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.
Having reached the fork in the trail and veered right toward Columbia, I was still in the forest but as I came
into a clearing, this is what was in front of me. The first thought was oh my goodness, do I have to climb over that?! Then
I saw the trail going around it but those rocky cliffs looked like perfect resting spots for mountain lions. I
did walk a bit faster around this huge rock.
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