Colden Loop

Colden

4,714 feet  |  ranked 11/46 in height  |  16th peak climbed

My sister was my hiking partner again for Colden; what a relief to find a partner eager to climb more than one mountain per year (my husband's self-imposed limit).  Neither Erin or I had been through Avalanche Pass before, so we decided to make a loop of the hike, ascending via Lake Arnold and returning through the pass. 

Street and Nye

Nye

3,895 feet  |  ranked 45/46 in height  |  14th peak climbed

Street

4,166 feet  |  ranked 31/46 in height  |  15th peak climbed

My sister and I wanted to take advantage of the cabin rental and associated proximity to the trailheads to get in another high peak or two.  Since Erwin had already headed home to take care of the cats, my parents would be staying with Frankie for the day.  Out of loyalty and appreciation, Erin and I decided to tackle a hike my folks had already completed: Street and Nye.  This had the advantage of being a relatively short hike, which was comforting for me, not knowing how Frankie would do all day without me in a strange place (of course he was fine; he had a blast).  It was also a good choice for skill/confidence building, given our limited experience with trailless peaks. 

Tabletop

 

Tabletop

4,427 feet  |  ranked 19/46 in height  |  13th peak climbed

I hiked this one with my sister Erin; our Dad, Bruce; and our stepmom, Debbie.  Hurricane Irene had derailed plans for a hike the previous Labor Day, and as a group, our most recent climb was in 2009.  Collectively we'd been through a lot of health traumas in that time: recurrent cancer, broken ribs and a punctured lung, a severely broken leg, a broken hand/thumb, and preeclampsia resulting in unplanned c-section.  To make matters worse, each of those incidents were separate and unrelated issues, some resolved but others still active/ongoing.  We'd rented in a cabin in Jay, and wanted to challenge ourselves to a high peak.  For the simple reason that it was the most accessible of those peaks that none of us had yet climbed, we selected Tabletop.