September 11, 2010 - Columbia Peak 14,073 ft - I got an early start from
home and had to use my headlamp for the first half hour of the hike through the forest. It took two hours to get to the fork in the
trail - left to Mt. Harvard or right to Columbia. I already did Harvard earlier, so to the right it was.
This hike ended up being the hardest one of the summer for me. The main reason for that is the steepness of the hike. There
were very few flat or even gradual ascents. As soon as I got out of the forest, it was a battle with the steepness, the loose
dirt, all the small rocks and those frustrating larger rocks that many times slid under my feet.
Have you ever hiked in a forest as daylight peaks through the trees? It is beautiful - from a sight, sound and
smell standpoint. I had just crossed this stream on a fallen log when I thought I would try to capture a little of
this surreal setting. It was a bit dark yet but the forest had a mystical quality that I wanted to catch.
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