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Q: What was your first fourteener, and when did you climb it?
My first 14er was Long’s Peak, and I climbed it in the summer of 1972 with some neighborhood boys.  None of us had a clue as to what we were doing. 

Q: At what point did you commit to finishing them all?
I knew that I wanted to finish them all in 2005, after I met my wife, Delia.  We had both climbed about 20 or so independently, and thought it would be a fun adventure to finish them together. 

Q: What is your favorite fourteener route?
My favorite route is either the Bell Cord or the Snake Couloir on Sneffels.  The Snake was great because it was a beautiful snow climb that finished with scrambling to reach the summit.   

Q: What was your most delightful moment on a 14er?
It had to have been on the top of La Plata, on Easter Sunday in 2006.  It took us over four hours to post hole through the snow below tree line before we finally gained the ridge.  Delia and I were alone for the entire day on the peak.  The view from the top was amazing!!!  The weather was perfect, not a cloud in the sky; we were surrounded by peaks coated in snow. 

Q: What was your most terrifying moment on a 14er?
My most terrifying moment was coming off of Culebra, which we had looked forward to as an easy, relaxing jaunt.  As we were resummiting Culebra after snagging Red Mountain, weather came in, and we were chased off by a hail/snow/thunderstorm.  Unfortunately, the route stays on the ridge much of the way down, and the rocks on either side were slick, so we didn’t want to bail off of the ridge.  We had about 10 episodes of the rocks and our jackets humming, and then there would be a flash and all was silent.  We were running down the ridge attempting to get away from the humming.  It seemed like an eternity until we got back to grassy slopes below.   

Q: Do you have any plans for future mountain lists?
I don’t have a real list, just a random collection of routes that I’ve either attempted and failed, or haven’t even gotten to yet. 

Q: What 14er did you climb last? Did you intentionally save it for last or is it a 14er that previously eluded you?
I climbed Pike’s last, our hope was to get a last minute “good deal” at the Broadmoor afterward.  Unfortunately, the deals were in the 300s.  We considered having our truck valet parked with us sleeping in the back, but we opted for a drink at the bar instead. 

Q: What is the single most important piece of advice that you would give to someone just starting out?
Get up earlier!  Aim to summit by 10 am at the latest.