Trip Report: (PICTURES) 14 hours on the summit of a 14er

[Summit CO]

At the suggestion and encouragment of several others, I am reposting this TR in the Trip Report forum because it kind of got buried as part of a gear discussion post: http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/forum_thread/3765/index.html

I spent the night on Grays Peak on Aug 12-13th. I was on the summit of the 14er for 14 hours!

I was not backpacking light. My pack was about 45lbs but only a fraction of it was mine. The rest was gear that I was required to carry.

We were on the summit for 14 hours.

It rained. It snowed. The Perseid meteor shower went on above us when the sky was clear. We watched the lighting all around us in the far distance). We didn’t really sleep. We were camped at the true summit with the tent only 3ft from the summit register.

Here are some pictures:

Ruby Mountain

Alpenglow on Ruby Mountain

The Sunset from the Summit at 8:40PM

Moonrise over Denver and the Front Range at 9:30PM

Moonlit Lighting Storm 11:30PM
(Bierdtsat, Evans, and Pikes Peak visible)

Dawn 6AM

Sunrise 6:10AM

Front Range

Iry

20 Mile Shadow

Definately Not Backpacking Light…

Ruby Gulch

Summit Camp

Cloudbank at 13,500ft

Descending into Horseshoe Basin 11AM
(Grays Lake, Argentine, Squaretop, Bierdstat visible)

I was up there in support of: http://www.montezumasrevenge.com
The most brutal 24 hour bike race in existance. Nobody has ever completed the course in 20 years.

I sure as heck wasn’t carrying a bike! That is only for the masochists’ masochists.

Carrying all the medical gear was enough (including a metal O2 cylinder and reg; luckily nothing was used). I took up so much space that I couldn’t bring my real camera gear!

I hope you all enjoyed the pictures I was able to get.

[Jay McCombs]

no one else has said it, but just wanted to let you know those pics are awesome.

[Elliot Lockwood]

Most people said wow in the previous post. Now it’s my turn: wow.

Thanks for capturing the images if you and your mates along with the views – we all envy them!

[David Walters]

I very it is only appropriate that I also take the time to compliment you on such inpiring photos. After just moving into the Front Range outside of Fraser I must say you capture all the beauty of the area. Thank you once again. Please continue to post your future photos.

[Jay McCombs]

drop me an email some time if you have time jayburd8 at yahoo.com some friends and I would like to visit that area.

[Nancy A Lubas]

Truly inspiring, not to mention incredibly beautiful, photos. Thanks for posting here – never would have found them otherwise! Cheers!

[Author]

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