Buffalo Peaks: A Pair of Challenging 13ers
The Buffaloes are a pair of thirteeners sitting all by themselves surrounded by fourteeners. Not to be intimidated, they present their own set of challenges, not the least of which a sparsity of information on how to climb them. We figured it out, at...
Pikes Peak – Summiting My 58th and Final 14er
Pikes Peak is the 2nd most visited mountain in the world. I saved it for last because it has a road to the top so that some friends could climb with me and others could ride to the top to begin the celebration completing a 9-year mission to climb them...
Mt. Wilson from the Southwest
Mt Wilson stands with the other half-dozen fourteeners that are the most challenging climbs. We chose the Kilpacker approach – grueling boulder-hopping but there’s a rewarding scramble to summit and with less exposure than the traverse-ridge from...
Windom Peak – 4 Tries and a Fantastic Summit!
August 26, 2017
Windom Peak is one of the really fun Class 3 peaks in the Chicago Basin of the San Juan Range, accessed by the historic Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge train and a long backpack to the basin. The summit is the most unusual of all Colorado’s...
Humboldt Peak – West Ridge – Sighting the Eclipse from a 14er!
Humboldt Peak is a moderate 14er in the Sangre de Cristo Range that features a beautiful setting framed by the Crestones all the way to summit. We had the added attraction of climbing it on August 21, 2017 during the solar eclipse that hit 90% where we...
San Luis Peak – via Creede and the South Ridge
A shocking (literally hair-raising) story. We found this approach was the best. Even summiting at 10am we got hit by multiple electrical storm cells that arose with no warning and discharged into us right at summit!
We ran and got sufficiently down before...
Automatic Crystal Parlor Fountains
Based on a pneumatic principle by physicist Heron of Alexandria in AD 62, the Automatic Crystal Fountain combines beauty with captivating geyser-like fountain using no apparent motive power.
A Selection of Phonoliszt-Violina Music Recordings
See O-Rollography: https://www.rickcrandall.net/operators-o-roll-rollography/; Click on a tune name to play the tune. 36037 Meditation from Thais, Jules Massenet; One of the great encore pieces by one of the world’s best violinists 36097 Der Flegende...
El Diente – Climbing a hard Fourteener
El Diente – A Hard Mountain in the San Juan Range
El Diente is not often climbed and indeed it has its challenges. We liked the south ridge approach from the Kilpacker trailhead. From that direction the view of El Diente is impressive and the Kilpacker...
Mt. Daly – the “one with the stripe”
Mt. Daly is on the other side of the saddle from Capitol Peak. It is one of the most visible mountains to those traveling between Aspen and Snowmass. While not a 14er, it is a named 13er with a fun Class 3 ridge-crest climb that is less frequently done....