MACKAY, Idaho — Juan Vazquez flew in to Idaho Falls from his home in Chicago just to attempt to climb to the top of Mount Borah at an elevation of 12,667 feet.
"I love the challenge of getting to the highest point in every state," said Vazquez.
Juan has reached the highest point in almost every state. If he could make it to the top of Mount Borah in the Lost River Range that would be number 47, leaving just Montana, Wyoming and Alaska left on his life.
However, summitting Mount Borah is not an easy task as hikers need to climb 5,400 feet of elevation in just four miles in a never-ending climb and people also need to navigate Chicken Out Ridge.
"You can get this done in a day, but where it is different, it’s a lot more strenuous in one day in my opinion," said Vazquez. "Even Rainier, you split up into two different days and it’s less elevation gain in each day."
The hike to Mount Borah starts with the alpine section that seems to go on forever. Above that is a ridge where the official trail ends as hikers make it to Chicken Out Ridge.
I wanted to try this hike because of Chicken Out Ridge since it's a class three scramble that requires climbing on a narrow ledge with a lot of exposure.
"I’m very thankful for you," said Vazquez. "You were very helpful in navigating around the tricky areas. I’ve got a little bit of climbing experience, but definitely more on the hiking side so once we were over it, I was just happy to get back to hoofing it."
I wasn't, I did not enjoy the final slog to the summit of Mount Borah and I wouldn't have made it without the support of Juan and Rowan. Plus, I wanted to see Juan's reaction when he reached the top.
"Every time I do one of these it’s bittersweet because I get closer to my goal of all 50," said Vazquez. "But, at the same time, I have fewer left."
Climbing Mount Borah is a serious endeavor. Visit Idaho offers a guide for people interested. It's not an adventure people should take lightly as it takes the average hiker six to eight hours to climb and people need to be prepared to hike for 10-12 hours.
That brings challenges which is why I camped at the trail head where there are five primitive spots, so I could get an early start. However, before I even considered taking on this challenge, I checked the weather because you would not want to be up there when a storm rolls through.
Once this area gets its first real snowstorm, that's the end of the season as the typical time recommended to do this hike is July, August and September. We were lucky that the snow bridge after Chicken Out Bridge, which is usually there year-round, had melted.
Chicken Out Ridge is also a place where people should turn around if they don't feel comfortable. I found it more difficult than I anticipated as it not only takes some climbing, but also some route finding. Keep in mind it's harder to climb down than it is to climb up.
Hikers should carry plenty of water, high energy snacks, a map, compass and emergency equipment. A Garmin InReach or a spot device is always a good tool to have, and everybody but me had trekking poles which would have really helped on the trip down.
It's certainly the highest peak I've ever climbed and I'm happy to report that four people successfully made the summit on Wednesday and safely made it back down. For Juan, his next adventure will be a guided trip in Alaska for Denali as he only has three left to check off, but he also enjoyed Idaho.
"I’ve never been to this part of Idaho, it was beautiful to see everything that is here and I can’t wait for the other three," said Vazquez. "I do it for my family and I would like to tell these stories to my daughter someday."
