Taking on one of Colorado’s 53 fourteeners—from stately Longs Peak and the iconic Maroon Bells to the easy to access Mt. Bierstadt—is becoming a pilgrimage for Colorado’s residents and its visitors. While more people than ever are climbing them, there’s still a dearth of good information about each mountain and its surrounding areas. Hiking Colorado’s Fourteeners fills that gap by informing adventurers—from the freshly-booted novice to the grizzled mountaineer—about each of Colorado’s iconic mountains over 14,000 feet tall.

They were mostly inexperienced campers, "raising their hands" to take a big risk, exchanging their comfortable lives for a difficult week of mountaineering. Over 135 college students and alumni tell stories and share memories of teamwork and testing, disappointment and triumph. They pushed their limits, believed in themselves, and took time for personal reflection. Sometimes pain -- sore muscles, altitude sickness, and frozen toes -- seemed insurmountable. Yet in memory, overcoming physical challenges remains a source of great satisfaction. Persisting when they most want to quit teaches young people to think big. Exhaustion and discomfort can be dispelled by camaraderie and humility. In their futures, finding solutions to tough problems will require truly exceptional leadership. Whether they are called to lead, asked to lead, or forced to lead, all who dared those summits will be better prepared to meet any challenge they will face.

Scenic Routes & Byways Colorado features thirty separate drives through the Centennial State, through the soaring mountains, broad valleys, and endless plains of Colorado. An indispensable highway companion, Scenic Routes & Byways Colorado includes route maps and in-depth descriptions of attractions. Features full-color photos and route maps for each drive.

Pack up the car and enjoy thirty gorgeous drives through the soaring mountains, broad valleys, and endless plains of Colorado. This indispensable highway companion maps out short trips for exploring the state’s scenic highways and backroads, from the Rocky Mountains and Mesa Verde National Park to the Great Sand Dunes and the Santa Fe Trail. Discover the wonders of Colorado’s multi-ethnic history, ecological and topographical diversity, and magnificent beauty. Along the way, stop and explore long-deserted Anasazi Indian cities, powder-packed playgrounds for skiing nirvana, ghost towns and modern communities that retain a pioneer-era flavor, and numerous historic sites and museums detailing Colorado’s colorful past.