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Climbing the fourteeners: Father and daughter share interest, annual
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By LAURA RAINS Staff writer
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It was a glorious day when Steve Dobson realized the mountain climbing gene planted deep in his soul had been passed on to his daughter, Liza.
The father and daughter have become quite a team, and in early August they made their fourth trip to Colorado for what has become an annual tradition for them.
When Steve was a young man and a student at Bluffton College near Lima, Ohio, he had the opportunity to take a mountain climbing class for credit. The class gave him the opportunity to not only learn about mountains, but also his first trip west to actually be in the mountains.
It was love at first sight.
"I loved being in the mountains," he said. "Being on top of the mountain was an unbelievable experience."
But life took him in another direction.
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Fast forward a few years and Steve found himself living in Maysville with a family and the owner of D.H. Resorts in Fleming County.
Steve, his wife, Charlotte Harris, a local orthopedic surgeon and specialist, and two children, Liza and Matthew, frequently headed west to Colorado for family vacations to go snow skiing.
Four years ago they made their first trip to Colorado as a family in the summertime.
The active family spent part of that vacation hiking on trails, enjoying summer in the mountains.
It gave Steve an idea.
"I got the idea that we would climb a mountain as a family."
He chose a mountain that was just over 12,000 feet, and since he hadn't tried it since he was in college, he wasn't sure how difficult it would be.
"Mountain climbing is not easy," he said. "It's not like a hike in the woods. But it's also not as technical as rock climbing."
His family was in good physical shape, but nothing in their active lifestyle compared to the strength needed to climb a mountain.
On that first family climb, his wife and son did not make it all the way to the peak.
Liza was 12 at the time.
That day Steve says he realized that mountain climbing was something the two of them could share together.
Liza immediately added a new word to her vocabulary -- fourteeners.
In the Colorado Rockies there are 55 peaks over 14,000 feet. They range from Sunshine Peak at 14,001 feet to Mt. Elbert at 14,433 feet. Each 14er has somewhat of a path to the top, but frequently climbers have to make their own way.
Liza wasn't prepared in a lot of ways for that first trip.
"It can be grueling," she said.
A gymnast at the time, Liza was in excellent physical condition. Still she wasn't prepared for the toll it would take on her legs.
"It's like being on a stair-climber for two-and-a-half to three hours," said Steve.
Mountain climbing is a high-risk activity, which is why Steve and Liza carefully plan their annual trip.
Their journey always begins in Crested Butte, Colorado, which has an elevation of 8,885 feet. Every trip is planned so that it begins and ends the same day. Frequently their day of climbing begins with an hour or two drive to their starting point.
That in itself sometimes is an adventure.
"We rent a car but we've learned we need to rent a four-wheel drive vehicle just to get to the point where we get out and begin climbing."
Liza admits on the way up each mountain she has climbed she always asks herself: "Why are we doing this?"
So why do they?
"It's difficult to explain," said Steve, glancing at his daughter.
But Liza understands what he's talking about.
"You just feel so energetic and so excited when you get to the top," said Liza.
"You feel like you're on top of the world," said Steve. "Then of course, the view is spectacular."
Every year the two learn something about the skills needed for mountain climbing which helps them plan better for the next year.
Each has a good pair of hiking boots and a backpack made for climbers, and Steve carries a first aid kit.
Steve says neither he or his daughter are big eaters, yet they know they need nutritional strength on the climb.
"On the way up I usually have a snack of fruit and granola," said Liza.
And enough water supply to keep them hydrated.
Liza carries what is called a bladder hydration system. The plastic device is filled with water, and a hose and mouthpiece stays close to her mouth. Instead of fumbling to get a water bottle out of her backpack, she only has to reach for the mouthpiece.
Because of the high elevation, they also carry warm clothes and rain gear because pop-up thunderstorms are typical in the mountains in the summer.
But running into a snowstorm, and even blizzard-like conditions is not out of the question either.
Sometimes everything goes like they plan it on their dining room table in Maysville.
In 2003, the first year they went alone, it went just as planned.
Arrival day is an easy day, hanging out in Crested Butte.
"The next day we call our 'warm up day,'" said Steve.
They climb a mountain close by just to get them into mountain-climbing-mode. The next day they climb a 14er, the next is a break day, and the following is another 14er.
"The next day we get to sleep in," said Liza.
But 2004 went a little differently. It was their plan to get in three 14ers but they only accomplished one of them.
This particular trip took place in September and a blizzard kept them from reaching the peak.
"You can watch the Weather Channel and local news but the weather can change very quickly in the mountains," said Steve.
When they started their climb, Steve says it wasn't really cold. They had warm clothes in their backpacks but started out wearing shorts.
A saddle is a low point mountain climbers reach on their way to the top. Many times you can't see what the weather is ahead until you actually reach the saddle.
"When we reached the saddle, it was a complete white-out," said Steve. "You couldn't see anything. It wasn't safe."
Liza, especially, was very disappointed.
"The weather is very unpredictable," said Steve. "Our rule-of-thumb is to be at the peak by noon."
Most of the storms, especially thunderstorms, happen mid-afternoon he says.
Their goal this year was to climb Redcloud Peak at 14,034 feet and Sunshine Peak the same day, a 13-mile trip. The reason is because after you reach Redcloud, it's a short, but difficult, hike down about 1/2 mile and then back up another very brutal 500 feet to Sunshine Peak.
Hiking down a mountain though is no picnic.
"It kills my toes," said Liza.
"It kills my knees," said Steve.
Liza says this year after reaching Sunshine Peak, she thought she might not make it back up to Redcloud.
The two had left their backpacks on Redcloud which is a common thing for mountain climbers to do on their way to Sunshine Peak.
They often run into other climbers, and stop and talk for a few mountains. Sometimes they'll reach a mountain's peak and they're the only ones there.
A feeling of accomplishment, the sheer beauty of the mountains and the special time they share while climbing the mountains has them already planning next year's trip.
"We talk about everything while we're there," said Liza. "We talk about the climb and about life in general."
And then sometimes the two say they don't talk at all.
"We just enjoy each other's company."
With no outside influences like work and school, Steve says the trips are very special for their relationship.
The word "tradition" comes up frequently when they talk about their experiences in Colorado.
Not just the annual trip itself, but the tradition they have of always sharing lunch together when they reach the peak and of taking off their hiking boots and plunging their feet into the cold water of a mountain creek on the way back down.
Steve knows that at 15, Liza looks forward to their time together. But he also knows that may change one day.
Liza thinks differently.
"You better do this with me for a long time Dad," she said.
He nods in agreement.
"You bet."
Contact Laura Rains at Laura.Rains@lee.net or by phone at 606-564-9091, ext. 275. |
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