Sen,. Mark Udall, who has climbed mountains worldwide, on the summit of Dallas Peak in Colorado. (Udall campaign)
Sometimes you have to climb 13,809 feet to get a vote. Just ask Sen. Mark Udall.
The Democratic politician and his wife, Maggie fox, on Aug. 8 reached the just north of Telluride, completing Udall’s ascsent of the 100 tallest peaks in Colorado known as “The Colorado Centennials.” Dallas Peak was the last remaining mountain of the Centennials where Udall had not reached the summit, his campaign staff said.
Dallas Peak is considered the most technical of peaks above 13,113 feet in Colorado and Udall and his wife used technical climbing gear.
While the couple were rappelling down the peak, two other climbers who had reached the summit after them but through a different route, looked down and yelled, “Hey, is that Mark Udall?” Udall and Fox waved and shouted back, according to the campaign. The climbers yelled back at them “You have our vote!”
Rep. Cory Gardner, a Republican, and Sen. Mark Udall, a Democrat. (The Denver Post)
Udall, the former director of Outward Bound, is running for a second term in the U.S. Senate. He faces a challenge from Republican Congressman Cory Gardner.
Despite his D.C. job and campaigning throughout Colorado, Udall said he also managed earlier this summer to do some climbing. What’s his favorite 14teener? Udall flashed a huge grin.
“You want me to pick between my children?” he said.
