hardest task of climbing a mountain is overcoming your self-doubt. It is important to set small goals when hiking up, and to not focus on the top.

   We made it to the top, a four mile trip, in about 3 hours. Strangely enough, the wind seemed to die down and the sun began to peek out of the clouds once we reached the summit. We took a short break before heading back down, and we enjoyed our lunch with some incredible views. 

 

   After the sun came out, the snowfields that we traveled up were becoming slushy. We stuck to the established trail for a large portion of the way down, where the snow was mostly avoidable. However, we definitely took the opportunity to do a bit of running, frolicking, and sliding down a few of the snowfields. This was actually easier and way more fun than climbing down the rocky scree with fatigued and weak, jello-legs.  

  We reached the glacier again around 1pm, and there were tons of people around the lake.  This part of the trip made me anxious, as I much preferred the peaceful and solitary experience we had at above 11,000ft. It took us 1.5 hours to get down, and we enjoyed a celebratory beer at the trailhead before heading back to Denver.

   Overall, it was a beautiful and almost perfect day in the high country. Not a storm cloud in sight and plenty of opportunities for great photos. I felt really good on the climb up and pretty confident. I am noticeably in much better shape than last year, which I attribute to my dedication to hiking and snowshoeing all throughout the Fall, Winter, and Spring. Now, I find myself extremely eager to climb another peak. There really is no better high than conquering, yet deeply respecting, a huge mountain.