14er Fan Club
Welcome

                                      Having moved to                                               Colorado via                                                     Minnesota and                                                 Texas, author Jerry                                          Funk formerly             considered mountains only as something to be skied. Hiking, climbing, and camping were foreign concepts to him, along with the word 14er. At age 48, he climbed his first 14er and soon had mountain-blood flowing through his veins. As his 14er Fan Club cheered him on, Jerry found new hiking buddies and climbing skills to help him conquer these dangerous but magnificent creations. With humor and wit, Jerry grew from novice to expert climber in this true, thrilling, adventure story.
     This adventure recounts the humorous but often life-threatening experiences of one hiker as he climbs the 55 (not 54!) Colorado mountains of 14,000 feet and above.
     Mt. Lindsey 14,042'
We're going on up...Jerry on Crestone Peak                                 The red couloir, Crestone Peak...John headed to the summit
      Good morning sunshine...
         The world says hello!
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BOOK AND T-SHIRTS
GREAT 
PRESENTS!
(All books purchased on this site will be autographed)

FREE POSTAGE & HANDLING
NOTE TO ALL CLIMBERS
     Climbing these gorgeous mountains is fun, exhilarating, and gives one a sense of great accomplishment; but they are also very dangerous! The Crestone Needle, Maroon Bells, El Diente, Longs Peak are all 14ers that claimed multiple deaths.  Many of my 14er Fan Club members have written or told me about their desire to start climbing, and I think that is fabulous, never dreaming that my book would inspire people in such a manner. But please read my warnings too, and remember that these wonderful beautiful mountains are also killer mountains. Acquire the appropriate gear, watch the weather reports, have a climbing partner, and climb them remembering that you only have one life! 

                                                                 "EZ" 14ers list
     I recently have had numerous requests for a list of 14ers for beginners. Here is a short list...climb safely!

LIST OF EASY 14ERS for Beginners
In parenthesis: Number is approximate round-trip miles, followed by corresponding trail-head
1)Mount Sherman (5-Iowa Gulch or easier 8-Fourmile Creek-Leavick Trail-head
2) Mount Bierstadt (41/2-Guanella Pass)
3)Quandary Peak (6-Monte Cristo Trail-head)
4)Grays Peak (twosome-6-Stevens Gulch)
4)Torreys Peak
5) Mount Democrat (threesome-about 71/2 miles-Kite Lake)
  5) Mount Lincoln
  5) Mount Bross (summit is currently closed)
6)Handies Peak (51/2-American Basin)
7)San Luis Peak (12-Stewart Creek Trail-head) 
AND DON'T FORGET THE TALLEST OF THEM ALL...MOUNT ELBERT



 
(Short book excerpt from Chapter on Little Bear Peak...click on Read Book Excerpt above for more...)
     John was safe. I had ten minutes remaining on Adam's hour. I started down thinking there was no time to waste. I wrapped the green rope around my arm, at the same time clinging to the red. I was making pretty good time. Just slide, baby...Go! Go! Go! About halfway down I heard someone yell. I thought John was yelling at me from below. 
     "What John?" 
     No answer. I couldn't see him. I heard something and looked up. Here they came..."Oh mercy, Lord...help me please"…about ten to fifteen rocks were headed down the hourglass bouncing, circling all around, coming from way above, and I was right dead-center in the middle of their path with a stream of water rushing underneath me. With the green rope wrapped around my arm I flattened myself, dangling against the slick rock, hanging on for dear life and trying to become one with the rock. My face and body were soaking in the cold mountain water. One rock bounced off my helmet and another glanced off my right shoulder. They continued bounding past me through the hourglass at breakneck speed. Dangling and still clinging to the red and green ropes I realized I was alive…I was still here! 
     "I'M OKAYYYYYY!" I yelled!
     If you ever want an immediate lesson on how to quickly get down a mountain with a rope, have someone bounce a few rocks off your head. Bingo: my feet pushed away from the wall and I was like an army storm trooper repelling down a wall. I didn't know if I was bleeding or hurt…

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