Super Black Death

Yesterday, I decided to do something insane.  It's called Super Black Death.  Although I didn't die, it was the most challenging thing I've ever done.

Here's the challenge:  You have to summit seven specific peaks and hike back into base camp within 24 hours-- all with a pack on your back.  That's 27 total miles of trail-- including the very long and windy Tooth Ridge Trail-- from the last peak to base.

Peak #1 Comanche Peak
11, 303 ft.

Peak #2  Mt. Phillips
11,736 ft.  

Peak #3  Big Red
11,020 ft.  

The first few peaks were fine.  We woke up at 3 a.m.on the porch at Cypher's Mine (the nearest camp to our first peak) and left at 3:45 a.m.  The crew included me and some fellow trading post employees, Dave, Madelyn, and Evan.  I packed light-- only my sleeping bag, rain gear, food, and six liters of water.

Sunrise from Mt. Phillips at about 5:20 a.m.

Summit of Mt. Phillips in the early morning.  

Dave (left) and Evan (right) consult the map on the top of Big Red.  

Peak #4  Bear Mountain
10,662 ft.

Peak #5  Black Mountain
10,889 ft.  

Peak #6  Shaefers Peak
9,413 ft.  

On the way to Bear Mountain we lost the trail.  We were never "lost", but in the time between Big Red and Bear Mountain we consulted the map a lot.  Luckily we stayed on track, even though we bushwhacked the distance.  When we finally found the trail, we had to bushwhack up Bear because it has no trail to the summit.  As we were about to descend and head towards Black Mountain, we ran into a ranger who was hiking alone.  Our crew total increased to five.  

View from the summit of Black Mountain, Baldy Mountain in the far distance.  

Five feet on the Black Mountain geographical marker.  

Descending Black Mountain, Tooth of Time in the distance.  

Dave and Madelyn on the summit of Shaefers Peak.  Almost to the Tooth.  

Ascending Black Mountain was steep, but doable.  Everyone says Black is the toughest peak on the trek, and on the way down I found out why.  The steep and seemingly never-ending descent was tough enough.  But there were two more peaks before heading back to base.  And the hike to Shaefers was a long and trying one.  Then came the Tooth of Time.

I'd hiked the Tooth five times prior to Super Black Death-- twice this summer.  It's not too difficult of a hike. The shortest and most familiar of the seven peaks, the Tooth seemed like an easy walk to wrap up the trek.  Wrong.  It seemed as though God wanted to make the last peak as difficult as possible.  

Peak #7  Tooth of Time
9,003 ft.  

First, it began to rain.  Thunder and distant lightning soon followed.  As I got my rain gear on, I thought to myself, do I climb this final peak and finish Super Black Death, or get struck by lightning in the process?  All my safety training thrown aside, I continued rock by rock.  Giant boulders separated me from the top and as I was half way up, it started to hail.

The thunder sounded like it was right next to me.  I jumped.  And as I approached the apex, I saw a rainbow in the distance.  The sun peered through the clouds and the hail almost stopped.  I soaked up the moment (as my socks soaked up the rain) and with another clap of thunder, I quickly descended down the ridge.

Around 9 p.m. I snapped this photo.  The entrance to base camp.  

The rain eventually stopped.  I was wet.  So was my pack.  But it was only three miles till the end.  And I don't know how I did it.  It was either the adrenaline from my Tooth experience, or the thought of the day being over.  

But we all made it-- and with seven hours to spare.  Yes, we beat Super Black Death in 17 hours.  And no, I don't plan on doing it again.  This was the most physically and mentally challenging task I've ever accomplished.  I don't regret it-- it was quite amazing and rewarding. I thought I knew about perseverance before Super Black Death.  Now I actually do.