Bridger Root was on a hut trip with his parents this winter when they met another hiker. Trailside pleasantries were exchanged. The hiker stopped when he shook Bridger’s hand.
“Wait, the Bridger Root. You are the Bridger Root,” the hiker said. “Wow!”
“He was so tickled to meet Bridger,” said Margi Missling-Root, Bridger’s mom. “He seems to have inspired a lot of people.”
The 15-year-old from Steamboat Springs last month climbed Mount Rainier in Washington, a three-day climb that ended the lanky teen’s quest to climb all 71 14,000-foot peaks in the lower United States. Bridger, fittingly named after the quintessential mountain man Jim Bridger, may be the youngest person to have summited all of the country’s highest hills.
Bridger climbed his first 14er when he was 8, but it wasn’t until a 13-hour epic climb with his dad and cousins up Longs Peak on his 10th birthday that he decided mountain climbing was going to be a guiding passion.
“Somewhere on that climb I decided this was something I wanted to do,” said the student at the private Lowell Whiteman School in Steamboat Springs, where his parents are teachers. “I liked the challenge.”
On his 14th birthday, Bridger stood atop Mount Elbert, the state’s highest peak. He had climbed 55 Colorado 14ers. There were none left. He looked west. The next summer, he climbed all 15 14,000-foot peaks in California with his dad, Brick, and climbing mentor John Culberson. Rainier marked his 71st 14er. With his dad, Bridger has climbed and descended 568,000 feet.
This summer he climbed a volcano in southern Chile as part of a program through Whiteman. Later this summer he’s planning a technical ascent of the Grand Teton. This fall he leaves for a year studying in Switzerland as part of an exchange program through his outdoor adventure-oriented school, where his dad teaches math and chemistry and his mom is in charge of experiential education. Naturally, he’s planning to explore the Alps when he’s there. Next summer, he and Culberson are lining up some more technical ascents in Canada.
After he graduates from high school in 2007, he’s aiming for his biggest climb: Alaska’s Mount McKinley, North America’s highest peak.
Bridger doesn’t dabble. If he likes something, he goes full bore. He started skiing at age 4. Today, he telemarks, alpine skis and is on his high school’s nordic ski team. In his infrequent spare moments this summer he worked repairing hiking trails in Routt County.
Next week Bridger will celebrate his 16th birthday. No peaks this time though. He’ll be at an engineering camp at CU, hoping to get a head start – imagine that – on his tentative plans to pursue an engineering degree after high school.
“But you know that is subject to change,” he said.
One thing is certain in Bridger’s life though.
“I’m going to be climbing until I’m an old man,” he said. “I like to get to places that are rarely traveled. Being away from everybody else and being up there on top of everything is really amazing. It never seems to get old.”
Jason Blevins can be reached at 303-820-1374 or jblevins@denverpost.com.
