Jason A. Muckley

Hiking My First Fourteener Today #Journey

Rocky Mountains
Mount Sherman / Photo by David Herrera on Flickr

This will probably be the only post today.

I am going for about a 6 hour hike in Fairplay, CO to climb to the top of Mount Sherman, which tops out at 14,036 feet. It is a “beginner’s” fourteener.

The weather looks great. There may be some clouds in the afternoon, when I am on my way down the mountain and off the summit. If time and weather permits, I am also looking to hike to the top of two other peaks, which are nearby, but lower: Gemini Peak and Dyer Mountain.

The hike is about an 8.4 mile out-and-back trail, rated difficulty is 5 out of 10, Class 2+.

The trailhead is a little over 2 hours from my house, which means it could be about a 10-hour day before I get home.

17 comments

  2. I climbed Long’s Peak in the summer of 1998 and just about died on that mountain. It was my first and only 14er. Glad I did it because I most likely won’t ever climb another 14er again. Have fun and be safe. Of course you know to watch out for afternoon storms and our infamous Colorado lighting. I also almost got altitude sickness at around 13,000 feet on the back side of Long’s. Be sure to stop every 20 minutes or so to rest and drink water and allow your body to acclimate. The air is definitely thinner up there too, so it helps to hike at a more conservative pace. I pray the Lord blesses your trip and protects you, have fun! God bless!

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    • Wow! That sounds scary… I was pretty “safe”… I went early, took breaks, but didn’t have all the right “stuff.” There were probably 100+ people on the mountain though so I am sure if something happened then someone would have had what I needed 😉

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