Mount Massive Wilderness, Continental Divide

This next stage of my journey took me up the second-highest mountain in Colorado, the appropriately named Mt. Massive. The mountain is what hikers refer to as a ‘14er’, meaning it exceeds 14,000 ft (4267 m) in altitude. These are big mountains, and proper care and preparation are required before attempting to summit them. As I trundled along the trail that snaked beneath the mountain, I looked up at its craggy peaks. I felt trepidation, excitement and a little tired already. The ascent should take me about 10 hours, and I will climb up 14,421 ft (4395 m). Talk about a long day!

The first section of the ascent took me through one of the fragrant pine forests I’ve become so familiar with on this long walk. Then, as the trail got rockier and steeper, the forest opened up into alpine meadows as I passed the treeline. I took my lunch here, resting on the soft banks of grass and enjoying the stunning view of Mt. Elbert in the distance. 

Passing the meadows, I continued over the ridgeline. All rocks and cliffs, it was a hard scramble, and the air was getting thinner. Just then, I noticed a snowy-white mountain goat, hopping from impossibly tiny foothold to foothold. I’ve always found it amazing how such large, hoofed animals can balance and climb the way they do. Mountain goats have specialised hoofs, concave inside, which provide them with a kind of suction cup, allowing them to climb safely along almost any cliff face. This has obvious advantages when avoiding predators, as no other large alpine animal is crazy enough to walk along such an abyss.

Another fact that I’m glad I picked up before meeting them is that the goats are highly territorial and aggressive, and many hikers have found themselves on the wrong end of their long horns. I took care not to get too close and enjoyed watching the little herd hop from ledge to ledge, a baby following in the footsteps of its parents as it awkwardly but competently navigated the cliff face.

Finally, I scrambled the last section of the ascent, arriving at the top of the massive Mt. Massive. The views here stretched beyond the imagination, with Mt. Elbrus rising to the south and the Sawatch range stretching into the nearby distance. I had started my hike early, around 4 am, so I had plenty of light for my descent. I used the sturdy stick I’d picked up way back in New Mexico to soften my footfalls and spare my knees as I made my way down the slope, already looking forward to a good night’s sleep.