Feelin' Like A Fool!

Before The Climb...

Boy it sure had been a long time since I had been in the high country. I thought that this would be my summer to climb, but since my Dad won't let me solo, my climbing revolves around others' schedules. Since my Dad has been out of town, I had no partner until I asked my sister if she could get me into the mountains. We left the house at 2:30 a.m. on June 28th, and started the climb at 6:00 a.m. What a mistake our timing will turn out to be.

The Climb...Well Sort Of

We started up through the forest and I was feeling pumped, hoping to make the summit by 8 a.m. I guess that I forgot to mention that I was taking my out of shape couch potatoe sister with me. 6:20 a.m. "James! My Pack Hurts!" I fixed her straps and we were off again. I was beggining to question whether it was smart to bringing my out of shape, inexperienced sister along. 6:27 a.m. "James I feel really dizzy!!" She stumbled and huffed her way up the switchback to where I was. I asked her if she had been drinking enough water, "Yes" I then told her to layer down, and gave her the keys to the car. She said that I didn't have to wait up for her anymore, so I blazed up the trail.

Having that weight off of my shoulder I made good time up the switchbacks. As I would look around, I noticed how gloomy the sky was, and it wasn't even 7:00! I continued up the trail and took some pictures of the Three Apostles. What amazing peaks those are! I broke out of the trees and I glanced around again, Damn...Those clouds are growing. I looked north to La Plata, and I could see that she was getting rained on, and looked west, and saw a storm heading my way.I contined for about another 500 feet, until I looked again, No...No more.

The weather was sketch, my sister was sketch, I started down the trail, suprisingly I met my sister just above treeline. I told her the lo-down, and she agreed with my decision. We decided to take a snack break before making our descent. As we munched down on some chips we heard thunder. Time to go!


As we made good time we met two groups on thier way up, they asked us questions such as "You headed down already!?" and "You make the summit!?"
We informed them that the weather was closing in and closing in fast, and told them that we heard thunder. They seemed skeptical of my words, I wished them luck and safety as they passed. We continued down, down, and down. Each time I looked up, the sky was clearer and the clouds completely went around Huron, and even the clouds were off La Plata. I AM A FOOL! I told myself. We made the car by 9:00, and these were the conditions of the sky:

I kept kicking myself, what was I thinking!?! I blew that chance for us, but as some gratification it started to rain about an hour down the road. Crazy Colorado Weather Isn't it!?!

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