Imagine for a moment that you're standing at the summit of the tallest mountain in a landscape teaming with sky-scraping rocky peaks. Below you a sea of snow-spotted mountains and emerald valleys, sprinkled with mountain lakes, stretches out into some dreamlike cloudy distance. Your legs burn from the long hike, your stomach growls and the midday wind chills your bones, but the fact that you've just reached one of the highest points in the state humbles you and brings life and the stuff that matters most into clear focus. You're at the top of a Colorado 14er.
Colorado's Rocky Mountains offer climbers and high-altitude adventurists the finest collection of alpine encounters anywhere in the U.S. This claim is based on the state's wealth of mountain peaks that tower more than 14,000 feet in elevation. Though the total number of 14ers is debatable in the climbing community, the "official" count includes at least 53 of these peaks-more than any other state-scattered across six different ranges.
Whether you consider yourself an untested mountain novice or a weathered and worn backcountry veteran, Colorado's 14ers dish out a variety of hiking and climbing options on every peak. Some 14ers require multi-day treks through wilderness expanses, but most peaks offer one-day summit trips by way of standard, heavily traveled routes.
Colorado's Front Range makes for some of the most convenient mountaineering in the state. A short drive from Denver along I-70 delivers hikers to the trailheads of four 14ers. Mount Evans (14,264"), a massive chunk of earth visible from downtown, is the city's closest 14er. Within 1.5 miles of Evans" peak is Mount Bierstadt (14, 060"), considered one of the most accessible summits in the state. Grays Peak (14,270") and Torreys Peak (14,267") are the only two 14ers on the Continental Divide; in fact, Grays is the highest peak on the Divide. Additionally, the proximity of these two peaks allows hikers to summit two peaks in one day.
In the Tenmile-Mosquito Range lies a pair of introductory options for high-altitude greenhorns. Near Leadville, Mount Sherman (14,036") is a great trek for the family and is widely known as the easiest 14er. Near Breckenridge, Quandary Peak (14,265") offers a long, well-marked trail starting below tree line.
Those looking to test their mountaineering skills will find plenty of proving grounds throughout the state. Rocky Mountain National Park's highest peak, Longs Peak (14, 255"), is one of the most popular mountain hikes in the western U.S. This challenging 14er is steeped in history and strikes both terror and awe in the hearts of those who accept the challenge.
Although dangerous, the most difficult climbs offer the utmost in experiences and returns. Capital Peak (14,130"), in the Elk Range, is believed to be the state's most difficult 14er with lots of steep, exposed, loose rock and a nasty section near the top aptly known as the Knife Edge.
Sure, you could drive to the summit of Pikes Peak and stand atop a 14er. But you'd be missing the point. There's a feeling, or maybe it's a perspective, that builds and builds with each step taken on the sides of those great mountains. And when you reach the top and you're far from the sounds of the city and the noise of cars and the hastening pace of the clock, you look around and find…. Well, you'll just have to go there and discover it for yourself.
