58 Summits in About 70 Days...

I met Junaid and Luke a few miles in on my ascent of Mount of the Holy Cross last month. It would be my second fourteener in Colorado. Junaid and Luke had summited earlier in the day and it was their 56th Colorado Fourteener together. They dispatched of the last two over the next few days.

The last would prove to be the most logistically challenging. Amazingly a tiny window opened between biblical massive flooding that rocked Front Range and parts of the Rockies. The doors to Longs Peak and Rocky Mountain National Park - the last and northern-most peak on their quest - was effectively slammed shut with a fine of $5000 levied on trespassers. The park opened in time for them to complete the quest on September 29th.  A few days after their ascent the Federal government shutdown would again make it impossible to gain access to the peak as the Park was again closed.

The pair are the first to through-hike all of the 58 peaks. They managed it in about 70 days, finishing on September 29 after nearly 1,300 miles of tramping and close to 300,000 feet of elevation gain. Junaid and Luke said their enthusiasm and spirits were renewed when they would go to their Summit For Someone page and see that, whilst they had been crunching away up another string of fourteeners, 150 or more dollars had been added to help underprivileged kids get into the mountains through Big City Mountaineers.

Junaid Dawud

Luke DeMuth

You can still donate through their page at BCM if you are so inclined. Check out their website that details the quest. Take a vicarious stroll with them along their path at  http://14ersthruhike.com/

Image courtesy of and © Junaid Dawud and Luke DeMuth