MT. BELFORD
14,197 ft.
September 18, 1997
By Tim Briese
My friend Bruce picked me up about 4 a.m. and we headed into the mountains. We had just accomplished an ascent of the Crestone Needle a few weeks before, and were eager to climb another 14er. The weather was supposed to be good today, but we were disappointed to see a thick layer of clouds in the sky as we neared the Sawatch Range near Buena Vista. We reached the trailhead along the Clear Creek road a little before 7 a.m. and readied ourselves for the hike. A moderate wind was blowing through the trees and a few raindrops were sprinkling from the sky, which were less than ideal conditions in which to start our climb.
I noticed a car from Minnesota parked nearby and a hiker preparing his pack. The friendly hiker named Brian introduced himself and joined us as we hit the trail. We proceeded to climb numerous grueling switchbacks as the trail climbed some 1600 feet up out of the valley. Along the way we took occasional rest stops and admired stands of yellow aspens covering the hillsides across the valley to the north. Brian and I talked about mountains we had climbed, the merits of guidebooks we used, and other related matters as we hiked along. He seemed to be concerned about holding Bruce and I back, and encouraged us to go on ahead, which we did for a while.
The trail started to level out somewhat when we reached the lower part of Missouri Gulch and neared timberline. The wind steadily became stronger as we went higher and became a real concern. Fortunately the raindrops had ended, though. Bruce began feeling ill from the effects of the altitude and slowed down considerably as we neared a trail junction and headed to the left and began to ascend Belford’s rounded northwest shoulder. He urged me to go on ahead, and said that he would just proceed slowly as best he could. I was reluctant to leave an ill companion behind, but noting his considerable alpine experience, I decided to press on, although I cast a glance over my shoulder to observe his progress now and then.
Brian caught up with me as I took a break, and we hiked together most of the way to the top. I was surprised that a hiker from the low elevations of the Midwest could climb at the speed he did, and I observed that he skillfully set a steady, relentless pace. The ferocious southwest wind was now roaring at 60 to 70 miles per hour. It was very difficult to walk against its crushing force on sections of the trail where we faced directly into its fury. We were hiking near the limit of what was possible, for if the wind had been a little stronger we could not have even stood up. It was quite an experience witnessing this display of the raw power of nature.
Eventually the switchbacks ended when we neared the summit. As the trail flattened out I thought I was virtually on top but discovered that the real summit was about 200 yards further to the east. I reached the top just after 10:30 and quickly signed the register before hunkering down with Brian behind a rock outcropping below the east side of the summit for protection from the roaring wind. I considered joining him on a hike across the ridge to Mt. Oxford, but decided against it because of my ill companion and the vicious wind. Brian and I exchanged addresses, though, in what was the beginning of a great friendship that has grown over the years since. We have climbed many mountains together since Mt. Belford, in a remarkably compatible style of climbing and relating to each other.
Brian left on his adventurous traverse to Oxford, and I started to get a little cold while I sat waiting for Bruce as the chilly 36 degree air swirled around me. About ten minutes later Bruce grittily stepped atop the summit, and we were soon joined by another climber, a young lawyer from Seattle. We struggled to stand up as we took summit pictures of each other in the roaring gale, and a few minutes later began the descent. We decided to descend by way of the gentle, but longer route to the southwest down to Elkhead Pass, reasoning that the wind would be easier to cope with on gentler grades. The lawyer decided to join us, and the three of us quickly descended to the scenic pass and then followed the trail to the north back down Missouri Gulch. The weather began to improve as the clouds started to clear out and the wind lessened a little. It was interesting chatting with our new companion, as he told us about climbs he had done of Mt. Ranier and Mt. Hood, and his pursuit of other state high points. He left us to return to his backpack camp in lower Missouri Gulch, and Bruce and I continued on down the trail in the pleasant afternoon sun. Bruce was finally feeling better now. We could see several other climbers high above heading up the trail toward Belford, now that conditions had improved considerably.
As we neared the switchbacks to descend into the Clear Creek valley we hiked through some stands of yellow aspens, and I thought about how much I enjoy hikes in the fall. We returned to the trailhead about 1:30 and headed down the road. As we drove along we admired the peaks towering above the valley and enjoyed the smell of the aspens wafting through the open windows of the car. Bruce remarked that it was quite a blessing to live in a place where we could leave our homes in the morning, drive to such a beautiful place as this, and return in the evening, and I had to agree.
