{local love} our first fourteener!

in honor of colorado's 138th birthday this weekend, A and i set out to hike our very first fourteener!  we woke up bright and early and drove to mount evans. we parked at summit lake (at an elevation of 12,830 feet) and made our way to the northeast face of the mountain, which was the shorter (and much steeper) way to the top.  it took us about an hour and a half to climb the 1.75 miles and 1430ish vertical feet to the summit, but the view from 14,264 feet was pretty amazing!
we ate lunch at the top and headed down the mountain the longer, more scenic way.  all told, it was about a four-hour hike, with very little air, and probably not enough water, but it was such an incredible adventure -- so many people never get to have an experience like this, and here it is in our own back yard!