14000 feet – The Adventures of Messy Bun and The Bearded One

Fairplay

Fairplay and Alma are still my favorite tiny towns. We went to the “TGIFairplay” free concert event and were impressed by not only the town, but the welcoming people and friendly atmosphere. If you’re in Fairplay you have to take an stroll down their streets to stop by all the little shops and admire the historical sites.

For all my adult beverage connoisseurs check out South Park Brewery in Fairplay. Grab a Cherry Blonde craft beer at 9,953 ft, you won’t be disappointed. And if you do decide to stroll down the streets of Fairplay, swing by the South Park Distilling Tasting Room and let Megan hook you up with a fabulous cocktail! Not only did she make Amanda and I great drinks, she remembered our names and made us feel welcome.

Cherry Blonde South Park Brewery

Go Visit Megan at South Park Distilling Tasting Room

Breckenridge

We also visited Breckenridge for their Sunday Market which included lots of artisan hand made goods. It was a fun event, and we were able to walk around the town, shop, and swing by the Gold Pan (a bar established in 1879 with a rich history). I know Breckenridge is famous for skiing in the winter months but it’s just as beautiful and lively during the summer.

This has once again been an amazing trip. Not once did I feel like there was nothing to do. Our trip was packed full of activities and relaxation. As long as I’m still impressed by Colorado we will continue to enjoy our Colorado Adventures! See you next year Rocky Mountains.

Next years goal:

Hike Wheeler Lake again

Visit Blue Lake by Quandary Peak

Zipline

Natural Hot Springs

Quandary Peak

Well today we attempted to tackle our first 14er. For those of you don’t know, a 14er is a mountain peak that reaches 14000 feet elevation. Quandary Peak is 14,265 ft elevation, which is a pretty big deal.

Trail Head Sign- We should have read it better!

Last year in Colorado we hiked Hoosier Pass and made it to 11,500 feet elevation and this year we hiked it once again and made it to about 12,400 ft. So basically, Quandary Peak seemed like the perfect challenge. After doing our research it seemed like a pretty decent 6 mile hike. It’s a pretty popular peak because the trail is well maintained and labeled. It’s known as one of the less challenging 14ers, but apparently someone lied. This hike was ridiculous.

We started off pretty early and from the get-go I knew it was going to be tough. The mountain is pretty much a straight incline. There were no places that it flattened out and the terrain was pretty rough.

We began the trail straight through the trees. The trail was laid out well, but it was rough. Lots of rocks, and roots had to be climbed over and maneuver around as we began our ascent.

After about the first uphill mile I started to lose steam and had to slow down and pace myself. The boys decided to go ahead of us which was perfectly fine with me. Slowly and surely me and Amanda made our way further and further up the mountain. We were doing pretty well until we left the tree line and encountered the rocks. There are no word to describe the challenge these rocks gave us. For over a mile we climbed and climbed the rough, ridged rocks.

The Rocky Trail

We knew the boys were way ahead of us and we were even able to see them in the distance at times. There were several times we wanted to quit but we pushed through and continued on the path.

Well, we never quite made it to the top. By the time we hit 12,800 the Bearded One was starting his descent. He made it to 13,400. Two of our other buddies Josh and Joe pushed through and eventually made it to the full 14000 (whoohoo!).

Views during our climb

We tried our hardest!

I have to say, Quandary Peak was the most challenging physical activity I have ever encountered. After 6 hours on that dang mountain, I’m exhausted. Although I’m disappointed we didn’t all make it to the top, I’m really proud that we pushed ourselves up that strenuous mountain! The views and experience alone was totally worth the struggle. It was truly a once in a life time experience (I don’t plan on attempting it again anytime soon) and I’m glad I pushed myself.

Quandary Peak : 1

Messy Bun-Bearded One: 0