Yes, 14er refers to both the mountains in Colorado that are over 14,000 feet in elevation and also refers to a loosely-affiliated group of people that hike them often. There is no direct correlation of 14er to difficulty (unless you are not used to the altitude) - this link - http://www.14ers.com/routes_2.php - sorts them by difficulty of climbing them. The most difficult ones may require some technical climbing with ropes. Also, there can be different routes - Longs Peak the easy way is still a long, strenouus hike, but if you climb the sheer east face known as the Diamond, you have some bigwall climbing to do at altitude.
Missy probably had previously been on Class 2 14er climbs that were all trail, there are many of those. But that might have been when she was younger as well. 10 years old is starting to get up there for a dog, and from the report from the rescuer that someone posted, her pads were not toughened up. A dog is like a human - if you don’t exercise it, it gets out of shape, and you just can’t drag it across Sawtooth without conditioning it first - and especially an older dog. The guy was probably just a self-centered idiot who was more driven to hike the route he wanted instead of noticing that the dog was not up to it.
Thank you again for sharing your knowledge.
This story has disturbed me so deeply that I am trying to put it to rest in my feeble little mind. You have helped me a lot. My initial impression of this guy was that he wasn’t too bright. Not only should he not have taken his dog, but it seems to me he shouldn’t have been there either. He probably didn’t know what the heck he was doing. Maybe fear of another climb added to his ignorance about going back. That really makes no excuse for his poor judgement on all fronts. He really doesn’t need to have a pet at all. After all, he’s not 12...he’s 30.
The dog is ok thanks to a lot of brave climbers and I will try to quit wrestling with the why. Thanks for letting me get a glimpse into the mind of a climber. (as well as a dog lover) I will now let you enjoy the rest of your Sunday without incessant questions. :)
BTW, The Diamond looks really lethal. Be careful, it’s a jungle out there. :)