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Posted 08.23.2010

Finding a mountain to climb

ColoradoBiz editors summit 14'er for fundraiser (just in time)

By Mike Cote

There's nothing like the camaraderie of climbing a Colorado 14'er with a big group of people to raise money for a great cause. You share the test of endurance, bask in the sense of accomplishment and make new friends.

At least that's what they tell us. (See for yourself in this video.)

ColoradoBiz Managing Editor Mike Taylor and I reached the summit of Mount Bierstadt on Aug. 13 in two hours and 20 minutes, not bad for a couple of old guys. But our biggest obstacle? Finding the mountain.

If you've ever driven along U.S. 285 in the dark, then you might appreciate that it's easy to whiz by the town of Grant, the entrance to Guanella Pass that leads to the base of Mount Bierstadt. In short, we must have been too busy drinking coffee to see the sign so we kept driving and driving and driving and driving and had logged more miles than we care to admit before realizing we had made a major miscalculation.

At 8 a.m. - an hour and 45 minutes after IP5280 began its trek to raise money for the Children's Hospital and the Kempe Foundation - Mike and I finally hit the trail. We huffed and puffed, dodged wind and rocky terrain, and - miraculously - caught up with some fellow fundraiser climbers at the summit.

At that point, we tilted the positions of our hung-down heads to bask in the pride of having not only reach the top of a beautiful peak but the knowledge that we made our ascent in pretty good time. (Smart, no. Fast, yes.)

There's still time to help us help IP5280 reach its $75,000 fundraising goal. Visit our Web page by Aug. 31 to make a donation. You can't miss it. Even in the dark.

Mike Cote is the editor of ColoradoBiz. E-mail him at mcote@cobizmag.com.

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