“Hello from 14,200 ft.”
It’s a vicious cycle.
Every step makes every breath shorter. Every step means less available oxygen as you inch your way up the mountain. The less oxygen there is, the faster your muscles fatigue.
But you climb on, one foot in front of the other, promising yourself that no matter how much it hurts and how taxed your lungs are, you can go five more steps before resting.
Stopping seemed to induce vertigo, so I just pressed on as best I could. In retrospect, I think the altitude affected me more than I thought it was while on the mountain. By the time I had come to just 1,000 feet from the summit of Quandary Peak, I just wanted it too badly to allow myself much rest.
I paced myself by taking short, choppy steps and fell into a rhythm that pushed me up the mountain. People often say that outdoor sports such as biking or climbing or kayaking are man vs. the elements. I would mostly agree, but by the time I had emerged from the tree line, I realized it was going to be Augie vs. Augie.
It takes reaching deep inside yourself to squash all doubt. Turning around and heading back down is not an option. At high altitudes, seconds slow to minutes and the summit seems to grow taller despite your upward effort. False summits are completely demoralizing.
But you go on.
And when you win, when you reach the summit and sign the regristry that forever proves your triumph, the pain and the aching turns into a joyous intoxication of soul. For me, hitting the 14,000 foot mark was a very spiritual thing. Many that I passed and those I shared the panoramic views with said it would not be worth the pain if not for the view. Not true of me.
For me it was beating myself, conquering a challenge and inwardly proving I have the guts to keep pushing on. It was about setting and meeting a goal. That’ s a special feeling, one that has my soul still a bit drunk on triumph, even a week after the fact.
Don’t be mistaken. The views are incredible and the sheer magnitude of where you are when you stand atop a peak is exhilirating. The world you know below seems so distant. The solitude and great expanse almost induces claustrophobia in a strange sort of way.
You don’t want to go back down, mostly because you know the hike back down is going to be brutal, but more so because the Heavens seem to be within reach. And let’s not be mistaken, the climb down is every bit as excruciating as the climb up.
Before I headed back down, I called my dad and said “Hello from 14,200 feet.” I sent the same text message to many of my friends. Yeah, I was bragging. Many were at work. I know, that’s just wrong of me.
But I am now most certainly addicted to climbing and am already planning my next ascent. I now understand why the oft considered “crazies” plan excursions up Everest. I now understand and appreciate John Krakauer’s writing about summit attempts much better.
Mountaineering is most certainly one of the more trying outdoor sports and in all its beauty and grandeur, is a symbol of man’s will to conquer the toughest Mother Nature has to offer, but most certainly within the confines of a deep respect for her.
Get outdoors.
Best,
Augie Frost
In the pictures:
The first is of yours truly atop the summit, my back to the west. The second is of the mountain taken from Coloarado State Highway 9, about a mile south of the peak. It doesn’t look near as daunting as it is while climbing. The last is of the ridge leading up to the summit. You can see the trail snake along the spine nearly all the way down. The view is looking to the east.
Mountain Info:
You can learn more about the Colorado 14′ers by visiting the below link:
For more specific information on Quandary, use the links below. I took the east ridge trail, which is left difficult – though longer – than the other routes to the summit.
http://www.breckenridgeclimbing.com/
http://14ers.com/photos/peakmain.php?peak=Quandary%20Peak
My First Big Summit
Tomorrow morning, while all my co-workers are just getting out of bed, I will be at the base of Quandary Peak, prepping for my first summit of one of Colorado’s famed 14′ers.
To say I am excited is an understatement. This is something I have wanted to do for a long time. The last time I was anywhere near 14,000 feet was on the ridge of Arapaho Basin Ski area in Colorado. But I got there by way of a ski lift, so this is a completely different monster.
I’ll be counting on my own two stems to get me up Quandary Peak, which tops out at just over 14,200 feet. That’s higher than the famed Pike’s Peak, by the way.
I’m just glad I am going to be able to get on the mountain while in Breckenridge for a wedding. I’ll check back in when I get home.
Get outdoors.
Best,
Augie Frost
For the wakeboard party animals
The Central Oklahoma Wakeboarding Center will hold its one-year anniversary party event beginning at 11 a.m. July 26.
During the event, visitors can participate in wakeboarding and other activities while eating hot dogs.
This is the fifth cable wakeboarding park in the U.S. The closest other parks are located in New Braunfels, Texas, and Kansas City, Kan.
For more information about the park, call 282-9253 or go to www.wakeboardoklahoma.com
Tim Henley
A wannabe wakeboarder
The Illinois River
I have lived in Oklahoma for eight years and I just now floated the famed Illinois River near Tahelquah.
Good times, sure. But, it’s not the kind of float in which peace and quiet is awarded. In fact, it’s quite the opposite and I can see now why some Oklahoma officials wished to ban alcohol on portions of the river.
No matter how much you would like to think people are intelligent enough to NOT drink too much beer while on a river that is four feet higher than normal, there is no sense in that sort of faith.
Countless times we watched people dump their rafts over, spilling coolers and beer cans into the swfit current. At least twice we had to swim out and save stranded swimmers, some of which had no business being on such a quick current.
But I will digress. I had a blast, no doubt. For the socialites out there that enjoy the outdoors and summertime backyard parties, the Illinois is for you. I can finally scratch the experience off my list as a sort of Oklahoma pasttime.
The Illinois River is great, but the next time I go for a float, it will be where a little peace and quiet flows with the current.
From the river my buddy and I headed out to Lake Tenkiller, to a secret spot my friends and I have been camping at for years. I won’t reveal that location other than to say it is on the east side of the lake near Cookson. Good luck finding it.
But this spot is the best spot for watching the sun fall on the lake. We camped right on the water and for the second trip in a row, we watched a lightning storm roll in on us from across the lake. That is a beautiful experience.
What was perhaps best was waking up at 9:45 a.m. in a tent and not being sweaty. The cloud cover and cool air off the lake allowed me to sleep like a baby.
Tenkiller is about as Heavenly a place as Oklahoma knows, so all in all, it was a great weekend for being outside.
-Augie Frost
Where to go: We used the Diamonhead Resort for our raft outfitting. They also rent canoes and kayaks, but the river level dictates what sort of boat you can rent. The river was at 7 and 1/2 feet Saturday and I have to say, it was moving. At 9 feet, no floats are permitted. There are also campgrounds on the premises at Daimondhead and it appeared as though there was going to be a pretty wild party that night, if you’re into that kind of thing. There are several other outfitters in the area and most will offer anything from a 6 mile float trip to a 25+ trip.
http://www.diamondheadresort.us/
Teeing with the family
If you’re looking for an evening of teeing with the kids, KickingBird Golf Club is holding an event aimed at attracting families to the greens.
Family Fun Night will be held at 5 p.m. July 26, Aug. 16 and Sept. 13 at Kickingbird Golf Club, 1600 E Danforth in Edmond.
Cost is $5 for a cart and $5 for green fees. Hot dogs and drinks also will be sold.
During the event, families can play nine holes. I have attended this event in previous years, and there are usually several parents participating in the golf game with their young children.
For more information, call 341-5350.
Tim Henley
Life saver
You’re never to young to learn how to save someone’s life.
Young swimmers who are interested in developing lifeguard skills can attend the Guardstart class at Pelican Bay Aquatic Center in Edmond.
The cost is The class will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Aug. 18-22. During the class children and teens ages 12 to 14 will learn the skills that are needed to succeed as lifeguard.
To sign up for the class, participants must be able to perform a 25-yard front crawl and be able to swim underwater for 10 feet.
To enroll, call 216-7655 or 359-4630.
Tim Henley
Don’t ride the lightning!
I can remember it vividly. On a hot July day last year, me and two friends went hiking in the Wichitas. Clouds began to roll in, giving us a nice respite from the blistering heat. But then those clouds began to darken.
I was still pretty high on Elk Mountain, on an exposed bare granite face. Distant rumbles carried a simple message.
Get down. Now.
I’ve had plenty of similar warnings. On Mount Elbert in Colorado three years ago, dark clouds to the east began spitting bolts of lightning 10 miles away as I began my descent from the summit. Despite leaving early enough to avoid normal weather patterns for that time of year, we got a little surprised by this early storm.
A year before that, storms raked a group of us winding our way up Mount Belford’s lower flanks. The instantaneous “FLASH-BANG!” of thunderbolts right overhead was a harrowing ordeal. Inspecting our campsite, my group could tell how brutal such storms could be. Many of the trees were stunted and blackened at their tops by similar events.
I bring this up just to emphasize the danger of lightning this time of year. On Friday, USA Today reported that five young people died this week from lightning strikes. According to the National Weather Service, 62 people die each year in the U.S. from lightning strikes. Forty-five died last year, and hundreds were injured. Sixteen have died so far this year.
When hitting the rocks or heading to the high country, it’s always wise to watch the weather. Here’s some tips from the National Weather Service:
Watch for Developing Thunderstorms: Thunderstorms are most likely to develop on spring or summer days but can occur year round. As the sun heats the air, pockets of warmer air start to rise and cumulus clouds form. Continued heating can cause these clouds to grow vertically into towering cumulus clouds, often the first sign of a developing thunderstorm.
An Approaching Thunderstorm: When to Seek Safe Shelter: Lightning can strike as far as 10 miles from area where it is raining. That’s about the distance you can hear thunder. If you can hear thunder, you are within striking distance. Seek safe shelter immediately.
Outdoor Activities: Minimize the Risk of Being Struck: Most lightning deaths and injuries occur in the summer. Where organized outdoor sports activities take place, coaches, camp counselors and other adults must stop activities at the first roar of thunder to ensure everyone time to get a large building or enclosed vehicle. Leaders of outdoors events should have a written plan that all staff are aware of and enforce.
So there you go. Let’s be safe out there. Get that mountaintop experience (Elk Mountain or otherwise!) and live to tell about it.
Bob Doucette
Alpine experience close by
Looking for an alpine experience, but not looking forward to 12 to 14 hours on the road? One of our neighboring states has just the thing you need.
Red River, N.M., is probably one of those places you’ve skied, mostly because it’s so close. But the town is also close to the Wheeler Peak Wilderness Area. Trust me, this place is worth seeing if you’re into natural alpine settings.
Red River is about eight to nine hours from Oklahoma City. Once there, find a place to bunk down and get ready for your trip into the woods. You come into Red River via Bobcat Pass. Go back that way, but instead of going straight back up the pass, hang a right at a Y intersection in town and follow that road until it ends. From here, you can start walking to a traihead to the East Fork Trail or continue driving up a dirt road to the Middle Fork Trailhead.
The East Fork Trail is long — 10 miles from trailhead to the summit of Wheeler Peak, New Mexico’s highest mountain at 13,161 feet. It’s probably the least traveled of the three trails to the summit and is spectacular in terms of natural beauty. You’ll walk through pine and aspen forests right up to treeline. Wildlife abounds. Not a lot of campsites along the trail, however.
The Middle Fork trail is more traveled, and for good reason. Low on the trail is a series of waterfalls and a lake that is a popular campground. Keep moving past that and the traffic thins out considerably. Somewhere between 10,000 and 11,000 feet you’ll find Lost Lake and some good campsites that aren’t too heavily used. My last visit there produced lots of scenery and sightings of bighorn sheep. Two walked right through my campground when I was making breakfast. The trail is eight miles from trailhead to summit.
These two trails merge just past Lost Lake and lead to Horseshoe Lake at about 11,500 feet, which is at timberline. Again, great scenery.
The third trail is from the Taos side of the mountain. It is the shortest, but steepest of the three. It’s one I haven’t done. It’s also the most heavily trafficked and from what I’ve read, the least scenic.
What this means is you have a couple of opportunities. One, get away in a place that is officially classified as a wilderness area. Two, if you summit the peak, you can proudly claim to have stood on New Mexico’s highest point.
If you’ve been here before, share your stories here with the rest of us by commenting on this site!
Bob Doucette
Take me to the river
So my most recent excursion was not to any destination in Oklahoma, but close enough.
Actually, my most recent trip doesn’t count. Good times at Grand Lake for the Fourth hardly counts. So we’ll backpeddle a bit and I’ll share a note on a float trip a friend and I took down the Buffalo River in Arkansas.
We were set to do the last 25 miles of the Buffalo, so we left early on a Friday morning and drove about 4 hours from Tulsa to Yellville, AR and then a few miles south to our put in spot. We used Wild Bill’s Outfitters for our canoe rental.
We got a late start, but were on the river by late afternoon. Not a mile downstream the first grumbling of a chasing storm was heard. Mike pleaded to shore and camp, but I encouraged us to push on. We paddled at a more feverish pace. Mike was a bit weary of the nearing lightning, bolts seen, but not yet heard. I knew the the worst of the storm was still a good distance away and we could continue on. It was quite entertaining to see the panic in Mike. My not being concerned bothered him deeply.
For the first four or five miles, we saw nobody and as he paddled, I snuck a cast hear or there. The first smallmouth bass I caught angered Mike, for he prides himself on being the first. He was equally angry that we were being hunted by a thundering storm and I was more concerned with fishing.
Finally I gave in and we shored, began setting up camp. Our timing turned out to be impeccable. We got all our dry gear bags, coolers and fishing gear in our tent just in time. There was no way the group we had just passed – the first people we saw on the river – had camp readied in time for the downpour that kept us in our own tent for an hour or more laughing over a beer.
The rain stopped and we got out onto the sandy beach we had chosen. The peace was unmatched. The sounds of traffic, phones, etc., were gone. Only audible was the distant rumbling of thunder and the churning of a small river chute about 100 yards away. The sound of the river’s casual descent toward the Mississippi River was hypnotic.
The next morning we were on the river an hour after the sun broke through the fog blanketed river bluffs. Just a sidenote, but what is remarkable about the Buffalo River is that it is a national river, so you can camp anywhere you want along the river. Our spot was prime.
Anyway, we paddled at a slow clip, occasionally putting down the paddle to wet a line. At every chute, we would run it, then get out and cast up stream. This was where most smallies were caught. But we also played, wrestled like youngsters in the water or just floated. A sound piece of advice? Take a pair of goggles.
The river was our playground.
At the end of day two, we again set up camp right along the river. Both Mike and I were done for and asleep early. We still had a good half day of paddling ahead of us, the last 6 miles of the river before it dumps into the chilly White River.
All in all, it was a fantastic trip. The peace of mind was unmatched and the scenery at times hard to believe was so close to home. I’ve been to the Natural State on many excursions, but this was by far the best.
I think the next on my list is going to be in southeast Oklahoma. Do share.
Until next time,
Augie Frost
p.s. Mike and I sang “Take Me to the River” by Talking Heads the entire trip down the river.
Get On Your Bikes and Ride…
When gas prices hit $3 a gallon a few years ago and we were all aghast, I bought a Stella scooter. The little mint green wonder gets about 90 to 100 miles-per-gallon and it’s 2-gallon tank used to fill up for just about $5. Now I fill up for just under $10.
I had the idealistic notion that I would ride this scooter everywhere. I’d be thrifty, I’d use less gas and I would have more money to do other things…like buy groceries. Well, I’d like to say that I’ve lived up to that promise, but mostly the scooter is for joy rides and idulgent trips just for the sake of riding.
This weekend I’ve got a real reason to ride. The Individual Artists Gallery, located at 811 N. Broadway, will showcase scooter art Saturday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Rally on the Alley, a benefit for IAO, will showcase classic scooters, scooter related art, films and performance as well as music, food and a cash bar. The gallery will also hold a raffle giving folks a chance to win a Aprilia Scarabeo 100. Ok, so not everybody will win the scooter, but I’m sure there will be plenty of scooters, old and young at the event. Check out an old P-Series Vespa that sat in a garage for 20 years, or even better — maybe someone will show up with a Cushman scooter.
Either way, there should be plenty to gawk at — and me. Although, you can’t laugh when it takes me three tries to kick start my scooter while my husband is already miles down the road on his scooter. All I can say is, I need all the practice I can get.
See you there.
Julie Bisbee
State Reporter
