Running Header: Exercise 4
Exercise 4
Marielle Isenhart
WRTG 3020
CU Boulder
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Exercise 4
Part 1
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Exercise 4
A Hike along the Guanella Pass Trail of Mt. Bierstadt
Total Elevation Gain
Summit Altitude
Total trail distance (Trailhead to Summit)
Total Time elapsed
Oxygen level at start of journey in Boulder,CO
Oxygen level at end of journey at Summit of Mt.
Bierstadt
Number of trees surrounding trailhead (visible)
Number of trees at Summit
Calories burned
Calories consumed
Liquid Ounces consumed
Average heartrate
Average pace
Average windspeed
Initial Temperature (external)
Final Temperature (external)
Initial Body Temperature
Final Body Temperature
2,850 ft
14,060 ft
7 miles
7 hours
17.3%
12.3%
28
0
2,059
1,147
39.2
149 bpm
2 miles per hour
6.2 miles per hour
79.6˚F
60.4˚F
99˚F
97.4˚F
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Exercise 4
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Part 2:
The experience of climbing my first 14er is not perfectly represented in the above media. I took
the hike with my sister and brother, which is was not previously depicted. The weather was warm in the
city of Denver, but the temperature change felt more drastic than the numbers convey. Additionally,
numbers will not accurately represent the fatigue and inability to catch my breath that I felt as I reached
the summit, though the quantifiable oxygen levels explain this to a certain extent. I was unsure that my
legs would suffice to carry me back down the mountain! This fatigue was also exacerbated by my
physical state, as I was not feeling well that day and was not in top condition. It was all worth it to see
the beautiful scenery along the trail. The panoramic view of the Rocky Mountains from the summit was
absolutely stunning. No photograph will recreate that. It was also interesting to hear what some of the
other hikers were conversing about as they made their way up the mountain, another aspect that was
not captured. One group of young men sang pop music all throughout their journey. I remember this
part of the experience, but didn’t translate it into “machine language”. Furthermore, simply stating the
amount of calories consumed doesn’t reveal that those calories mostly consisted of Cliff bars, oranges
and gluten free pizza. It is true, as Aimée Knight writes, that "sight and hearing…offered a priori
knowledge—about the external world prized for its universal, shared character” (2013, p 5). Even
though I was seeing the same mountain and most of the same views as other hikers, my experience will
not be identical to anyone else’s.
Exercise 4
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Exercise 4
Works Cited
Altitude-Oxygen Chart. Retrieved from http://www.higherpeak.com/altitudechart.html
Clif Bar and CO Chocolate Chip Crunch Bar. Retrieved from http://www.tennisexpress.com/clif-bar-and
co-chocolate-chip-crunch-bar-27760
Friesman, Josh. (18 September 2011). Hiking in the Rockies. Retrieved from
http://www.hikingintherockies.com/fourteeners/bierstadt/2011/mount_bierstadt_2011.html
Knight, Aimée. (2013). Reclaiming Experience: The Aesthetic and Multimodal Composition. ScienceDirect,
30. Retrived from
https://learn.colorado.edu/d2l/le/content/112484/viewContent/2195947/View?ou=112484
Oranges. Retrieved from http://www.sealdsweet.com/products/commodities-and
availability/citrus/orange.php
Mount Bierstadt-West Slopes. Retrieved from
http://www.14ers.com/routemain.php?route=bier1&peak=Mt.%20Bierstadt
What is the elevation of the timberline in Colorado? Retrieved from
https://www.trails.com/facts_3919_what-elevation-timberline-colorado.html
14ers Peak List. Retrieved from http://www.14ers.com/photos/photos_14ers1.php
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