The Denver metro area is about to explode!  It is Tebow time in Denver! Drive anywhere in the Denver Metro area and all you see is orange and blue.  The excitement is palpable.  A friend of The Hightower Team said it was a “regional holiday”, another wrote that “Tim Tebow has brought the family together again to watch football “.  It is exciting to see so many people feel joy about the same thing.  It almost feels like the Super Bowl! Tim Tebow has certainly made his mark here in Denver, when they win tonight this town will be electric!  Enjoy the game!

The Hightower Team loves football, they also do a fantastic job helping you buy or sell your home, give us a call 303-325-5020 or visit www.thehightowerteam .com to find out more.

Go Broncos!

As 2011 comes to an end we want to thank all of our clients, vendors, family and friends for making it another successful year!  This year was a very productive year, not only for our business but for us personally.  We grew a lot this year, not in size, but personally and professionally.  We focused on getting back to basics, cutting unnecessary costs and making sure that we put ourselves first. 

We were able to help many families avoid foreclosure this year which is no small feat.  It brings us great joy to help people understand their situation and help them make decisions that will help them rebuild their future and move on with their lives. 

One of our goals this year was to summit 5 Colorado 14ners to raise money for The Cancer League of Colorado.  Every summit was dedicated to one of our family members that have been affected by this disease.  We had a lot of fun with the challenge and we raise $2000 from our efforts.

We have 2 family members that are living with Alzheimer’s so we continue to support the Alzheimer’s Organization, this year we participated in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s and we had a team of 17 people and collectively we raised $2,000. We must continue to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s; it is a horrible thing to watch.

2011 was good to us, we are thankful for our many lessons.  They help us grow as people, and as a business.  We continue to strive for excellence and continue to provide the best service possible to our clients.  We hope everyone has a wonderful New Year…..we look forward to what is ahead! 

All the Best,

The Hightower Team

Travis, Abigail, Paula, Mike and Brian

This post covers the past 2 weeks of climbing. We certainly have had some adventures and covered a lot of ground! On top of that Abigail Hayes participated in the Tough Mudder Race at Beaver Creek on June 25th, while the Col. and I climbed Grays Peak near Bakerville, CO. We all ended our five week series in the Holy Cross Wilderness with an attempt on Mt of the Holy Cross on July 2nd. It certainly has been a fun five weeks of climbing, especially with all of the snow!

As we are in the final week before the Over the Edge Event, we ask that you please make a donation for the mountains we have climbed. We made several changes to our original plan, but ended up summiting three 14ers and one 13er for a total of 4 peaks. All of our efforts were dedicated to family members who have lost their fight against cancer. The end result of our plan to climb six 14ers in five weeks panned out differently, but as the old saying goes…”A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow”. We are proud of our accomplishments and hope that they spark a desire to help with our fundraising efforts!

CLICK HERE to Make a Donation!

A climb for Uncle Billy June 25

After assessing the creek leading to the north side of Torreys Peak, Col. Hightower and I decided to climb the standard route and attempt to ski the Northwest Couloir AKA the “Tuning Fork”. The beginning of the standard route was no different from the other 6 to 10 times we had been there before, but this time we had our skis & snowboard! As we continued our ascent we decided to enter the snowfield near the base of the Dead Dog Couloir. At that time the temperature was fairly warm, but I felt the snow would hold our weight into the saddle. Boy was that a mistake! After a grueling two hours of post holing through slush and “corn” we made it to the saddle of Grays and Torreys. The time we had lost cost us our ski descent of the Tuning Fork, so I decided to summit Grays Peak instead. After making the summit I strapped on the snowboard and met Col. Hightower somewhere below the saddle. After some route planning and speaking to a fellow climber, we both were able to ski down Stevens Gulch back to the car. It was a unique experience for both of us as we had never done a ski descent on a 14er together. The climb was dedicated to Uncle Billy who was the my Father’s uncle. Billy died of cancer just like his son Keith who recently passed in March 2011. We remember both Billy and Keith and hope to someday find a cure for cancer!

The Col. and I pinned our tough day of climbing on the late start, and figured we needed a good kick in the pants since Abby was doing the Tough Mudder!

Grays Peak Photos | June 25th

An Attempt on Mount of the Holy Cross July 1-3

With the long 4th of July weekend in the back of our minds, Abigail, Col. Hightower and I decided to attempt Mt. Holy Cross via the Hunky Dory Trailhead. This route is known for having less people and Holy Cross is located within a few short hours west on I-70. Our goal was simple, a summit of Holy Cross via a different route, while avoiding holiday crowds and holiday traffic. We started our adventure on Friday morning and made it to the Holy Cross City jeep road (759) by early afternoon. This was not our final destination, but in retrospect we would have been much better had we partially driven up the jeep road and hiked to the Hunky Dory Trailhead. Instead we decided to explore a different route that would take us through Holy Cross City and eventually Hunky Dory Lake. After driving up a tight overgrown road we finally parked at approx 10,300ft. That is where our adventure officially began!

We made it to Holy Cross City after trudging through wet bogs and a lot of snow. The “ghost town” has several old structures and mining equipment scattered around the site, but most of it is currently covered by snow. The structures were built when the mining camp housed over 300 people. Currently Holy Cross City consists of a few remaining structures and various pieces of mining equipment. As we passed through the site we peered into one of the cabins and imagined what it would have been like to have lived in the old bunk house like a miner. Holy Cross City only existed from 1880-1884, and came back to life for a short period in the 1890′s.

By 7pm we finally made it to our camp site. It wasn’t quite Hunky Dory Lake, but it did have a flat area for us to set up our tents. All of us were very happy to camp after a tough walk through the snow covered woods with very heavy packs. The next morning we left camp and set our sights on Mt of the Holy Cross. As soon as we made it to Hunky Dory Lake we were amazed at the scenery and the overall beauty of the snow covered mountains and lakes. All I can say is that Holy Cross Wilderness is certainly one of the most beautiful places I have hiked. For July 2nd, seeing everything snow covered and the overall ruggedness made this area something to behold. After several hours of route planning and navigating we stopped just under 13,000ft at Fall Creek Pass (our estimate). This area helped us realize that Holy Cross was a few more ridges away, and that it was too late in the day for us to go on. We decide to rest and then made our way back to the camp.

Looking back this was a very unique experience for all of us. We didn’t make the summit of Holy Cross as we had planned, but we learned a lot about ourselves and this beautiful area. Holy Cross Wilderness is definitely one of my top areas to explore. I would recommend this place to anyone, but would caution those who don’t have mountaineering experience or the proper gear.

This attempt on Mt. Holy Cross was dedicated to my Grandmother Ruthelle Hightower. We didn’t make a summit for her, but I am sure that we will summit a 14er in her name before the Summer climbing season is over. In our final week of fund raising please help us meet our goal. We have dedicated many of our summits to Hightower Family members and to those who have had to care for a sick loved one. Show your support by making a contribution as we go Over the Edge this Saturday July 9th. Remember, that 100% of money we raise stays in Colorado and only goes toward cancer-related service or research. For each dollar that is donated it is generally matched by national institutions more than 20-to-1. We thank you for your help!

Please Make a Donation – CLICK HERE

Holy Cross Wilderness Photos | July 1-3rd.

Hello Friends. This is a short post that I wanted to send out before the holiday weekend. This year, Colorado’s mountains have taken several lives and I wanted to tell everyone to be safe this 4th of July weekend. Remember 14ers are high mountains, and if you choose to hike them please be careful! Know and understand your route plan and the potential hazards. Study the mountains you intend to climb and use a resource like 14ers.com to be fully prepared. Essentially you want to, “hope for the best and prepare for the worst”.

Last weekend I climbed Grays Peak and watched numerous climbers that I consider unprepared make it to the top. One of the hikers I spoke with didn’t even have his shirt on and hiked with shorts and tennis shoes. It may seem like overkill, but here is a gear list and info you should review before climbing Colorado’s highest Mountains. To fully deliver my message take a moment to read the two articles below. They are not intended to scare you away from the mountains I love, but should help you respect and understand the risk involved. Be safe out there friends and enjoy the Freedom of the Hills Responsibly!

Woman Dies on Mt. Princeton

One woman died Thursday after a fall on 14,197-foot Mount Princeton, but her male hiking companion was rescued by an emergency search and rescue effort.

Woman Dies on Sawtooth

The woman, who was in her 20s, was climbing the Sawtooth between Mount Evans and Mount Bierstadt when she fell at 11:45 a.m.

 

Interested in Climbing Colorado’s Mountains?

A Special Dedication

On the weekend of June 18th & 19th the “Super Crew” Col. Hightower, Abigail Hayes, and I decided to climb a 13er known as Mount Silverheels. This gentle giant tops out at 13,822ft with beautiful 360 degree views from the top! We dedicated this climb to everyone who has cared for a sick loved one. All three of us have stood by the side of a loved one and cared for them as disease took them away. For the Col and I, it was cancer. For Abigail, it’s Alzheimer’s. We can all say it’s a very painful experience, and our heart goes out to anyone who has unconditionally loved and cared for a sick family member. You all are rock stars and these actions don’t go unnoticed!

The legend of Silverheels goes back to the 1860′s during a smallpox epidemic that took over the mining camp Buckskin Joe. During the epidemic many of the townspeople chose to flee to Denver, however most of the miners stayed for fear of claim jumpers. A women nicknamed “Silverheels” also remained, and took care of her sick neighbors. She chose not to flee to Denver and her selfless actions helped many of her friends struggle through the disease. The present day “ghost town” known as Buckskin Joe is located approx 2 miles west of Alma.

Silverheels got her nickname from the silver shoes she wore at a local dance hall. She ultimately got smallpox herself, but she manged to survive while helping others. Once the epidemic was over, the miners wanted to show their appreciation with a $5000 gift. After visiting her abandoned cabin, Silverheels could not be found. The money was returned, and the mountain where she lived was named after her. Shortly after the old mining camp was deserted, there was a report of a black veiled woman placing flowers on the graves of those who died of smallpox. Many believe it was Silverheels and to this day people claim to have seen the same black veiled woman wandering around the cemetery!

Please Make a Donation. Click here!

Thank you Silverheels, and a big THANK YOU for all those who unconditionally care for their loved ones! Today we have found a cure for smallpox, now it’s time to find a cure for cancer and other diseases. Please help support us as we continue to raise money for cancer research. We are two weeks away from the Over the Edge Event. The Cancer League of Colorado and The Hightower Team need your help….make a donation to end cancer!

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Want to go Hiking with Us?

Another Summit!

Colonel Hightower and I set out to climb Mount Sherman as our second 14er of the year. Week number two in our series of six 14ers in five weeks was a success! This was a last minute change from our plan to climb Mount Elbert, but it was the right choice. The snow via the south slope was melting at a high rate and this particular route will be dramatically different in the upcoming weeks. Despite having to transition from snow to rock several times, this route certainly made one of  Colorado’s easiest 14ers much more fun.

The “Colonel” and I made it just past the old Leavick mine and parked in front of some snow drifts. By 5:30am we hit the trail and began our climb. Just after 9am we made the summit and took time to remember the Hightowers we have lost to cancer. This particular summit was dedicated to my Dad’s Uncle Derwood Jones, whom I had never met.  It’s sad to remember those who we have lost, but it feels good to honor them. Especially at 14,000 feet!

As we continue climbing please help us raise over $3000 to end cancer. Our fundraising efforts will conclude at the Over The Edge event held July 8th and 9th. It is being organized by the Cancer League of Colorado, which is a non-profit all volunteer organization. 100% of money we collect stays in Colorado and will go toward cancer-related service or research.

Please help us by making a donation today!

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Like What We Do?

Success!

Quandary Peak was the first 14er of our 2011 climbing season. Charles Hightower aka “The Colonel”, Travis Hightower, and Abigail Hayes made the summit in just under six hours and dedicated our accomplishment to Keith Hightower. Keith lost his fight against cancer when he passed away in March 2011, leaving behind his wife, two children, and several grandchildren. Our thoughts and prayers continue to go out to The Hightower’s in Junction City Arkansas as they deal with the loss of Keith.  

Over the next month we intend to raise over $3000 to end cancer. Please help us by making a donation! As we summit each 14er we will dedicate the climb to a Hightower family member who lost their life to cancer. Quandary Peak was the first 14er in our five week series, with the goal of six 14ers in five weeks. To all our friends, please help us end the pain each family member experiences when they watch a loved one lose their life to cancer.

The Cancer League of Colorado raised over $185,000 at the 2010 Over the Edge Event, and this year we hope to raise even more! The Hightower Team chose this non-profit organization because it is all volunteer with no offices or paid staff. 100% of money they raise stays in Colorado and only goes toward cancer-related service or research. Since donations are matched more than 20:1, the contributions from last year created over $1,000,000 for cancer related service or research. Please share our dream of finding a cure for cancer!

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