Colorado Explorer ACTIVITIES
How to hike your fi rst ‘fourteener’
By Linda DuVal
Hikers of varying ages rest while ascending Mt. Elbert, which peaks at 14,433 feet.
O
ne word that’s certain to be foreign to most newcomers to Colorado is “fourteener”—a mountain with a summit more than 14,000 feet above sea level. Fifty-four fourteeners dot the state, presenting motivated climbers to develop a new addiction. Many have.
Stewart Green, professional climbing guide and author in Colorado Springs, counts 49 conquests, but he’s not focused on reaching all 54. “Instead, I go back and climb my favorite places,”
such as Pikes Peak, a 23-mile round-trip he’s completed more than 30 times since age 10. He doesn’t recommend it for beginners. Start instead with Mount Sherman, near Fairplay, where you can drive up to about 12,000 feet, park and hike the remainder. Or Quandary Peak, just over Hoosier Pass, near Breckenridge, “a real easy trail to follow.” Also accessible and relatively easy is Mount Bier- stadt; the climb starts on Guanella Pass, just south of Georgetown. If a fourteener sounds too ambitious, consider
hiking something in the 12,000- or 13,000-foot range, Green says. “There are some great options other than fourteeners, and there’s not as many people on the trails.” Green offers a few other pointers for newbies: If you get altitude sickness, the only cure is to
get back down as quickly as possible. Carry plenty of water; never drink from streams
or standing water. Start your climb as early in the day as you can
manage it to avoid lightning, which kills climbers every year in Colorado. Carry lightweight rain gear in your pack.
Hypothermia can set in quickly above 10,000 feet when you get wet.
© Stewart Green
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