We watched the sun rise reflect off of the glorious Rockies as we headed west to conquer one of the highest mountains on the North American continent...our first Fourteener...Mt. Democrat, located just south of Breckenridge. Full of ambition and energy, we set off through a colorful alpine field splashed with wildflowers. They have become good friends on our many journeys through the high country. God must have known that not very many humans would even see (let alone appreciate) these amazing little creations of art yet He thought it quite appropriate to make them anyway...

I'm not gonna lie...the altitude was quickly felt and our lungs worked like never before to suck in as much oxygen as possible. We welcomed frequent breaks to stop and enjoy the views. Some of the best EVER.

And then we finally summited.

Springdale, Arkansas (where I grew up)- altitude 1120 feet
Denver, Colorado (where I currently live)- altitude 5280 feet
Mount Democrat- altitude 14,148 feet

(photo taken facing southwest- unfortunately the photo doesn't capture the mountains along the horizon very well)

On the way down we decided that we could definitely get used to this kind of living, jell-o legs and all. But we'll probably need some more practice before attempting Everest (ha ha, just kidding...but I would consider making it to base camp...hmmm, add it to the list...).