The 53 14,000’ peaks of Colorado, known as the ‘14ers,’ are the most well known peaks in the state. Climbing them has taken on an almost mystical allure. Watching climbers pour over their ticklists and single-mindedly bag one peak after another, it is tempting to dismiss the 14er craze as just that: a fad, a perversion of the joy of climbing mountains into an uninspired quest for summits. But the reputation of these peaks is deserved. The trails up their grand flanks are picturesque, challenging, and (for the most part) well-maintained. The views from the top of a 14er are unparalleled. And, most of all, these mountains are inspiringly, impressively, and breathtakingly big. To climb a 14er is to take on a significant challenge and be rewarded for victory with a grand summit.
In Colorado though, uncommon beauty and challenge comes with a price: crowds. Each day, hundreds of people may make their way to the tops of Colorado’s more popular 14ers. Though all are motivated by the pure desire to hike hard and reap the rewards of a lofty summit view, not all are prepared to hike the mountains well. Human impact has grown to the point where the efforts of organizations that seek to protect the 14ers such as the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (CFI) have taken on a desperate tone. CFI estimates that 35,000-40,000 people climbed Mt. Bierstadt in 2017, a staggering number of large animals to be climbing over a fragile alpine environment evolved to handle at most some marmots and mountain goats. The trails widen with overuse, the flora of the tundra suffers, and wildlife either leaves or becomes unhealthily accustomed to humans.
Working on Mt. Evans, a Front Range mountain blessed, and cursed, with easy access from Denver, our crew has experienced this traffic first hand. Though the hiking impact on Evans is tempered by the rare presence of a road to the summit, our crew still greets around 50 people each day, and we only see the quieter weekdays. Observing, one is torn between the joy that these people have the chance to experience an amazing natural area and the sense that it is too much. Many hikers are unaware of the best ways to hike with low impact on the alpine environment, and some are unprepared for weather and personal safety issues. Our quest to make the trail more sustainable seems urgently necessary on a busy summer day.
As mountain climbers, outdoorspeople, and hikers who enjoy a good challenge, our crew enjoyed hiking Mt. Elbert and the Mt. Democrat, Mt. Lincoln, and Mt. Bross cluster on two of our weekends off. But this past weekend, we were collectively exhausted by the crowds on Colorado’s highest mountains. Searching for a more peaceful hike that would be more faithful to the experience of climbing a wild mountain, we embarked on an ascent of West Buffalo peak in the Mosquito Range. The trailhead parking lot, at the end of a long and winding road outside of Buena Vista, CO, was empty when we arrived. The trail took us to a ridgeline, but at this point an ascent required leaving the path and heading up over raw talus and gravel. The trail was nothing compared to one up a 14er. The climb and wayfinding were consequently more difficult. The heights we attained at the summit were some 800’ short of the great altitudes one gains on a 14er. But we were left with a reinvigorated sense of adventure and the achievement of climbing a mountain off the beaten path.
The paradox of outdoor recreation in high use areas like Colorado is that the very users one hopes will enjoy a trail begin to slowly ruin it. The benefit of easily available recreation are clear: I would not be here if I didn’t truly believe in the value of hiking up a mountain both for one’s appreciation of nature and for one’s soul. However, the need to preserve our natural recreational resources is equally strong. This is why the work of conservationist organizations like CFI and conservation corps is so important. I encourage anyone reading this to climb mountains, as many and as high and as hard as possible. I hope it will help you appreciate the natural beauty of our world and do some good for your heart. But I also encourage you to tread lightly, to read up on your Leave No Trace practices, to stay on the trails and to help build and maintain them. I am confident that outdoor recreation can be sustainable and healthy not only for the human users but also for the landscapes where they walk. But this is a process that will take hard work and not only love but respect for the vulnerable giants that are the 14ers of Colorado.
Happy trails from Trail Crew Charlie.
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