The non-standard14er Podcast

Lost on Missouri: the Survival of Shuei Kato. Episode 15

Short-Rope and Kunckel drove up to Kremmling Colorado to sit down with Shuei Kato to hear the story of how he got turned around on the Summit of Missouri Mountain and got lost in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness Area for three nights in October 2017.  We chat all about what went wrong, what gear he had with him that allowed him to survive three nights alone, what he learned from his experience and what wisdom he shares with others. 

A Conversation with the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative episode 14

TayJack, JacerJack and Short-Rope invite Brian Sargeant to the Non-Standard 14er Podcast to chat about his role working with the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative, a non-profit out of Golden that protects and preserves our 14,000 foot peaks.  We learn about CFI’s thermal counters that keep a tally of hiker counts.  We get an early glimpse of the updated 14er report card that grades each 14er on the amount and difficulty of trail restoration needed. We talk about their current work on Columbia’s standard trail.  And we learn about CFI’s projects, funding, staff, mission and history.

A Convo with Elle and Loki--the Mountaineering Husky episode 13

Short-Rope, TayJack, and JacerJack welcome our first canine to the Non-Standard 14er Podcast.  We sit down with recent 14er finisher Elle and her husky Loki, who both climbed all of Colorado's 14ers and recently finished on Capitol Peak.  We talk about Loki's special training and how Elle and Loki work as a climbing team. We also hear some answers to popular questions that the 14er community instantly asks when they hear a dog did all the 14ers including: how they crossed Capitol's knife edge, how they tackled Little Bear's hourglass and what about the class 4 chimney move on North Maroon Peak? 

Rescue on the Red Gully episode 12

RyGuy returns to the Non-Standard 14er Podcast to talk about his experience in a search and rescue mission on Crestone Peak. RyGuy reflects upon what went wrong, what he learned and what others should avoid when climbing snow-covered gullies like Crestone Peak’s Red Gully.  We discuss emergency beacons, the difference between north and south facing snow conditions, and what it’s like to be picked up off a mountain by a Blackhawk Helicopter.  We also chat about best practices if you ever need to call Search and Rescue.

A Chat with Centennial Peak Finisher episode 11

TayJack, JacerJack and Short-Rope welcome our first Centennial Finisher to the podcast: RyGuy.  With an extensive alpine resume (RyGuy has climbed 34 of the 14ers in Winter, summited over 150 of the 13ers, and is currently an administer of the 14ers.com Facebook page), we had a lot to talk about.  The topics ranged from Winter camping/climbing to summit signs to the 14er.com social gatherings. We also learn how many of the highest 100 peaks in Colorado require rope climbing and just how different the Colorado 13ers are compared to the 14ers.   

Trailhead Talk: Avalanche Awareness and the Emperor Couloir on Torreys episode 10

While car camping outside the gate of the Cielo Vista Ranch, TayJack, JacerJack and Short-Rope welcome Pikabark, a new friend that was among the 20 individuals who had reservations to climb Culebra Peak the next day.  We learn about our new friend’s weight-loss feat via the 14ers, we discuss JacerJack’s successful skiing of the Emperor Couloir on Torreys Peak this Spring (the daunting gulley visible from I70) and we learn all sorts about snow conditions, avalanche risk, and avalanche-condition report reading in the Nonstandard 14er Podcast’s Trailhead Talk episode.

Grays Peak "Beginner's Guide" Episode 9

TayJack, JacerJack, and Short-Rope welcome a new guest known as the MonGoose to talk about Grays Peak, a good beginner peak.  A 14er-Finisher and staple in the 14er community for more than a decade, MonGoose gives frequent presentations at outdoor/climbing shops entitled “Intro to the 14ers.”  We get to hear about what he tells people preparing for their first 14er including learning about the 10 essentials to have in your pack, the difference between hiking classes (class 1-class 5) and some general trail etiquette.  We start with the discussion question “what do we know now in our 14er career that we wished someone would have told us when we first started?” We also learn about the volunteer groups that perform trail maintenance on the 14ers in this episode of the Non-Standard 14er podcast.

Pikes Peak "Manitou Incline Edition" Episode 8

Short Rope heads down to Manitou Springs to run the Manitou incline in preparation for his discussion about Pikes Peak with 14er-finisher, Nolan's-14-Completer and Incline-Record-Holder: Warg.  We discuss the Barr Trail, unafraid chipmunks, and summit donuts.  We also learn all about the incline’s history and the various speed records on the old railroad track that gains 2,000 feet in less than a mile.  If you thought the incline is rough, you should hear about the people who do it 13 times in a row and the crazy people who climb the incline more than 500 times a year---which we chat about at length in this episode of the Nonstandard 14er Podcast.

Red Cloud Peak "Colorado Cannibal" Episode 7

TayJack, JacerJack and Uncle Kunckel join Short Rope to discuss the remote 14er Red Cloud Peak down in the San Juan Mountains. We discuss dispersed camping, driving the mountain passes around Lake City and Silverton, and the amazing views from a very easy class 1 hike. In addition, we take a diversion into Colorado’s history to hear the macabre story of cannibalism in the Rocky Mountains by Alferd Packer and the legal theory that kept him from the gallows for the events in 1874 that occurred within miles of Red Cloud Peak.  

Mt. Shavano "Nolan's 14" Episode 6

Short-Rope heads to Colorado Springs to chat with a new-comer to the Nonstandard 14er podcast by the name of “Warg” who has done all the 14ers twice and is on an elite list of people who have successfully accomplished the “Nolan’s 14”----which is a 100 mile thru-hike of 14 Sawatch Range 14ers in under 60 hours.  The challenge either starts or ends with Mt. Shavano.  We chat about what he ate and where his support crew met him along the way.  We discuss his sleeping strategy over the 60 hours and marvel that his drive from Colorado Springs to Buena Vista was shorter than the Nolan’s 14 route!   And we discuss some routes that aren’t listed in any standard guide book, which makes them perfect for the Nonstandard 14er podcast!  Find some information on the Nolan’s 14 here: http://mattmahoney.net/nolans14/