14er in a kilt?

[irishcoloradoan]

Hmm, now I'm torn. I know how awfully cold the top of those hills get, and i'm all for hiking in the kilt, but I'd rather not have my long hose on. Perhaps I could put it down for the easy part and then up when it gets chilly? I'll be packing the columbia coat for the higher parts for sure, now I'm just concerned about the lower body and extremities.

[RB51]

Hope I don't appear too dense here but what, exactly, is a 14er? Done a lot of hiking but never heard of it

thanks

Laurie

[Nighthawk]

Hope I don't appear too dense here but what, exactly, is a 14er? Done a lot of hiking but never heard of it

thanks

Laurie

It's a Coloradoan term. It means a mountain who's peak is at least 14,000 feet above sea level. Trees stop growing for lack of oxygen after about 12,000 feet- just for perspective.

[RB51]

It's a Coloradoan term. It means a mountain who's peak is at least 14,000 feet above sea level. Trees stop growing for lack of oxygen after about 12,000 feet- just for perspective.

Thanks for providing this defintion, and sorry for not thanking you sooner...seems I neglected to note where the thread was and couldn't for the life of me find it again (note to self - PAY ATTENTION). From the pics it looks like a nice hike...glad it went well.

Laurie

[McNulty]

Great pix! Looks like a great trail and the wild flowers are just coming out... at least the Indian Paintbrush in one pic. Hiking kilted is the only way to go. I usually put on a pair of polypro boxers when hiking in any weather as they keep me cool/warm and dry..
Grand Mesa after a hail storm last Aug.

A trail at the base of the Flattops

Last Fall up on the Flattops

[ForresterModern]

It's a Coloradoan term. It means a mountain who's peak is at least 14,000 feet above sea level. Trees stop growing for lack of oxygen after about 12,000 feet- just for perspective.

Mr Wizard here again. Yes they are called 14ers because their peaks are above 14,000 feet above sea level, Mt Elbert I beleive being the highest in Colordo by only a few feet. To my recollection Colorado has more 14ers than any other state and there is actually a club you can join if you have surmounted all of them.

One correction about the treeline is in order. Trees stop growing above a certain altitude for a combination of reasons but oxygen is not one of them. Trees clear CO2 out of the atmosphere and MAKE oxygen rather than use it. The altitude restricts the absolute concentration of CO2 for plants the same way it does for O2 needed by animals, partially choking off its abilitiy to grow. Add to this the tendency for the areas above tree line to be covered with snow for longer periods of the year making the growing season far shorter than at lower altitudes. And the little remnant organic material present as nutritional resource (nothing grows so nothing is shed to be decomposed to nourish new plant life to grow again) and erosion takes its toll with little actual soil remaining for trees to root into. Grasses, low shrubs and lichens (less metabolically demanding than trees) will grow up to a higher altitude but even they run out of sustenance at a point and the slopes become completely lifeless. For similar reasons animal life disappears nearly at the same levels with some exceptions---voles, martins and marmots, and the mountain goats and sheep (which migrate up and down depending on the weather and snow coverage).

Any 14er is quite an accomplishement at any time of year as they generally remain snow covered the year round, and the air becomes dangerously thin of O2 after about 11000 feet, making every foot step upward exponentially harder, without supplemental O2.

Congratulations to those who have made it. One day, when I shed the weight of a small vietnamese family myself, I may give it yet another go.

[GMan]

Have made a few of them to the top, very few Kilted.

This thread has inspired me to climb them all Kilted.

[MacKay71 Wife]

Congrats and great pics! I have done quite a lot of hiking, but all on the East Coast (Appalachian Trail, etc.). Also, I teach rock climbing and rappelling.
My husband has an aunt and uncle that live in Loveland, but despite a few invitations, we've never made it out there. Your pictures just might change my mind!

[Livingston]

Your husbands Aunt and Uncle would be less than an hour away from where we are right now.

[pastorsteve]

When you did Gray's Peak did you take the extra hour and do Torrey's also? They are side-by-side so when I do one I do the other. Long's Peak is on the slate for this month before we get too close to snow. Thanks for including the photos.