Summer officially arrived on Thursday, as defined by the June solstice, which means fourteener season is fast approaching. For some hardy hikers, it has already begun. Inexperienced peak baggers would be wise to wait a while before venturing out.
Patchy snow is being reported on many trails where microspikes or crampons are recommended. Other reports on popular hiking sites suggest bringing waterproof shoes due to wet and muddy conditions. On Longs Peak, for example, the trail is nearly snow-free up to the Boulderfield at 12,800 feet, according to a on the Rocky Mountain National Park website.
Beyond that, though, only experienced climbers should venture. It won’t be long, though, before that magnificent mountain and Colorado’s other 14,000-foot peaks are good to go. That means now is the time to start researching routes, parking and camping rules, and the regulations and restrictions governing some peaks.
Before we get into that, here are some good sources of information for newbies: The Colorado Mountain Club has a useful blog post called, There’s also a that provides a good introduction. Most experienced fourteener folks prefer to other sites for information about current conditions and climbing routes because some sites have been known to lead hikers astray. There are several reliable guidebooks, including , published by the CMC, and , by Gerry Roach.
The CMC also publishes a pocket guidebook called . Now let’s get down to specific rules and restrictions, starting.
