Memoirs, part 4: Hike #2: Thatchtop

Thursday. 7:30 - 2:45.

Bear Lake to Sky Pond - about 3.5 mi

Sky Pond to Thatchertop - about 1.5 mi

Thatchertop by Solitude Lake, through Glacial Gorge back to Bear Lake - about 5 mi

Overall: about 10 miles, about 3,400 feet elevation gain (start 9,400 and topped out at 12,836)

This was an incredibly intense hike. It started out pretty normal. Many people hike to Sky Pond (pic #1). It is lovely. It is nestled against a lovely piece of the Continental Divide. However, my guide, Derek Brooks, a Duncan native who came out for a summer a few years ago and now calls Estes home (I'm finding out that this is a common occurrence out here) figured out I'm hardcore, and suggested that we find a way up to Thatchtop Peak. We didn't exactly know how to get there, so he suggested the rocks on the left side of pic #1. They are also in pic #2.

This was out of control. We climbed (not hiked, climbed) this loose-rock face in about an hour and a half (it had taken us about 2 hours to get to Sky). When I tried to take out some trail mix, Derek looked at me and said, "No. You're going to be a hard-core hiker today. No eating until we summit." I thought this was halariously mean. Anger was my energy source up the rock face.

Looking down was incredible to see how far we'd come, and surprisingly much more encouraging than looking up at what we had ahead. Pic #2 is about halfway up the face.

I have a t-shirt from Longs Peak that says "You've never really lived until you've almost died." When any miscalculated step could send you plummeting to a stony death, I realized that that idea is more than just an adrenaline rush - it's indescribably humbling and exhilarating at the same time. Humbling in that you realize how small you are and how incredibly fragile your life is. When we finally reached the top, I felt this paradoxal pride coupled with humility. Pride in that, "Wow, look what I just did. I'm flipping amazing," but then humility in that, "What nearly killed me, God formed with one breath. Wow."

When we got to the top, this is the view of the other side. That ridiculously huge piece of granite in the center is the back (northeast) side of Longs Peak. Chris and I climbed that last summer. Doesn't she just look like a beast from this angle? Well, believe me, she is!

We meant to climb Thatchtop, but instead climbed what is known as Thatchtop-Powell Ridge that runs between the two peaks. Derek didn't think that very many (if any) people climbed up where we did. We came out higher than the actuall peak, and the ridge was a very narrow spine that kept us fully exposed to huge mountain winds while shimmying along and jumping across bolders. Again, one wrong step, and you won't have time to wish you had paid more attention.. I'll try to get more pics on here of the ridge and the way down as well.

It was one amazing hike. The scenery was breathtaking, the exercise strenuous, and the conversation fantastic. Derek and I discussed some great theology when he wasn't way ahead of me on the trail. I am so glad I got to take the road less traveled!