Why I Climb | Mt. Yale Vlog

14er season is upon us! For those who don't know, 14ers are mountains exceeding 14,000 feet. Colorado has the most 14ers in the country at 58. I've summited 8 of these mountains and am excited to hit double digits this summer.

Last night Rob pulled out our 14ner guide book to plan our next adventures. Talking about where we want to stay, the length of the climbs, and doing more than one mountain in a day made me so excited. Three years ago, I was not thrilled to hear about any of these details and was afraid of trudging up a 14er. I didn't appreciate the journey of getting to the top, hated waking up early, and despised the discomfort you experience when hiking for 6+ hours. Despite these feelings, I still decided to climb my first 14ner, Longs Peak. It sounds dramatic to say, but I was a different person after that hike. I appreciated my ability to work through the discomfort and keep moving forward.

There is something special about standing on top of a mountain summit. All your problems and anxieties down below seem small and insignificant. I am reminded of this every time I look at Longs Peak down here in Fort Collins. This feeling alone is one of the reasons I continue to hike up mountains. I always leave a mountain feeling empowered and strong. I also love eating whatever I want after the fact. ;)

Today I am sharing our venture up to Mt. Yale with our friends Andrew and Lauren. Rob and Andrew ran up the mountain (because they are crazy) while Lauren and I hiked. The guys summited twice: once by themselves and then again when they found Lauren and me. Did I say they were crazy? You'll notice how chipper I am at 4 am- a lot has changed in 3 years.

14,196ft, 4,300 ft gain, 9.5 miles, 6.5 hours, lots of pizza and ice cream; I couldn't ask for anything more.

The unabashed mountaineer,

Anna