4.17.10 Note: I just finished updating and creating this page. Please let me know if there are any broken links or other errors. Thanks!
In July of 1988, I climbed my first fourteeners, Grays and Torreys, with my friend Joe and his family. Little did I know that the seeds had been sown for a journey that would take me to the most beautiful places in my home state of Colorado. As soon as I could drive, I started climbing the other fourteeners, eventually climbing my 54th and final 14,000’ peak in September of 1996.
Since that time, I have continued to climb Colorado’s peaks, whether 14,000’ or not. My truest passion, however, has always been skiing, something I have been doing for over 100 days a year for more than a decade. When I skied off the summit of Pyramid on April 20, 2006, the fourteeners once again called my name loudly. After all, we had just skied one of the hardest fourteeners (and had also skied from 13,600’ on Capitol a week later), so why not just ski them all? During 2006, Chris Davenport skied most of the fourteeners, and finished his project the following year to become just the second skier to ski them all. Legendary Lou Dawson was the first, finishing way back in 1991. I owe a large amount of inspiration to these two skiers (not to mention other pioneers like Chris Landry and Fritz Stammberger). I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention my most consistently motivated partner as well, Brittany Walker, who has now also skied them all. I’d like to give thanks to some of the other people who skied with me or gave me advice, such as Sean Crossen, Pete Sowar, Chris Webster, Pam Rice, Scott Yost, Jeremy Wegner, John Jasper, Jordan White, and so many more (sorry for those I forgot). On May 17, 2008, Brittany and I skied Mt. Harvard, marking my 54th and final fourteener and making me just the fourth person (Ted Mahon being the third) to ski all the fourteeners. In 2009, Jordan White and Joe Brannan finished skiing the fourteeners, and in 2010 Jarrett Luttrell (1st snowboarder) and Christy Mahon (1st woman) also finished. Brittany Walker, the better half of 14erskiers, finished in 2011, making the current total 9 finishers.
While I may have skied all the fourteeners at this point, it marks just another point on my ski mountaineering career, one which I have no plans of ending anytime soon. I hope you enjoy all of our adventures on this website, whether at 14,000′ or not.
Elbert14,433′ Description: Colorado’s highest, and the second highest in the lower 48, Elbert is an easy descent.
|
||||
Massive14,421′ Description: This gigantic mountain is a long way from trailheads in the winter, but is pretty straightforward after the approach.
|
||||
Harvard14,420′ Description: Colorado’s third highest is another big gentle peak, typical of the Sawatch.
|
||||
Blanca14,345′ Description: The highest peak in the Sangres has a tough approach, but it’s a great mountain otherwise.
|
||||
La Plata14,336′ Description: La Plata is one of the best in the Sawatch, with lots of choices and a classic North face.
|
||||
Uncompahgre14,309′ Description: The monarch of the San Juans can be seen for miles, with it’s distinctive cliff on the North Side of the summit.
|
||||
Crestone Peak14,294′ Description: Crestone is a Sangre classic.
|
||||
Lincoln14,286′ Description: Lincoln is the highest peak in the mosquitos, where it’s always windy.
|
||||
Gray’s14,270′ Description: Gray’s is one of the most popular and easy 14ers to ski or climb.
|
||||
Antero14,269′ Description: Antero has a road that goes almost all the way to the summit.
|
||||
Torrey’s14,267′ Description: Close to Denver and with a number of fine routes, Torrey’s gets skied a lot, and deservedly so.
|
||||
Castle14,265′ Description: There are lots of great routes on Castle, plus a great route on non-official Conundrum as well.
|
||||
Quandary14,265′ Description: This gentle peak is one of the few that often has a beaten trail to the summit all winter long.
|
||||
Evans14,264′ Description: With a road to the top, you could ski this one 10 times in a day.
|
||||
Long’s14,255′ Description: Long’s is the windy monarch of Rocky Mountain National Park.
|
||||
Mount Wilson14,246′ Description: Mount Wilson is one of the toughest, both to get snow off the top as well as to reach the difficult summit.
|
||||
Shavano14,229′ Description: Mount Shavano is a tough peak to find in good condition in the dry and windy southern Sawatch, but it is an impressive peak when viewed from the Arkansas River Valley.
|
||||
Princeton14,197′ Description: Mount Princeton is an utterly impressive mountain when driving into Buena Vista on Highway 285, but the skiing doesn’t match the vista.
|
||||
Belford14,197′ Description: Mount Belford offers a long moderate descent with good access on its’ Northwest side.
|
||||
Crestone Needle14,197′ Description: When the Sangres are blessed with snow, the Needle offers one of the finest steep couloirs in the country.
|
||||
Yale14,196′ Description: Another big Sawatch peak, Yale has good winter access via the trailheads off of Cottonwood Pass.
|
||||
Bross14,172′ Description: Ski Bross if you hope to ski them all. Otherwise, ski off a better summit than Bross.
|
||||
Kit Carson14,165′ Description: Kit Carson is steep and beautiful with a number of fine routes- not to be missed.
|
||||
El Diente14,159′ Description: Another tough peak, the current standard seems to be skiing off the summit via a number of different routes.
|
||||
Maroon14,156′ Description: The Maroon Bells, as classic as they come.
|
||||
Tabeguache14,155′ Description: Easily one of the best in the Sawatch.
|
||||
Oxford14,153′ Description: Oxford probably deserves to be skied more often by itself rather than always with Belford.
|
||||
Sneffels14,150′ Description: So many great routes, so little time, such great access.
|
||||
Democrat14,148′ Description: Easy access makes Democrat a classic by any number of routes.
|
||||
Capitol14,130′ Description: Far and away the toughest 14er, and not that great of skiing- not worth the risk unless you’re going after them all.
|
||||
Pike’s14,110′ Description: Drive to the top and do a few laps.
|
||||
Snowmass14,092′ Description: One of the most visible CO 14ers from other 14ers, yet deep in a wilderness setting with a long approach.
|
||||
Eolus14,083′ Description: Train access, the San Juans, Deep Wilderness, what could be better?
|
||||
Windom14,082′ Description: Train access, the San Juans, Deep Wilderness, a route called Widowmaker, what could be better?
|
||||
Columbia14,073′ Description: The Sawatch has some boring peaks, Columbia is one of them
|
||||
Missouri14,067′ Description: Another one of the Sawatch’ finest
|
||||
Humboldt14,064′ Description: Often dry and windswept, Humboldt is a great peak when it’s in.
|
||||
Bierstadt14,060′ Description: Bierstadt is probably better with the willows covered by snow in winter, but that’s not saying much.
|
||||
Sunlight14,059′ Description: Train access, the San Juans, Deep Wilderness, steep lines, what could be better?
|
||||
Handies14,048′ Description: With extraordinarily good access in springtime via American Basin, Handies is one of the best
|
||||
Culebra14,047′ Description: Colorado’s private fourteener, Culebra is a rewarding experience if you get permission.
|
||||
Lindsey14,042′ Description: This unique aesthetic peak is well worth a trip for ski mountaineers.
|
||||
Ellingwood14,042′ Description: Ellingwood and the Lake Como area offer lots of possibilities for skiers.
|
||||
Little Bear14,037′ Description: Ellingwood and the Lake Como area offer lots of possibilities for skiers.
|
||||
Sherman14,036′ Description: Sherman has some cool mine ruins, and is one of the easier 14ers to start off with.
|
||||
Redcloud14,034′ Description: Redcloud and Sunshine are a great duo of peaks with good access in the springtime.
|
||||
Pyramid14,018′ Description: My personal favorite 14er ski descent.
|
||||
Wilson Peak14,017′ Description: The banquet peak. It’s like the banquet beer, but different.
|
||||
Wetterhorn14,015′ Description: Some day, the summit ramp will be skied continuously to the East face. Until then, it’s the only 14er that doesn’t get skied off the exact summit (except Sunlight’s summit boulder).
|
||||
North Maroon14,014′ Description: Classic lines abound on on of the most photographed peaks in the world.
|
||||
San Luis14,014′ Description: This big boulder pile doesn’t get a ton of snow, but it is in an interesting area, geologically speaking.
|
||||
Holy Cross14,005′ Description: A couloir dropping right off the summit that’s shaped like a cross? How cool is that?
|
||||
Huron14,003′ Description: One of the hidden gems of the Sawatch range, with the top-notch East Face.
|
||||
Sunshine14,001′ Description: Redcloud and Sunshine are a great duo of peaks with good access in the springtime.
|
|
Find the gear you need at Backcountry.com
|
