Steve Knapp completes El Paso county!

[Kevin Baker]

Steve Knapp becomes the 5th known completer of the 37 ranked summits of El Paso county on Sunday, May 16 with a long hike of Manitou, Rocky Mtn, UN 10245, Cameron, Marys, and Sheep. That's quite the bushwack! Any favorites/stories to share on your journey through the list, Steve? Congrats!

[John Kirk]

Thanks for bringing me along today Steve - that was a fun loop despite what the stats show (15 miles, 7k gain)

We found this token bat on the summit of Cameron Cone. Steve is ready for the next county...

[susanjoypaul]

That's a BIG day! I think I did those in four trips... no kidding. Is there a stat for counties finished in least number of days? I think you would have the monopoly on that one.

Congrats on finishing El Paso - one of these days I need to take that silly class and wrap up the final four myself :-)

[Steve Knapp]

Thanks guys! It was an interesting list to work on. And I've been working on it since June 2, 1991! Yes, for almost 20 years my one and only El Paso peak was mighty Pikes itself. I suppose that's the case for many people oriented to the 14ers. But I finished the remaining 36 ranked peaks in nine separate days of hiking starting in January. This includes a 2-month break from late January to late March when I headed elsewhere as the snows piled up. There are lots of good peaks and a few to avoid unless you are focused on the list. I think I saved the best two hikes for last. Here are some memories:

Pikes - Monarch of the region, dwarfing everything else in the county. Spectacular 14er despite the crowds, road, and railway. I highly recommend a one-day hike of the Barr trail at least once in a lifetime. There's nothing like a 26 mile, 7400' gain day completely on trail. I'll cherish that memory forever. And never forget the fresh donuts and lemonade on a 14er!

AFA peaks - Nice pair of peaks with the great Stanley Canyon trail bisecting them. Hiking in the academy's backyard in beautiful terrain. Being on the base is a great reminder of what the Air Force means to the region and our country.

Eastern plains peaks - Nice in their own kind of way, though property issues abound. This area seems so far detached from the mountains and the urban I-25 corridor. It almost feels like it should be a separate county.

Gold Camp Road peaks - McKinley (Teller Co), San Luis, Knights, Sugarloaf, Gray Back. Another great set of peaks with easy road access. Here we found the deepest snows of any hikes I did in the county, and without snowshoes, but it was an awesome big day.

Scrub oak peaks - Hard to get away from this obnoxious bush in the lower regions of the county. Pittsburg, 8220, and the Little Turkey Creek canyon peaks. A necessary evil I've had plenty of experience on in Douglas and Jefferson counties. The bonus is you might see wild turkeys, which I saw on two separate occassions.

The Unmentionables - Let's just say a spring full moon and a 12-mile midnight hike works well for a certain cluster of peaks in the southern part of the county. Obstacles include running into fences, choppers overhead, and large rumbling noises in the distance.

Cheyenne Mtn and the Horns - I did these a bit too early in the season and had deep snow to deal with. Nice way to kill a few hours while the family hits the zoo. Great views of Colorado Springs.

Rampart Range peaks - Easy pickings along RR road. Might have to repeat those with the kids someday. Also, I found Mt. Muscoco and 8130 to be two of the most enjoyable lower peaks, local favorites and not to be missed.

Kineo, Garfield, Tuckaway group- My worst day of weather but a fine group of peaks. Great trail system leading into interesting bushwhacks. A place to find some solitude so close to the city. I loved it so much I wrote a TR posted under these peaks.

Mt. Manitou, 10245, Marys, Cameron Cone, Sheep - A spectacular final day capstone to the county. A celebration of big miles, big vertical, the incline, easy trail cruising, bushwhacking, and five ranked summits. 16 miles and 7100 ft of gain under the spring sun, nearly always in view of Pikes Peak. What a way to finish this fine county, I could not have planned a better completion day. I'll write a TR for this day as well.

All in all it was a fantastic whirlwind tour and a good winter/spring project. It's great to complete my neighboring county to the south. I'm sure I'll be back again and again for some of these peaks. Many thanks to John Kirk for joining me on several of these outings including the last one. His amazing website makes planning and completing these county lists so enjoyable.

[DHatfield]

Congrats Steve on completing yet another county!

[cftbq]

20 years? Hell, I stretched it out to 33 years! Still, Congrats on a rather amazing, whirlwind finish. (Yeah: that "cluster" is a challenge, no matter how one does it...)