Spotlight on Greg Hakes!

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Q: What was your first fourteener, and when did you climb it?
Capitol Peak ! Looking back at my Passport to be exact, it appears that we ascended the 4th class NE Ridge Route, descended standard route.  My son Jeremy had been on a few 14ers before and had said that he had a blast and that I should try one.  I was working in Aspen at the time and spotted this crazy looking mountain from a distance and said lets do that one.  Jeremy did not share with me the standard route that that he had read in Roach's book.  So we hiked in, spent the night at the lake, and atfirst light took off for the saddle got to it and i said lets take the short cut across this ridge -  Jeremy being a good son that he is didn't argue with his dad,away we went.  That was the last time Jeremy let me take the lead.  Also my first glissade.  7-8-01

Q: At what point did you commit to finishing them all?
Not until I got past the half way point, at about # 30 or so I kept hearing about the easy ones,  or the hard part is just about over.  All of the crazy climber talk. 

Q: What is your favorite fourteener route?
The weekend we spent doing the Crestone Group was awesome.  But my favorite single route was going up the standard route up Crestone Needle.  Those rocks sticking out and just begged to be climbed.   

Q: What was your most delightful moment on a 14er?
I'm gonna have to say it was the trip in on the Durango/Silverton Train into the Chicago Basin.  That was what I thought real mountaineering was all about.  Long hike in, camp, climb 4 14ers.  We got crossed up and thought that Sunlight Spire was Sunlight Peak.  Until we crossed over to Windom, looked back and saw that we had made a mistake.We slid down a giant scree gully (NW 4th class gully) and went back over and got it anyway.  It was a giant day. 

Q: What was your most terrifying moment on a 14er?
# 4 I never really was afraid of the heights.  Lighting always terrified me.  On Huron that was one of my last ones I arrived at the trail head at around 7:00p.m.  looked around and decided that the weather was good to go.  I had planned to go and get Shavano Tabeguache the next day so I knew I had to get it and get down in a hurry.  So I left with a light pack and started running.  Jeremy had told me that the trail was easy to follow and that he thought that I could summit in about an 2 hours.  2 hours it was but the lighting over on Antero was blasting the summit and it was coming my way.  I barely had enough time to sign the register and split.  After about 20 minutes of down climbing I was back in the basin running across the flat parts when I caught sight of night eyes in my head lamp.  I stopped dead in my tracks and kept my now dimming head lamp on the target.  I had seen a Mountain lion earlier in the week crossing the highway near Redstone over in the Elks and knew this also was a big cat.  Remember I just summitted in the rain, I was dehydrated, hungry, and man was it dark.  The eyes left out of sight and I took the opportunity to change my batteries.  I had a bite to eat and a Red Bull new batteries on high beam and away I went, running as fast as I dared.  I new as I was running I was fair game for a hungry cat and I was to afraid to slow down, I kept hearing leaves rustling and sticks breaking along side of me as I passed through the trees.  At about mile 1.5 from the summit as I was running my trekking pole caught up on a root sticking out of the earth just enough to pull the pole off of my arm, not looking back I just knew the big cat had a hold of my pole and I was dead.  I retrieved my pole took a deep breath and continued down the trail, I was back at the truck at 10: 30p.m.  I think that must have been some kind of record time.

Q: Do you have any plans for future mountain lists?
I am not real fond of lists anymore.  It never really started out to be a list.  I knew I was going to get to spend a lot of quality time with Jeremy and always looked forward to the next climb.  I have a copy of the top 100 so I guess its off to more quality time with my son.  It is definitely a part of me now.

Q: What 14er did you climb last? Did you intentionally save it for last or is it a 14er that previously eluded you?
Quandary.  It did elude me at the end, we were planning on getting Holy Cross last but there was a storm that brought a lot of snow to the Breckenridge area so we did Holy Cross instead. 

Q: What is the single most important piece of advice that you would give to someone just starting out?
Be sure to always carry a route description, there are so many different routes that can take you off course there is the opporuntity to find yourself on a class 5+ ridge that may require skills that you may not have.  Always leave the trail head early, the possibility of lighting exists almost every day after 12:00 during the summer.  Drink lots of water.  Always, Always, breathe deep never forget where you are.  Climbing in the Colorado Rockies is something not all people get to experience in a lifetime.  My solo hikes were really something I will always remember, cherish those moments find out what you are made of, and always watch out for big cats.  I can't close without saying thank you to my son, Jeremy.  If you can find a partner like mine.  I can't thank you enough Jeremy.