I camped the night of 10/20/01 about a mile up the road from the Missouri Gulch Trailhead. I fell asleep at around 20:00, then awoke at 23:00, read a while in my book "A Frozen Hell", and fell back to sleep. I thought 05:00 might be a good time to get up, pack camp, and start hiking, but I didn't bother setting my watch alarm. I awoke at 04:15 - too early. I then awoke at 06:30. Oops. Oh well, no matter - at least it would be light when I started hiking. It was 32F in the morning in the tent, which had the doors partially opened up for ventilation. I don't know how cold it was outside but it was probably in the twenties.

I packed camp and drove down the road to the trailhead. There were several vehicles in the parking lot, with hikers getting ready - a contrast to the last two climbs from Frenchman Creek. Just before I was ready to leave an SUV whipped into the lot with two young guys in it. I could hear loud music pounding from the closed vehicle, then they opened it up and started getting ready to hike. At 07:00 I started up the trail, the steep trail. I could hear these guys' music until I was well up the trail, 500' above the parking lot.

I was making good time, but I stopped briefly several times to stretch my legs and rest them a bit. This hike was going to be a trial, I could tell, especially after climbing Columbia the day before. But Oxford would be my last 14er in the Sawatch Range, and I was determined to knock it off this year. At length the two SUV guys passed me up. They looked to be about half my age, and the one was wearing jeans and a Megadeath t-shirt. Oh, to be young and irreverent again, I thought, knowing what I know now. :-) I leapfrogged with these guys a couple times, and I asked them where they were climbing. The Megadeath dude said they were going up to Elkhead then were going to decide whether to do Missouri or Oxford/Belford. He had climbed them all but his friend hadn't yet. I wished them well and they cruised up the path. I was hoping they weren't intending to climb Missouri's East Ridge from Elkhead Pass - a steep, nasty, rotten, 4th class climb. I figured if he had been up there before he knew where he was going.

The first hour of hiking I climbed 1400' - one advantage of a steep trail is that you gain elevation FAST. This steep trail was going to be the source of much pain later that day... I reached the old cabin ruin just below treeline and the guys were sitting there having a bite to eat. I passed them and kept on above treeline - so far so good. The trail from here to Elkhead Pass would be gentle and I made great time. I passed the trail that headed up Belford's Northwest Ridge and I continued toward Elkhead Pass. The route to Belford via Elkhead Pass is 1.2 miles longer than the Northwest Ridge trail, but much gentler and more scenic.

I passed the trail heading to Missouri Mountain's standard route and continued to Elkhead Pass. The guys were behind me now, and not catching up. They paused at the trail junction and headed up toward Missouri. I was now alone on the Elkhead Pass trail. At 10:00 I reached Elkhead Pass, and the wind whipped up from the East. It really was a nice view, with Missouri Basin below, Harvard, Emerald Peak, several small lakes in the basin. The trail turned east and followed a mostly gentle ridge toward a small saddle southeast of Belford's summit. I was really slowing down here, and I knew I had a long way to go to reach Oxford and return. As I sometimes do when faced with a difficult challenge I think of positive examples. The book I was reading, "A Frozen Hell", describes how the Finns held off the Russian army for months during a winter invasion of World War II, against extremely daunting odds. A testimony to the power of determination and will. Another fine book, "The Long Walk" by Slavomir Rawicz, describes the incredible journey of a group of men who escaped a Siberian prison and walked all the way to India and freedom.

Well, I was hardly walking 4000 miles from Siberia to India so I persevered and reached the small saddle at 11:00. The mile-long traverse to Oxford looked long, and the section dropping down from Belford to the 13,500' Belford- Oxford saddle was steep. I started down and reached the saddle at 11:15, then hurried across the flats. A couple was behind me, whom I had passed way back below treeline. They had taken the standard route up Belford's Northwest Ridge and were now starting on the traverse. As I started up from the saddle to Oxford, I could feel my legs wearing down. Even a small rise was becoming difficult. I stopped for a Clif Bar and the couple passed me. I slowly continued up the slope, passing a couple minor false summits and reached Oxford's summit at noon, just after the couple.

I signed the register and took a couple pictures for the two others on the summit. The guy said he was beat; I concurred. I added that I had climbed Columbia the day before and I got a nice sympathy groan. I mentioned that the route via Elkhead Pass is a mile longer each way but much gentler, and that my knees would appreciate the consideration. I started back down, reached the saddle again in 15 minutes, then started up the steeper side back to the small saddle southeast of Belford's summit.

I had always heard the best way to climb hills is to go slowly, at a pace you can maintain. This time I really did it - moved at a turtle's pace, and actually made good time. My heart rate never sped up, my lungs were happy, my legs were happy; when I reached a large rock step I used the rest step technique. I thought the couple would catch me at my slow pace but I ended up reaching the saddle at least 15 minutes before them. Chalk up a "new" hill-climbing method to add to my bag of mountaineering tricks. I continued up the small ridge to reach Belford's summit at 13:00. I could see Crestone Peak and Needle to the south and Uncompahgre to the west, despite the overcast sky. Emerald Peak beckoned to me from afar - I'll climb it someday.

Foto ©2001 by John C. Maki

I started right back down, making my way to Elkhead Pass. It seemed a long way but the going was easy, and I reached the pass at 13:30. From there a long, pleasant trail brought me back down along Missouri Gulch, where I filtered some water into a quart Nalgene bottle. I decided not to use my Camelback on these hikes because of the worry of freezing, and because I've been hearing too many stories of hydration bladders bursting on the trail, leaving their hapless owners without water. I reached the trail junction with the standard Belford route, and spied the couple at least halfway up that hill. Ouch. They were moving slowly, I'll bet their knees were on fire.

I passed below treeline, and now it was my turn to experience burning knees. The outside of my right knee was quite inflamed - the old "runner's knee" syndrome flaring up yet again. Most of the summer my knees did not bother me, but this steep slope back to the trailhead brought out the worst. I tried to use Donna's trekking poles like a crutch to take some of the strain off my right leg, and it helped some. Still, it was an agonizing journey down those switchbacks to the trailhead. Finally, at 15:45, I reached the trailhead register just before the bridge across Clear Creek. I was done - with this climb, and the Sawatch Range 14ers. I enjoyed a well-deserved Mass Transit Ale (Bristol Brewing) in the parking lot, traded my heavy boots and socks for Tevas, and headed back home.