Denver Seminary

This was my very first visit to the Maroon Bells. Folks, words can not articulate the raw beauty of such a place. I now understand why the Bells are the most photographed mountains in the state. Just in case you are wondering "Maroon" is a reference to the distinctive color and "Bells" is a reference to the distinctive shape of both peaks. As you can see, the mountains are simply stunning and deserving of such preferred status.

The very first time I saw a picture of the Bells I recall wondering if individuals ever climbed the prominent couloir on the side of the mountain. Well, I am pleased to report they do and the climb is considered a Colorado classic. And this couloir is appropriately referred to as the Bell Cord.

Here are my partners in crime for the day - Jon G. and Nathan H. These two warriors slept right on the asphalt in the parking lot. Seriously, they slept right on the asphalt! Since we were the only vehicle in the lot, we had the place to ourselves. We woke up at 2:15 a.m. and started hiking at 2:45 a.m.

Here we are on the Bell Cord. The couloir is approximately 2000 ft long and 45 degrees in most places.

We topped out on the couloir just as the sun was starting to warm things up. This area is simply referred to as the "notch" and separates the two peaks nicely. It would be an understatement to simply say the views were dynamic!

Here we all are (Wayward Bottle included) on top of Maroon Peak at 14,156 ft.

All in all, a very memorable day.