Labor Day 14er Double-Header pt 2: Handies Peak w/ Kenz

Wetterhorn w/ Caden’s replacement, Natalie

Uncompahgre w/ Jack, Pete, Kenzie, and Lilly!

San Luis Peak from the South w/ Caden

Morning Ride

Turns out the 2wd trailhead is actually an extremely rough 4wd road the CRV would’ve never survived. Hiked an extra 3 miles to the trailhead and continued up into the dark. 
Near treeline a headlight emerged from the dark heading towards me (down the mountain). Thought someone must’ve really gotten after it until this stranger stopped in front of me and explained her scary 30 minute encounter with a mountain lion. Apparently she was going for a sunrise summit but just above treeline a mountain lion had started running after her. She’d yelled and all but the thing only pranced around as if playing. Sounded terrifying and she asked if I wouldn’t mind hiking with her. Fairly scared myself at this point, I was more than happy to have a hiking buddy :)
We ended up hiking all morning together chatting about everything from our crazy cross cultural experiences to criterion collection movies. Worked together on the class 3 section of which I was very glad to have a buddy on. Definitely one of my favorite climbs of any 14er. Very playground feeling without much extremely consequential exposure or technical moves. First summit of the day too. 
Natalie had also driven all the way up the “2wd” road in her work truck and I very happily took a shuttle back down to my car :)

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Palmer Bowles @hot-potato

Wetterhorn w/ Caden’s replacement, Natalie

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Labor Day 14er Double-Header pt 2: Handies Peak w/ Kenz

Wetterhorn w/ Caden’s replacement, Natalie

Uncompahgre w/ Jack, Pete, Kenzie, and Lilly!

San Luis Peak from the South w/ Caden

Morning Ride

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