With my first three summits in the Sangre de Cristos, my 14er season in Colorado comes to an end. I've been on top of the world ten times this year and tackled tougher summits than in years past. I love the feeling when I get to the summit. I love the feeling when I pass … Continue reading Colorado Peak Sweep (Parts 36-38)
Category: Peak Performance
Colorado Peak Sweep (Parts 33 – 35)
I'm a little behind on my peak plans for the summer. After Longs and Meeker, I had planned to hike another that Saturday, but my body was still pretty wrecked and I was running a 10k at 10,000 feet on Sunday, so I opted for a rest day. The following weekend, it rained and rained … Continue reading Colorado Peak Sweep (Parts 33 – 35)
Colorado Peak Sweep (Parts 29 – 32)
My 2022 mountains started with Mt. Rundle in Banff, which while not a 14er, had more gain and was more challenging than anything I plan to do in Colorado this summer. It was terrifying and difficult, but when I had completed it, I knew that I was Colorado ready. I have seven weekends in Colorado … Continue reading Colorado Peak Sweep (Parts 29 – 32)
Mountain Season Arrived, and How!
My trip to Banff was planned with many stunning, wild, and booty-busting hikes in mind, but nonetheless hikes that an averagely fit person could handle, given enough time. Somehow it ended with a hike that is currently in my top three most difficult summits. I had no plans to do a big peak in Banff … Continue reading Mountain Season Arrived, and How!
Why I Really Went to Argentina
Now that I'm in my 40s, paying for bougie vacations is apparently a thing I do. Now that I pay for bougie vacations, I realize that they are totally worth the money. The two months that I spent in Buenos Aires were all a precursor to a running vacation across Patagonia that I booked a … Continue reading Why I Really Went to Argentina
The Next 100, In Record Time
I had originally titled this post to be more about running, but running wasn't a thing for me most of the summer. And then I just started to get back into in North Carolina when - bam! - major injury number three for the year that has me grounded yet again. I'd give up permanently … Continue reading The Next 100, In Record Time
Peaks Twenty-Four Through Twenty-Eight
Even though I wanted to get out of Colorado for so long and finally did with my new nomad life, I had to come back for a month in the summer to reach the summit of more 14ers. My target was the San Juan Mountains, nearly the most beautiful mountains on earth. So I booked … Continue reading Peaks Twenty-Four Through Twenty-Eight
Return to The Top of The World
I've had a pretty rough spring/early summer. As long-expected as it was, the death of my dog affected me more than I wanted it to. Lingering in bad feelings is not my thing. I'm very much a "life is too short, buck up and move on" kind of person. But my subconscious fought me on … Continue reading Return to The Top of The World
Mountains, Mountains, Mountains!
July has been a mountainous month for me. Colorado is a popular state in any season and mountain rentals are expensive, so when friends have one, you don't pass up the opportunity. After coming back from Glacier, I spent three weekends in a row rallying down to the geographical center of this state for all … Continue reading Mountains, Mountains, Mountains!
What Fresh Hell Is This?
Earlier this year, I ran a mountain relay race and it did something to my brain. It made me want to up my running game. I mean, distance? Yeah that's kind of cool. Maybe someday I'll run a marathon. But running uphill at 12,000 or 13,000 feet where you're struggling for oxygen and then being … Continue reading What Fresh Hell Is This?
Jennifer A Swallow 