Summit County resident Tim Campbell has always been drawn to the thrill of climbing. 

Even though he grew up in an area of Illinois known more for its rivers and creeks than its towering peaks, Campbell climbed high into trees, up bluffs, and even scaled the local water tower to get his daily slice of adventure.

This passion for exploration resulted in Campbell making his way west to Colorado where he was encouraged to climb his first 14,000 foot mountain on July 4, 2005. While Campbell was fit enough to complete the multi-hour hike up Quandary Peak just south of Breckenridge, he and his hiking party were not adequately prepared.

The first issue Campbell encountered was not knowing exactly where the trailhead was located off of Colorado Highway 9.

“I didn’t know exactly where the trailhead was, and neither did they,” Campbell said. “We headed south of Highway 9 and we were looking for Quandary. We could not find the trailhead. We kept on searching.”

Failing to see a trail sign of any sort, Campbell and his crew pulled off on a gravel road next to several other parked cars. A few minutes after unloading the car, Campbell could still not locate a trailhead, leading the group to plunge into the thick evergreen forest and begin to climb upwards. 

The group bushwacked their way through the forest until converging with the actual trail. After a more exciting than usual endeavor, Campbell stood atop the impressive peak, knocking his first 14er off his list. 

The bagging of his first 14er awoke a childlike wonder inside Campbell. Similar to how he would get excited about climbing “the mountains” of southwestern Illinois, Campbell soon was invigorated to stand atop every 14er spread out across the state of Colorado. 

“I started picking off the ones that were close to my house,” Campbell said. “Thay was key. I wanted to start off with the ones where I wouldn’t die. That was important. Sometimes I would invite people from my hometown area to come out, stay and do a 14er. I just picked the ones I thought I could manage.”

Along the way, Campbell began detailing his adventures in the high-Alpine, jotting down notes for every peak he topped. The early notes were the first draft for what would become Campbell’s authorial debut: “Call of the Mountains: Climbing the Colorado Fourteeners”.

Beyond detailing the many adventures he was able to have while hiking all of the 14ers, his book serves as a guide of sorts for other aspiring climbers. One of the most daring tales Campbell highlights in the book occurred while he was attempting to top the Crestones in the  Sangre de Cristo Range near Alamosa. 

As the sun began to sink lower on the horizon, Campbell slowly trekked down the mountain back to the start of the trailhead. At some point during his descent, Campbell got off trail and found himself in a dry creek with slabs of slick granite surrounding him.

Fatigued from the jaunt up the mountain range, Campbell slipped and fell, resulting in his last full water bottle skipping away down the steep, rugged pitch. 

“This wasn’t a trail,” Campbell said. “Next thing I know, the water bottle has come to a rest and I have come to a rest on my stomach just before another drop off. I remember thinking that I had made it out of that one.”

Knowing he may need water if he was to get stranded on the peak, Campbell safely retrieved his water bottle before returning to the crux of the mountain. Now back on the trail, Campbell encountered another problem when his headlamp died as he hiked back down the mountain. 

Although not ideal, Campbell used a full moon to light his way down the trail. 

“That one was in effect the hardest because I made it the hardest mountain to climb,” Campbell said. 

Campbell finished off all of the Colorado 14ers in July 2021 with Pikes Peak. Wanting to forever remember the moment, Campbell was joined on the hike by his family including many of his grandkids. 

After steadily knocking off 14ers for the last 16 years, the final peak allowed Campbell to soak in his adventures alongside his family.

“One of the most exciting parts for me was taking my grandkids,” Campbell said. “I insisted that their parents come too, so I could manage all five of them. It was not all of them, but one of them was a little over two-years-old. He did the whole thing with his pack. It was such a heartwarming moment.”

A paperback version of Tim Cambell’s first published book can be purchased on Amazon for $25.95. The Kindle version is available for $9.99. The book is made up of 172 pages and features pictures of Campbell’s adventures spread throughout the text. 

Campbell is also in the process of getting the book in bookstores throughout Summit County. 

“It is a learning type of book,” Campbell said. “Planning is very important. You need to have all of your campsites and approaches in mind. …That is what I would portray to readers. Be prepared, be in good shape, be hydrated, keep enough food in your body.”