Spotlight on Joey Luther!

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Q: What was your first fourteener, and when did you climb it?
I started out easy. My first fourteener was Quandary Peak. I tried in March of 2003 but got too cold to continue past 13,000 feet. It immediately became a priority. I went back a month later, made it to the top, and ran most of the way down, encouraging all the others who were still on their way up.
 

Q: At what point did you commit to finishing them all?
I became a member on 14erworld in Feb 2003 before I even started hiking 14ers. After reading around on the old-school forum, I decided I was going to climb them all. Heidi then bought me Roach's 14er book and that sealed the deal. My goal was always to finish before finishing grad school. I haven't graduated yet, so in the end, I guess it worked out.

Q: What is your favorite fourteener route?
My favorite route would have to involve climbing a couloir. There's something really aesthetic about a stripe of snow that provides a path straight to a summit. They're also generally easier than climbing on talus. You can step wherever you want and progress towards the summit comes easy. A few of the favorites that come to mind are the snake couloir on Mount Sneffels with Ryan Mishmash, the trough on Longs Peak, and the climb up the Snowmass, with Dave Hale and our dogs. I also really enjoyed Culebra Peak for other reasons. Since Culebra requires permission and an entrance fee, it doesn't get the crowds that most of the peaks get. The mountain seems really pristine, beautiful, and wild. We heard bugling elk and howling coyotes, the trees were just past peak color change, and a dusting of snow covered everything up high. I slept on the summit for 45 minutes.

Q: What was your most delightful moment on a 14er?
I would have to say the satisfaction that came with finally making it up Longs Peak in winter. I attempted three times and became slightly obsessed with making it to the summit before Spring arrived. The summit of an elusive peak always seems more delightful.
 
Q: What was your most terrifying moment on a 14er?
The most terrifying moment would have to be either getting in over my head on Pyramid Peak, or a close encounter with lightning on Handies Peak. With Pyramid Peak, we were descending the NW ridge and the peak demanded careful attention for so long that I began to become impatient. I think I could see where I wanted to be and it was taking too long to get there. I was so frustrated during a vertical downclimb that I questioned whether I actually wanted to do the other 4th class peaks. I had a successful trip on Capital Peak that rebuilt my confidence. On Handies Peak, George Barnes and I made an October ascent, later in the day (after climbing Sunshine and Redcloud). It was beginning to snow but we were getting close to the summit. We only heard one rumble of thunder, but somehow ignored it. When we were on the summit, my lips tasted like licking a 9V battery, and my ears were clicking. George, being much taller, took off running down the peak before I realized what might have been going on. We ended up making pretty good time down that peak!

Q: Do you have any plans for future mountain lists?
I am not sure about future lists. I didn't make very much progress towards the centennials when climbing the 14ers so I don't think that the top 100 are on tap. I dislike driving long distances except on occasion, so I don't want to get caught up in trying to finish a list that requires lots of 6-7 hours solo drives. I don't really like to always focus on the same thing for recreation, so I'm looking forward to doing more rock climbing, adventure racing, mountain biking, and other forms of racing to complement hiking mountains. I feel like having a few 14ers left that I was always on my own agenda. Now that I'm done, I'm looking forward to going to do whatever friends want to do on weekends.

Q: What 14er did you climb last? Did you intentionally save it for last or is it a 14er that previously eluded you?
My last 14er ended up being Sunlight Peak. It had eluded me on 2 previous occasions due to snow levels. I originally intended to save Wetterhorn for last but, due to convenience, ended up climbing it before Sunlight.

Q: What is the single most important piece of advice that you would give to someone just starting out?
The best advice I could give someone is to be safe and don't be afraid of turning around if something isn't right. We all make mistakes, and learning to realize what might be a mistake is important. I turned around on my first 14er, and twice on my last one, as well as many in between. I would also suggest looking for a mentor. Finding someone who knows the route of a difficult peak may make it a lot more doable. Dave Hale climbed with me quite a bit, and having him there to reassure that we're on the route helped me climb some of the more difficult peaks. I also called him at home once while I was climbing El Diente. He got to do some arm chair mountaineering while I got first-hand information about what side of the ridge I should be on.