Quandary Peak - Déjà vu

Déjà vu has been described as "when memories and new experiences get wrapped up in each other". I'm no stranger to déjà vu and today was definitely one where last years memories were triggered and the experience weirdly repeated itself - but with the twist that all good time travel stories eventually feature! 

This weekend's plan was Quandary Peak. You might remember that last August, I attempted this 14-er? 

Given that I have been doing better with my hiking if I sleep near or at trailhead altitude the night before, I took it upon myself to drive up to Breckenridge last night and car camp. I met Sue in Breck to catch the Quandary Shuttle at 5 AM and we were on the trail by about 5:30 AM, sporting headlamps of course.

The weather guessers all warned that thunderstorms were a strong possibility after noon. I tend to average about 1000' altitude gain/hr so estimated on getting up to the peak in about 3.5 hours + stops. We hiked slowly by design, both of us feeling pretty good with our legs and breathing. It's a strenuous trail... steps, roots, rocks and just plain steep. 7 miles roundtrip so about 3300' of gain in that 3.5 miles getting to the peak. Not for the faint hearted and yet the trail still featured glamour sneakers, short shorts and sea-level hikers attempting their very first 14-er.

Sometime around 7 AM the ominous dark clouds accumulating in the direction we were headed, started making heads turn. A tad early, no?!

At the first drops of rain (quickly followed by a downpour) Sue and I hurried to put on our Goretex gear. Huddled in fetal positon on the exposed rocks - like conjoined twins - we tucked our heads inside her pack cover as the rain turned freezing and penetrated our gloves. Good times! We giggled inside the orange pack cover and I wondered outloud if this was a premonition of times to come on Kilimanjaro. "At least our tent will be bigger" Sue said. True that! I can honestly say these moments were a highlight of my day, even if a little on the miserable side.

Talk of us turning and high-tailing it down the mountain surfaced and I think at that point I gave it a >80% chance of happening. But here's the thing; Aug 15, 2024 I was here, in fetal position, having the same conversation with myself. At that time, I did go down. And not 45 mins later, looked back to see blue sky over Quandary. My hands were freezing and I didn't regret that decision but I also knew I would be back to conquor this beast. (Read: Quandary attempt of 2024)

And that brings us back to today. After 20 mins or so, a quick peak outside the "tent" A.K.A pack cover, revealed the smallest patch of blue sky beginning to show up where the dark clouds had been. We gave it 5 more minutes then agreed to walk a little further up before determining if summiting was in the cards.

Behind a large stretch of blue sky, came another possible cell bringing rain. I had my spare gloves on and was slowly warming up, but Sue was not as lucky - and had more concerns about a second round of freezing rain. Valid concerns. The same concerns that drove me off the mountain last year and were driving dozens of people downhill now.

We agreed to part ways for now, with Sue returning to the trailhead and me deciding to go a bit further...and a bit further still, as the weather permitted. I had little interest in a battle of wits with a thunderstorm but there was no sign of lightning or thunder at this time. I was feeling more and more convinced that the weather would hold as I soldiered on. It was only 9 AM.

Exactly 45 excrutiating minutes later, I made it beyond the false summit to Quandary Peak. The sky was blue and the air was warm. I was pleasantly surprised to find low wind and low cloud cover at the top. 

When my brain is low on oxygen, I see the world differently. 
This shadow in the rocks, I could have sworn was a little hiking figure!

Mandatory peak pictures were made and I began the descent shortly thereafter. In my oxygen-deprived mind, I somehow thought I might catch Sue again. (Fully competent me knows that was never likely given her strong downhill pace and motivation to get home to her pup by early afternoon.) I stopped to de-layer and took a quick O2 Sat reading, since I forgot that at the top. I was at about 13,800' now.

Then I darn near skipped and almost jogged down 3300' and 3.5 miles. I had found my second wind - or was it my first?! Somewhere along the way, convincing myself that if I skedaddled, I might be able to catch the 12 noon shuttle back to Breckenridge.

11:51 AM: I staggered into the parking lot and huffed loudly alongside the waiting Shuttle, having JUST passed a half dozen other hikers, who would be making it here in the next 5 and competing for a seat.

The driver eyed me keenly and said "Just one? Going to Breck?" 

"Yes" I wheezed. 

I was in luck. He had literally one spot available in an already over-stuffed vehicle. The front seat beside him. As I climbed in, my body already starting to complain about jumping down steps for 2 hours, I told the bus load of people they just answered my prayers and my goal in hustling, had been to catch this particular shuttle. They replied, I had just answered theirs! You see they all needed a single person to come bounding down the trail and fill the last seat so they could leave ASAP instead of waiting til 12 noon as the schedule would have required. (9 mins doesnt sound like a long time to wait, until you are one of 16 sweaty, odiferous, overheated hikers crammed into a short bus with your pack on your lap.)

Now with 2 minutes of rest under my belt and back at 10,600', I decided to take my O2 saturation again:

Not too shabby for Dallice!

Driver Doug and I had a great chat about Kiwi music and world travel all the way down and I found myself on the road, music blaring, headed home in my 4-runner just minutes later.  I70 was the joy it has not been for weeks, and I was home by 2 PM. What an unexpected turn of events!