Climbing Cooney's complete San Juan 13ers,14ers

[ClimbingCooneys]

This was another long one in coming, but we finally completed all ranked summits in the San Juans over 13,000 ft. If my numbers are correct, that's 250. Certainly one of the most vast and varied ranges in the US and harboring some of the finest wilderness. Plenty more "other" peaks to do in there too. Moving to Grand Junction 22 years ago really helped the access issue to the San Juans. Tough, long drives for all you Front Range peakbaggers.
John Kirk, saw your summit register on 13,402. I think we were the 6th & 7th to sign it since you placed it there.

[Steve Knapp]

Congrats on this accomplishment! The list of San Juan peaks above 13k is certainly daunting to weekend warriors from the front range. While I'm halfway through the 13ers now, it is questionable whether I'll ever finish the list because I can't get away more than a few long weekends a year to visit this range. Good luck on your remaining 13ers, you are getting close now. Ha, looks like you've still got some forbidden fruit to tackle too. No doubt you'll find a way as others have done.

[ClimbingCooneys]

Congrats on this accomplishment! The list of San Juan peaks above 13k is certainly daunting to weekend warriors from the front range. While I'm halfway through the 13ers now, it is questionable whether I'll ever finish the list because I can't get away more than a few long weekends a year to visit this range. Good luck on your remaining 13ers, you are getting close now. Ha, looks like you've still got some forbidden fruit to tackle too. No doubt you'll find a way as others have done.

Forbidden fruit? We have no idea what you're talking about!
As for the weekend warrior approach to getting all these peaks done, that's the way we did it. That's why it took so many years. Too many committments and other things in life to enjoy & participate in. But one thing that really helped was devoting one week of vacation every summer to peakbagging. That would often net us a third to a half of our summer total & some areas of those San Juan peaks - you can knock off seveal in a day - easily. Good luck to you & your efforts as well. Back in 2001, we were not even contemplating climbing all the 13ers. But here we are, with a strong possibility of finishing next summer.

[TeresaGergen]

Coincidentally, there are also 250 ranked 12ers in the San Juans. The 12ers are wonderful. That would make a nice little sub-list for a couple of 13er finishers - especially if they lived in GJ! Watching your 13er progress and wishing you the best of luck!

[ClimbingCooneys]

Coincidentally, there are also 250 ranked 12ers in the San Juans. The 12ers are wonderful. That would make a nice little sub-list for a couple of 13er finishers - especially if they lived in GJ! Watching your 13er progress and wishing you the best of luck!

Thanks Teresa! Based on a comment you made to us last year and now this, you seem determined to get us working on another long list. We admit, we'll probably still have other lists, but hope to keep them shorter than another 250 peaks. Hope to get out of state and do the Tetons, Wind Rivers, Utah 13ers and we also enjoy some of the desert peaks around Zion, and of course, we'll do Colorado 12ers, but probably on a more selective basis - like ones we don't have to beat ourselves up on!

[Jeremy Hakes]

Congrats! That's a lot of work and a bunch of great peaks!