MOUNT DEMOCRAT
MOUNT democrat BLOG
June 3, 2022 | 10:21pm
In the parking lot of CoorsTek, I take a photo of the rented Nissan Murano, before the drive to Aspen.
Summit reached on 2016
June 4, 2022 | ≈5:21am -START of HIKE-
I parked the car along Montezuma Basin near the running creek [since I didn’t want to risk the drive through it], and began the attempt to walk the road.
June 4, 2022 | ≈8:19am
I decided to take a detour up through a snowy ridge, assuming I could beat the clock to the summit. As I ascended, the path got steeper and deeper in snow, even almost lost my ax hammer I brought with me.
June 4, 2022 | ≈12:16pm
After quite some time, traversing through the snowy and rocky pathway, exerting tons of energy, I made to the top of the mountain ridge facing Castle Peak. However, directly between was a dangerously deep valley of stones, forcing me to glissade back to the correct pathway.
June 4, 2022 | ≈1:30pm - 4:30pm
I continued along the correct path from the costly trailblazing, as my legs gave out from the near final ascension [maybe short of 500 to 1,000 feet from the summit]. This was the first time during a 14er expedition that I decided not to complete due to time efficiency and exerted strength.
June 4, 2022 | ≈5:47pm - 6:30pm -END of HIKE-
Full of disappointment, I made it be back to the car, believing I might have squandered this opportunity.
SECOND ATTEMPT
July 15, 2022 - July 16, 2022 | ≈7pm - 5am
This time I had a hiking partner, Kate. She drove her car up to a campground and we began our hike first thing in the morning.
July 16, 2022 | ≈5:30am - 6am -START of HIKE-
We came across the state flower, Columbine Flower.
July 16, 2022 | 7:09am
Of course, we did the right thing and walked along the obvious groomed path.
July 16, 2022 | 9:09am
We make our way near the bowl of the summit. During that I saw a start of the valley that divided the mountain ridge I was lost on and Castle Peak. I do remember Kate was a little winded, but she did a great job keeping good pace and time.
July 16, 2022 | 10:03am -REACHED THE SUMMIT-
Kate and I reached the top of Castle Peak! After 42 days, itching myself on failure, it was achieved.
