#mountsherman

Let me start off with the preference that I believe no Fourteener should fall into the category “easy” or even “moderate.” They are all difficult. Yes, some are more difficult than others, and some require a different level of technical skills. However, this being my 5th Fourteener since moving to Colorado (I don’t count riding the cog-rail up to Pikes Peak when I was younger), Mt. Sherman was the least difficult one I have done up to this point. 

(Looking up the road at the trail head from the car)

Mount. Sherman is about 10 miles south of Fairplay, Colorado and only requires some time on a bumpy dirt road. We woke up super early around 4:15 am to ensure we were done before afternoon thunder, and more importantly, lighting storms in the area. As a general rule, it is advised you should be heading back down the mountain by noon to avoid lightning hazards. Given many recent injuries and even deaths on Fourteeners this year, this caution was motivation enough to get my ass out of bed even though mornings are never my strong suite. I like sleep, but I would not want to get caught in a lightning storm because I was being stubborn. So we arrived at the trail head around 7 am and started our ascent. 

The trail starts at an old abandoned mine called Sherman Mine (hense the name of the mountain), quite cool actually, and a couple of streams and small lakes. Usually this is one of the toughest parts of a hike; the first 30 minutes as your body is adjusting to the exercise. The acclimation was much worse because the trail head starts at 12,000 ft, so breathing is labored right at the start. However, before we knew it, we were starting the steep ascent over loose gravel and rocks. 

I had to keep myself motivated most of the time, literally telling myself to take one step at a time, to keep moving my feet. The mental aspect is probably the most difficult part for me on a Fourteener. The steep inclines, the heaviness on your chest because of the altitude makes it harder to just walk as you would on a normal trail. To my surprise, we made excellent time though, and I felt like I was more so enjoying myself than feeling like complaining (which is a miracle believe me). 

#adventureiscalling

Yes, there were multiple “false summits” and yes, every time we encountered one I almost felt like giving up, but eventually we made it to the top. It took us only 2 hours to reach the summit, and I had planned for 3 so that felt like an accomplishment in itself.

The view at 14,036 feet was, of course, amazing and what makes these journeys so worth the effort. It was quite cold up there, requiring extra layers, but we were able to hang out for a while and have a snack.

(obligatory pic on the summit)

And a beer for Chris.

(Chris’ beer from #aspenbrewing)

The descent was much slower-going as you had to really take your time on all the loose rock and gravel. This is where our hiking poles really come in handy and provide much needed reassurance with every step down.

We hiked down past a mine graveyard and stopped for some photos.

As we were nearing the bottom, we still saw lines of people heading up the mountain. I was glad we were heading down because dark, angry looking clouds were already gathering around the summit.

At the bottom, we explored The Sherman Mine, which produced 10 million ounces of silver in its day between 1968 and 1982. Hard to imagine this place when it was active with everything in ruins today.

Arriving back to the car, I felt pretty good. I wasn’t as exhausted as I had been in the past and I had another accomplishment under my hiking belt. All in all it was a good day.