Going from newbie to avid hiker in Colorado often looks something like this: you arrive from Indiana in total awe of the state’s 58 majestic peaks above 14,000 feet and hope one day to scale one. One summer, a more experienced friend offers to take you up Quandary, so you get yourself some hiking boots at REI and hit the trail. After you get back to the trailhead, you think to yourself, ‘that was actually pretty easy!’ You then set your sights on something more lofty – say, Aspen’s Maroon Bells. It’s the quintessential Colorado image on every other postcard after all. However, once you get up there you realize that not all 14ers are easy or even hikes. Hopefully you live to tell the tale.
Lots of budding hikers do survive this process, but I’ve known a couple who never made it off the mountain. While some of the easiest 14ers in Colorado really do involve following a fairly clear path on foot for a couple of miles and, at worst, you’ll experience swollen fingers and a bit of shortness of breath, others make formidable opponents to even the most experienced mountaineers. This isn’t a challenge; rather, it’s a warning that not all 14ers can be scaled with Vibram soles and enthusiasm.
