chicagotransplant

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A Little About Me

Since I moved to Colorado from Chicago in May of 2004 I have been committing my free time to as much skiing as climbing as I can with a full time job.
Climbing Goals: As far a "list" goes, every ranked peak above 13,000' in Colorado, including the 14ers this is 637 peaks. 3000' on the 14ers would be nice, but if I get 2800' I'm not too worried about it. I also want to climb all of the 57 "Ultras" in the Lower 48.

I would like to improve my rock climbing. I am also starting to get into glacial peaks, but have been turned back twice in the Cascades.

Eventually I would like to get to some of the volcanos (only Orizaba so far) and other high peaks in Mexico and South America (Chimborazo, Sajama, Parinatcota to name a few). Kilimanjaro is also on my "life list", hopefully before the glacier melts.
Gear List: All of the basics needed (10 essentials etc.) for a typical summer hike. I also have snowshoes, two mountaineering axes, crampons, rock harness, helmet, various carabiners, quickdraws, a few cams, pulleys and prussiks for routes needing them. For camping I have a 3-season tent, 4-season tent, 20 degree and -20 degree sleeping bags

I also have a full complement of alpine ski gear, AT gear and nordic skate ski gear and am Level 1 avalanche certified.
Some Accomplishments: 1281 ranked Colorado peaks including all 53 Fourteeners, all 47 Centennial Thirteeners and all 100 Bi-Centennial Thirteeners. 637/637 peaks above 13k in Colorado. 55 ranked Utah peaks, 8 ranked Wyoming peaks, 10 ranked New Mexico peaks (including all of the 13ers), and 7 ranked Oregon peaks. I have also climbed Orizaba and La Malinche in Mexico; Cotopaxi, Cayambe and Rucu Pichincha in Ecuador; Matterhorn in Switzerland and Blanc du Tacul in France. I average over 150,000 vertical feet and close to 150 summits each full calendar year. I will hike/climb year round, but on a good powder day I'm at Vail or Beaver Creek.

Some scrambles I have done include The Sawtooth (Bierstadt), Kelso Ridge (Torreys), the West Ridge on Dyer, the SW Face on Kit Carson, The Northeast Ridge (direct) on Capitol, NW Face on Little Bear, Teakettle Mountain, Wilson-El Diente Traverse, Crestone Traverse and the Ripsaw and Grand Traverse in the Gore. I have done tech routes on Vestal (Wham Ridge Center Shift), West Trinity (North Face), Pagoda (North Buttress), Independence Monument (Otto's) and Window Blind Peak (North Rib)

Some of my winter and couloir achievements include 24 fourteeners and 11 Centennials in winter. I have also climbed Cross and Angelica on Holy Cross, Refrigerator on Ice, The Edwardian on Mt Edwards, Boudoir Couloir on Horseshoe Mtn, Hopeful on Hope, Grand Couloir on Aetna, North Couloir on Potosi and North Star Couloir on N Arapahoe to name a few couloirs. Some ski mountaineering highlights include 12 fourteeners, the Shooting Star couloir on James Peak, Independence on American Peak, North Couloir of Castle and Skillet Glacier on Moran. Got turned around a 12,500' on a summit attempt at Rainier in July 2006, and 9100' on Baker in June 2007 looking forward to getting back on the glaciers again soon!

I have also climbed all of the ranked peaks in Eagle, Summit and Lake Counties Colorado as well as all of the peaks in the Eagles Nest, Holy Cross and Collegiate Peaks Wilderness areas of Colorado. I have climbed 8 of the 57 Ultras in the lower 48.
This Year's Climbs(2023): Just a running list for myself to keep track of what I have done so far this year:

January: Sniktau

February: Quandary, Red BM

March: Pennsylvania

April: "Cupid", Tenmile, Hoosier, Red A

May: Bocco, PT 7868, Uneva, Blowout, Shavano, "Gold", Ophir, PT 13541, Twining, PT 9987, Bassam, PT 9170, Santa Fe, Sullivan, Geneva, Geissler East

June: "Mack Ridge", RB-18 BM, Tunnel, Thimble Rock Pt, PT 7182, "T10", Trico, Red #3, Bocco, PT 7868, Rinker, Guyot, Farncomb, Brewey, PT 10906, PT 9380

July: PT 13253, Holy Cross Ridge, Holy Cross, "Sneva", Uneva, Browns, Huron, PT 13738, Champion, PT 12699, "Oh Point", Engineer, Darley, PT 13140, "N1", Snowdon, "Rain", Bethel, James, "Heartbeat"

August: "Siberia", "Booth", Blanc du Tacul, Matterhorn

September: 10, Crystal, PT 9425, Deming, Meridian, "Northwest Corner", Swan, Red, "Peak C", Challenger, Kit Carson, "North Traverse"

October: "Golden Bear", Parnassus
Fellow SP'ers I have met and/or climbed with: Foxy Long Bottoms, shanahan96, jamienellis, Kiefer Thomas, mediadude, rlhansen, roozers42, Scott, Kessler, James Hay, haytraci, jfox, Haliku (RIP my friend), rkymtn, Peakbug, Old Guide, Axe, Bodacious, denalibound, DudeThatMustHurt, Aspen, cftbq, KM Donovan, smason505, MyFeetHurt, Britette, apierce, Kane, vanny37, Aaron Johnson, mtnhiker13, jeffrawn, kilimanjaro1, ktimm, denmtnman, BBailey, truchas, shknbke, COdave, altitude14er, asphazell, thebeave7, SarahThompson, zenalpinist, Maverick, Ryan Kowalski, Alan Ellis, cruzit, sarah.simon, RyanS, Kurt Wedberg, btmiller014, floyd, astrobassman, cheeseburglar, Westcliffe Willie, tonka, lmno, colinpence, ShredDeb, JohnKirk, Husker, Mooner, Day Hiker, BrianC, benners, mtnfire2469, Monster5, EastKing, metal4lyf, and have probably crossed paths with a few others I didn't realize were on this site.

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