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American Geographical Society

Colorado Fourteeners and the Nature of Place IdentityAuthor(s): Kevin S. BlakeSource: Geographical Review, Vol. 92, No. 2, Mountain Geography (Apr., 2002), pp. 155-179Published by: American Geographical SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4140968 .

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T h e Geographicalev iew

VOLUME2 A p r i l 2002 NUMBER

COLORADOFOURTEENERSAND THE NATUREOF PLACEIDENTITY*

KEVIN S. BLAKE

ABSTRACT. The ifty-fourColorado ourteeners-mountainsore han 4,000 feet neleva-tion-were early ymbolsof westwardxpansion,mineralwealth,and wondrous cenery,andtheyare ncreasingly opular senvironmentalcons n placeattachment tnational,regional,tate, nd ocal cales.Thesymbolismf thiscontrivedet coniccollection fpeaksis examinedhroughheevolution f theFourteeneroncept,hepopularityfpeakbagging,andthe roleof theSawatch angeFourteenersn creating larger ommunitydentity.El-evations thegatekeepernto heFourteenerlub,nwhichadistinctiveandscapeconogra-phyof shape, ccessibility,ndaestheticseflectshe roleof idealized ature ndmountainsin placeidentity.Keywords: olorado,ultural eography,andscape,mountaingeography, laceidentity,RockyMountains.

Thegrandestmountainsand mountainsceneryarefound in Colorado.The

highestpeaksise, now-clad,roudlynddefiantlyn theclear lue ky;heir

graysides and white crestsbeingvisible in this clearatmosphere or many,manymilesaway.

-GeorgeA.Crofutt,881

'From mountain gloom to montane glory the world'shighest peakshave longcommanded center stage in the symbolism of natural landscapes.Languageandculture mold the circumstances by which mountains have been judged, and

theseverdictsarerecastto fit the fleeting ideals of differenttimes (Nicolson 1997).Romanticism and geomorphic knowledge prompted a shift from an almost Bib-lical fearof the mountain fastness towardmore favorable attitudes about moun-tains in Europe during the nineteenth century. At the heart of the taste formountain scenery was familiarity through personal experience and an appre-ciation for grand size (Rees 1975).These led to the development of an Americanmountain aesthetic in the mid-18oos,with the Transcendentalist deals of Emer-

* I appreciate he researchassistanceof the staffof the AmericanAlpine Club Library,ocated in the American

MountaineeringCenter,Golden, Colorado,and also the cartographicadvice of JeffreyS. Smith at Kansas StateUniversity. cherishthe physicalor spiritualcompanionshipof my familybefore,during,and aftermy Fourteenerquests.Until Dianaknows of it, the climb is not real.

4 DR.BLAKEs anassociate rofessorf geographyt Kansas tateUniversity,Manhattan, ansas66506-2904.

The Geographical Review 92 (2): 155-179, April 2002

Copyright ? 2003bythe AmericanGeographicalSocietyof NewYork



156 THE GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW

son and Thoreaumolded at firsthand in the raw-hewnterrainof the AppalachianMountains.

FormanyNew Englandershe position of humanityin the cosmos is definedbya roll call of celebrated summits:Katahdin,Greylock,Chocorua,Wachusett,and

GrandMonadnock(Rydantand Bayr1992).In additionto a mountain'sheight and

shape, direct experience through alpine hiking contributesto the character of a

mountain (StierandMcAdow1995).Throughoutthe easternUnited Statesvarious

clubspromote hiking a collection of high peaks, includingthe AdirondackForty-Sixers,White Mountain 4,ooo-Footers, New England 4,o00-Footers, New England

too Highest, Northeast iiiers, Catskill 35oos, and South Beyond 6ooos (Heinrichs

1997).Althoughthemountainsin these collectionshaveattainedgreat ame,equaled

bypeaks n theSierraNevadaand CascadeRange,America's ascinationwith moun-tains as idealnature reached ts pinnaclein the ColoradoRockies.

Colorado'sifty-fourFourteeners-mountainswitha summit elevationmorethan

14,000feetabovesea level-affirm the state's ong-heraldedstatus as the rooftopof a

continent(Figure1).1 ncluding uchfamedsummitsas PikesPeak,LongsPeak,Mount

of theHolyCross, heMaroonBells,andUncompahgrePeak, heFourteenersnfluence

howAmericans dentifywith nature.As a barrier o easymovement andcommuni-

cation, a zone of concentrated imber and mineralresources, slandsof moisture,areasof governmentcontrol,andrestorative anctuaries, he Fourteenerswell illus-

trate hese fivehistoric hemes of theMountainousWest(WyckoffandDilsaver1995)(Figure 2).

Since hemid-198os,however, hese summits haveexperiencedanunprecedentedwave of hikingpopularity,whichhas led to severeenvironmental hreats.The head-

lines fairlyshout,"Peaksn Peril"and"FourteenersunderSiege," s the wilderness

characterof the mountainsis lovedto death (Kelly1994).The Fourteenerphenom-enon is played out on the national stage as coverageof the climbing allure and

environmentalperilsreacheswidelyreadpublicationssuch as the New YorkTimes,USA Today, he WashingtonPost, and Time magazine (Benner 1992;Kenworthy 1998,

2001;Woodbury 1999).

Theimprint

of Colorado'sRocky

Mountains onplace

iden-

tity is also illustrated hrougharchitecturaldesignwith the soaring,white,translu-

cent roof of DenverInternationalAirport,which is an oft-deridedattemptto evoke

the snow-capped Fourteeners to the west (Sommers 2000).

Given the tendency of mountain studies to emphasizephysical,ecological, or

naturalhazard opics,culturalgeography s a researchdirection that is essentialif a

completemountaingeographyiteratures to be created Price1981;Smethurst 000).

A culturalgeographicalperspectiveon the evolutionof the Fourteenerss presentedhere as a contrivedyet iconic construct,for mountains sustain a symbolic role in

place identity, whether at the national, regional, state, or local scale. The present-

day symbolism of these peaks and the etymology of the term "Fourteener" have

been largely ignored in the literature on peaks, which focuses largely on the details

of description, exploration, mountaineering, or place-names (Ormes 1951;Rennicke



Colorado Fourteeners

Fort@C o l l i n s

C o O n a t i n n D i v i k e iLNorth 0 102030

M i l e s

I c DenverGlenwood

VailDen

ve

S p r i n g s

Minturn

G r a n d

junction

Grn ColoradoBuena Springs

soVista\

M o n t r o s eusoSld

P o p a P u e b l o

Drprings/~

C.. .

Sagach(1

2 4 , V G ' coo5N 0

L~ortez ~ZWalasenbur~go r t e zA l a m o s a60

3

D u r a n g o

Rank Fourtee

I Mount2. Mount3. Mount4. Blanca5. La Plat6. Uncom

7. Creston8. Mount9. Grays10O MountiI. Torreys12. Castle13. Quanda14. Mount$5. Longs16. Mount

7, Mount8. Mount

19. Creston20. Mount21. Mount22. Mount23. Kit Ca24. El Dien25, Maroon26. Tabegu27. Mount

28. Mount29. Mount30. Capitol31, Pikes32. Snowm33. Mount34. Windo35. Mount36. Missou37, Humbo38. Mount39, Sunligh40. Handie41. Culebra42. Ellingw43. Mount44. Little45. Mount46. Redclo47. Pyrami48. Wilson49, Wetter50. North51. San Lu52. Mt. of53. Huron54. Sunshin

FIG.1-The fifty-fourColorado Fourteeners.




FIG.2-Uncompahgre Peak illustrates he five historic themes of the Mountainous West. Uncom-

pahgres the

highestpointin the San

JuanMountains and was once

thoughtto be the

highestin the

RockyMountains.Photographytheauthor, eptember995)

1986; Noel, Mahoney, and Stevens 1994; Jacobs and Ormes 2000). Even the most

comprehensive reatmentsof the Fourteenersarenearlysilent on the summits as

icons of place dentity(BornemanandLampert1998).Thehumangeographyitera-ture on Colorado'sFourteeners s even more spartan,offeringat best a peripheraltreatment of the Fourteeners as a collective entity (Brown 1929;Blake 1999;Morin

1999;Wilson 1999; Wyckoff 1999).

Mydata-collection methods for this

studyincluded

longand less-than-linear

conversationswith mountaineers,publiclandmanagers,and employeesof moun-tain-relatedorganizations n their offices and in the field,participantobservationdistilled from dozens of hikes on and conversationsabout the Fourteenerssince

1966,analysisof archivalmaterials,and visualinterpretationof landscapes n a case

studyof the incorporated owns near the Fourteenersof the SawatchRange,Colo-rado'shighestuplift.And I canconfessa personal nvolvement, hanksto a lifelongattachment o hikingon the ColoradoFourteeners,hough neveras an actual resi-dent of Colorado.

Other elevation-based Colorado mountain groups, primarilythe Thirteeners

(the peakshigherthan13,000feet) and the CentennialPeaks(thetop one hundredin the state), havegained recognition (Roachand Roach2001). The Fourteeners,however,are what set Coloradoapartsymbolicallyand physically Figure3).With

fifty-fourof thesetowering giants,Colorado has more Fourteeners han the rest of



COLORADO FOURTEENERS 159

4 U

FA

FIG.-Famed

for its size andmultiple

summitsreaching

more than14,000 feet,

Mount Massive sColorado's econd-highestFourteener.Manyof the Fourteeners-and other distinctivepeaksof lowerelevation-that arevisible fromthe state'sdesignatedscenicbywaysare noted with this type of sign.(Photographby the author,August2001)

North Americacombined.2Washingtonhasone,andtheapproximate umberselse-wherein NorthAmericaare Californiawith fifteen,Mexico with seven,and Alaskaand Canadacombined with twenty-eight(PorcellaandBurns1995;America'sRoof

2002). The Fourteenercount is approximate,even in Colorado,thanks to a some-times acrimonious but

alwaysenliveningdebateover what constitutes a

separatemountain (Graves 1968;Hill 1968;Carpenter 1971).3

I explorethe characterof the ColoradoFourteeners hroughthree themesthat

capturehow the Fourteenersas a group,rathe~rhan as individualpeaks,contributeto placeattachment. n the first section I address he evolvingconceptualizationofthese peaks as a cohesive group and the relatively recent origin of the term

"Fourteener";oth processeshavegivensynergy o the fifty-fourpeaksas a forcein

constructingplaceidentity.Thefocusof the second themeis the cherisheddesire of

many hikers to climb everymountain. The negativeenvironmentalconsequencesthat aboundfrom recreational veruseattractadditionalattention o the Fourteeners

as icons of idealnature,bonding people with the Fourteener ense of place.In thethird section I examine the role of the Fourteeners n the place identity of local

communities;specifically,why townspeople identifywith certain mountains andhow this placeattachmentachieves conic expression.




FIG. --A scenicview of Mount of theHolyCross,basedon WilliamHenryJackson's873photograph.The snowfield o the rightof the crosshas beenlikened o a kneelingangelwith outstretched rms.The

photographwas

publishedn about

1915 ythe Van

NoyInterstate

Companyn a Denver&Rio Grande

Railroadpromotionalbrochure,"Inthe Clouds." Reproduced rom the collection of the author)

EVOLUTION OF THE FOURTEENER CONCEPT

As the traditionalhomelandfor Utes and avision-questdestination or severalPlainsIndiannations, Colorado'smountains havebeen significantto American Indiansfor centuries (Trimble1993).PikesPeakwas a symbolic boundary landmarkforBlackElk,the Lakotamedicineman,and BlancaPeak s widely regardedas the Na-

vajo sacred mountain of the east (Bernbaum 199o; Blake 2001). A few Fourteeners

attainedworldwidefamein the processof attractingearlyexplorers, rappers,min-ers, tourists, scientists,and alpinists.The literatureand maps producedby the ex-

peditions of Zebulon Pike, Stephen Long, and John C. Fremont,among others,were influentialearlyaccounts of some peaks,laterrecognizedas Fourteeners,yetthe Fourteenerswere not conceptualizedas a distinctgroupuntil afterthe GeorgeM. WheelerandFerdinandV.Haydensurveysof themid-1870s Bueler2000).Those

surveysprovidedmanyof the names, illustrations,ascents,and measurements hatwere necessary to popularize the Fourteeners (Farquhar1961;Hart 1977). Only after

systematicmeasurement of many rangesdid 14,000 feet emerge as a convenientround number with which to

distinguishthe

highest peaks.Threeof the most fa-

mous mountains of this era-Pikes Peak,Longs Peak, and Mount of the HolyCross-were identified as topping14,000feet,yet no Colorado mountain exceeded

14,500 feet (Figure 4). Thereafter,"the imaginary line in the sky at 14,000 feet sepa-rated the chosen few from the rank and file" (Roach 1999, 278).




In the late 1800s the 14,000-foot peaks, though not yet known by the name

"Fourteeners,"'erefrequently outed as a group representingwondrous scenery--

the best in America. Firstpublishedin 1881,Crofutt'sGrip-SackGuideof Coloradoextols the glorious beautyvisible from GraysPeakand statesthat BlancaPeak,at

14,464 eet,isbelievedto be the highestof the forty-onepeaksmore than14,000feet

(Crofutt 1881).The guide also claims that Colorado'smountains outshine those of

Europe:"TheAlps-storied monuments of poetical legendaryfame-cannot com-

parewith these mountains in scenes of sublime beauty and awful grandeur....Nowherein the Old Worlddo we ascendso high, fromno point is the view so wideand so expansive" p. 25).Boastingof Colorado'shighest mountains became partof the pantheon of American idealized images as "pridethus paved the way for a

cult of bigness" (Lowenthal 1968, 65).Lists of Colorado'shighestpeakssoon appeared n popularliterature.Though

not restricted o elevationsof morethan14,000feet,the 1904Nell'sMap ofColoradolists the highestmountains of Colorado,as doesAmongtheRockies, 1907railwayphotographic extravaganza hat touts beautiful views of the Front and Sawatch

Ranges(Nell 1904;Tammen CurioCo. 1907).The ColoradoMountain Clublegiti-mized and institutionalized he conceptof 14,00ooo-footountainsas adistinctgroupwith a 1914 eaflet istingthesepeaksand with the 1925publicationof FourteenThou-sandFeet:AHistory ftheNamingandEarlyAscents ftheHighColorado eaks,he firstbook devoted

solelyto Colorado's rown

jewels (Hart1977).Later

descriptionsand

promotionsof Colorado ceneryoftengainedanextracachetbynotingmountainel-evations n excessof 14,000 eet(UnionPacificSystem 930;Writers' rogram... 1941).

Bythe 1970sColorado's14,ooo-foot mountains werenearlyat their centennialof being celebratedas ideal landmarks n the Americannational identity.Yet theiriconic potential had not yet reached its zenith, in part because of a certain awk-wardnessand inconsistentlabeling.The term "Fourteener" as gainedwidespreadcurrency only since 1978;previously these mountains were variously known as

"14,ooos, "14,000ooo-footeaks," or "fourteens" (Means 1931;Melzer 1939; Graves

1968).The first mention in printof the word"Fourteener" as in 1967, n an articlein Summiton the location of the world's14,000ooo-footeaks:"The Cult of the Four-teenerreaches ts apex in Colorado,where fifty-threealtarsawait the worshipper"(Powell 1967,18).Butevenwith suchhyperbolethe word"Fourteener" ad to reacha mainstreamaudience before it waswidely adopted.

The firstsignificantpopularizationof the word "Fourteener" ccurredin 1970,when TheFourteeners: olorado'sGreatMountainsappeared.With the goalto "bringyou in closer communion with Colorado'smountain miracles through a better

understandingand deeperappreciationof them"(Eberhartand Schmuck1970, ),

the authors set the standardfor much of the subsequent popular literature on

Colorado'sFourteeners:artisticphotographsof each peak accompaniedby glow-ingdescriptiveprose.This book is aclearcontributionto forginga Fourteener den-

tity:No peakabove the goldenelevation is left out, and none below is included,nomatterthe characterof the individual summit. Albeitin blackand white, this was



162 THE GEOGRAPHICALEVIEW

the firstcoffee-tablebook to promote the Fourteeners.The potential powerof thisformatto influencepublicideals hadalreadybeen aptlydemonstratedbythe Sierra

Clubin the GrandCanyondam controversy Fradkin1981).Much of the 1970s iteratureabout the 14,ooo-foot mountains contains inter-

mingled usage of the terms "fourteens" nd "Fourteeners." he second significantpopularizationof the Fourteener abel came with the 1977publicationof the first

large-formatFourteenerbook in color: TheMajesticFourteeners.The role of theFourteenersn thestate's dentity scaptured n the book'sforeword:"Mightymoun-tains arewhat we Coloradans ind most inspiringabout our state ... and,it is com-

fortingto know that thesemountainsbelongto you and me"(Crouter1977, ). Thedecisiveforce that institutionalized he Fourteener abel occurredin 1978,with the

publicationof the firstedition of WalterBorneman and Lyndon Lampert's lassic,A ClimbingGuideto Colorado's ourteeners;he sameyearsaw the last usageof theterm"fourteens" y the Colorado MountainClub,in its Trail& Timberlineournaland climbingguide (Richards1978).Colorado thus had spawned"Fourteener" s anew word;Californiaand otherplaces adoptedit later.In little more than a decadethe term"Fourteener" adbecome ubiquitous,and the toweringpeakswerepoisedto playan even strongerrole in place identity through an exceptionalboom in the

popularityof hiking.

CLIMB EVERYMOUNTAIN

The allure of mountaineeringhas long enhanced awareness and appreciationof

mountains,even in the face of inevitablefatalities.Both the Matterhornand Mount

Everest,orexample,achieved nfamyandgreaterpopularityafter egendaryclimb-

ing disasters in 1865 and 1996 (Shipton 1966; Breashears 1997). The Colorado

Fourteeners, hough less treacherous than many peaks, still pose greatrisks andoffermorethan achancetasteof mountaineering hrill andintrigue.Fourteen hou-sandfeet, arbitraryas that elevationmaybe, in part gains a distinct sense of placebecause of physicalextremesandchallenges,ncludingthinair,rockfalls,avalanches,volatileweather, ightning,ruggedterrain,andverticality(Nesbit 1953;Wright1966;Trimble 1970;Barry 1992;Dawson 1994). Despite improved climbing gear and hiker

awareness,hardlya yearpasseswithout a fatalityon the Fourteeners(Blevins1999;Gutierrez2000). Fourteenerpopularitycontinues to soar,however,pushinghikersof alllevels of experience nto the dangerzone.

ManyFourteenerswereprobablyfirstclimbed by AmericanIndians and min-ers. TheWheelerand Haydensurveyclimbs of Blanca Peakreporteda walled,cir-culardepressionon thesummit thatmighthavebeenexcavatedbyAmerican ndians

(Bueler2000). The firstrecordedascentof a Fourteenerwas that of Pikes Peakin

1820 by three members of the Long expedition. Many recreationalclimbs of the

best-known peakswere made in the last half of the nineteenth century, ncludingthe firstscalingof a Fourteenerby a woman, in 1858 Mazel1991).Thepopulariza-tion of Fourteenermountaineering and the contribution of this activity to the




FIG. -Hikers contemplatea route on the easternridgeof QuandaryPeak.Giventhe challengesof

elevation,errain, ndweather, one of theColorado ourteenerss necessarilyneasyhike,butin

goodweather ome are less difficult o ascend han others.Large roupsandgreater umbers fhikers re ncreasinglyommononQuandarynd he other"walk-up"ourteeners.Photographythe author, July 1997)

Fourteenersas icons of ideal naturebeganin the late nineteenthcenturywith such

notable recreational climbers as Frederick Chapin (1995).

Early n the twentiethcentury,mountaineersbeganfocusingon the Fourteeners

as a group to be climbed in its entirety.In 1923CarlBlaurockand WilliamErvin

became the first climbers known to have ascended the forty-six then-recognized

14,000-foot peaks in Colorado, followed soon by Albert Ellingwood (Bueler 2000).The drive to climb every mountain receiveda key boost with the publication of

the 1931 dition of Fourteen ThousandFeetthat included "AClimber'sGuide to

the High Colorado Peaks,"by Elinor Eppich Kingery--the first climbing guideto the Fourteeners (Hart 1977). By September 1934the first woman, Mary Cronin,

had climbed what were then recognized as fifty-one 14,000ooo-foot eaks, and in 1937the quest for speed recordsbegan when Carland Bob Melzer climbed all of the

Fourteeners in a single season (Bueler 2000).

Of all the Fourteener iterature, limbing guidebookshaveplayedthe mightiestrole in

enhancingthe Fourteenersas

symbolsof

greatmountains.First written

byRobertM. Ormes n 1952,Guide o the ColoradoMountains s a classic ome of moun-

tain recreation; in 2000 it reached its tenth edition (Jacobs and Ormes 2000). The

Borneman and Lampertbook, however,has become the classic Fourteenerguide,




spawningtwo revisededitions and a glut of competitors(1998).In addition to fo-

cusing exclusivelyon the Fourteenersand integratingmuch of the earlier research

on the histories of the peaks, he authors ifted from the baizeof thebridgetable thepopularterm "GrandSlam" o describeclimbing everymountain. By referring othe profound influence of the mountains on the peoples of the surroundingre-

gionsandlabelingmountain wildernessas one of the state'smostpreciousresources,this book alludes to the importanceof the Fourteeners n nationaland state iden-

tity.The Fourteenerphenomenon has continued unabatedfor a quarter-century:"Inastatewhereoutdoor recreation s closeto the officialreligion,hikingColorado's

54 mountains that top 14,000 feet is a leading denomination" (Kenworthy 2001).

The experienceof climbing a Fourteener has changed greatlysince the mid-

198os,however,asamenitymigrantsare ncreasinglydrawntoboomingFrontRangecitiesandmountain towns.WhenI scrambledup myfirst Fourteener n 1966,sight-ing anotherhikeror findingan establishedtrail was a rareevent. Into the 198os hesituation remained much the same,but the enduringpopularityof the Borneman

andLampertguide provedseminalin urging manyclimbersto ascendeverymoun-

tain.From the mid-198os o themid-199osthe numberof hikerson the Fourteeners

roughly doubled, to an averageof approximately1,200 persons summiting each

peakeachyear (Kelly1994).Now hikersby the thousands flockto the Fourteenerson summer weekends(Figure5). Grand Slam records are set every year:Hikersas

youngas

agesevenhave climbed them

all,the

speedrecord is now less than eleven

days,andone personhascompletedtwelveGrandSlams(Bueler2000;Meyers2000;Kenworthy 2001). Today the Fourteeners receive more than 200,000 visits annually,but these numbers areonly approximationsof actual use. The summit registersare

unreliable-they are often stolen,overwhelmedby sheernumbers,stuffed with ex-

traneous businesscardsandtrash,or spurnedby climbers-so an anecdotalqualitypervades he statistics.Still,firsthandobservationsby U.S. ForestServicepersonnelindicate more than 20,000 visitorsannuallyat GraysPeak andTorreysPeak,two of

the most-climbed peaksbecause of their relative ease and theirproximityto Den-

ver.On the busiestdayin 1999,605hikerswere tallied on the GraysPeak rail (Mor-row 2001).

SummitingFourteeners s not just a Coloradanphenomenon:Hikersof manyracial and ethnicbackgroundscome from all over the continent and world (Kelly1994).I have met hikers on Fourteeners rom such surprisingplacesas Walesand

Slovakia.A plethoraof guidebooks,calendars,photographic essays,postcards,CD-

ROMSith interactive opographicmaps,T-shirts,replicasof surveybenchmarks,and cloisonn6 pins illustrate he appealof the Fourteenerswell beyond Colorado.For thousands of hikers today, simply being on or within view of a Fourteener,

rather han reaching ts summit, is pleasure enough.

The desire of so many to reach out and touch a Fourteener transformed what

had been primarily the domain of the mountaineer looking for a technical climbing

challenge, or the denizen of a mountain mystic seeking spiritual renewal, to the

playground of the "peakbagger."Peakbagging implies that the mountains are col-




lectibles and that the hikers are dedicated to completing all of the climbs in a par-ticular collection. But a peakbagger's cause may pass from dedication to addiction,

when the goal of reaching a summit becomes so dominant that it places his or herlife in danger in this beautiful but hazardous environment. Moreover, environmen-

tal concerns about recreational overuse cause some mountaineer purists to look

askance at peakbagging, as though the quest were little more than a notch on a belt

(Heinrichs 1997;Shelton 1998).

Most peakbaggers are avid about reaching summits and can recite their success-

ful ascents, yet they respect the mountains even during their wilderness experience

(Heinrichs 1997;Emmons 2ool; Sheets 2002). Even with the peakbagging craze, fewer

people have climbed all of the Fourteeners (1,037) than Mount Everest (1,196)

(AdventureStats.com 2002; Crockett 2003). Solitude is still possible at certain timeson the Fourteeners. Peakbaggers are also some of the strongest advocates of pro-

tecting the Fourteeners, and their desire to climb every mountain does not mean

that they ignore spiritual renewal. As an example, consider my field notes from a

hike to the summit of Mount of the Holy Cross in 1998:

Nothing preparedme while I walkedin the gloomy shadows of Halfmoon Passfor

the surrealqualityof the ruggedpeak flamingpink-redwith dawn'sfirst light. A

sight so beautiful:the peak symbolic of deep faith,alpinewildernesssplendor,fa-

mous photographsandpaintings.Itwas wellwithin myreachbut stillethereal, ow-

ering, and challenging.And then, just a few steps furtheron the trail, the perfectpanoramawascompletedwith the sightand sound of a rushing,high, majesticwa-

terfallthat takesthe snowmelt from the CrossCouloir,throughthe Bowl of Tears,

andon down EastCrossCreek.Afterthatmoment, no matterwhathappenednext,

I knew the dayandthe hike would be perfect.

Hordes of hikers cause ecological degradation, however. The Fourteeners' ca-

pacity threshold has become a top issue in assessments of Colorado's mountains,

especially in relation to wildlife and alpine vegetation (McNicoll and others 1999).

The noise, water pollution, trail erosion, soil compaction, vegetation trampling, and

wildlife harassment that occur during recreational overuse probably alter the envi-ronment in some places far more than mining, ranching, or logging ever did (Finley

1995). Winter now provides less of a respite for the Fourteeners than it did in the

past, for off-season ascents have become increasingly common (Asphaug 1998). On

the Fourteeners within designated wilderness areas, nonconforming uses-such as

people hitting golf balls from Mount Massive's summit-are acute (Rowan 2001).

In reaction to the highly visible and rapid degradation of many Fourteener

trailside environments, the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (cFI) was formed in

1994 "to protect and preserve the natural integrity of Colorado's Fourteeners and

the quality of the recreational opportunities they provide" (cFI 2002). The primary

response to negative environmental impacts has been improvement of trails (Moller

1995). The cFI started by documenting trail conditions, with the goal of establishing

standard routes to stop the creation of"social trails,"the multiple paths winding all




over the face of a mountain. Ironically,peakbaggingmakes the work of the CFIeasier, n that the environmental mpactsareconcentratedand can be ameliorated

with the constructionof sustainabletrails (Cox 1999).The CFI's ctions have notgoneunopposed,however:Some hikersargue hatthebestwayto protectthe moun-

tains s to leave hemalone,becausenewtrailswillonly bringmore hikers Woodbury1999; Cox 2001).

Otherpotentialsolutionsto overuseof theFourteeners ncludepromotingother

hikingopportunities, egulating ecreation, ndimprovingeducation.By1984, ram-

pling of the Fourteenershad promptedpublicationof two books advocatinghikes

on lower-elevationmountains(Borneman1984;Garratt ndMartin1984).Thetrend

to climb Thirteenersratherthan Fourteenershas also been encouraged by asser-

tions that the lower mountains actuallyoffer more adventureand less hassle (Cox1998;Shelton 1998;Roach and Roach2001).Although restrictinguse of the Four-

teenersin wildernessareas s a futurepossibility, imiting accessto natureis gener-allyanunpopularstance; husthe CFI artnerswith the LeaveNo Traceorganizationto promoteminimal environmental mpacts(McNicolland others1999).Peakstew-

ards,volunteerswho aresponsoredbythe ForestServiceand the CFI, ave also been

placed at some trailheads o educatehikers about LeaveNo Traceand Fourteener

ethics (Cox 2000).4

By the late 1900oosigh mountains and Colorado's dentity were even more in-

separable han they had been in the 18oos.Althoughcomplex and challenging,en-vironmental ssueshavecontributed o theperceptionof theFourteeners s collective

icons of ideal nature that are worth protecting.The intense reclamationeffortsto

savethe Fourteeners orge a strongerattachment between local residentsactively

engagedin reclamationand the highestmountains.The more the Fourteenersare

threatened,the more popular they become (Purdy2002). With the rise in recre-

ational mountaineering,the Fourteenershave become a prize that represents he

ultimateclimbingexperience,yet this also causesthe type of environmentaldegra-dation that clouds their image as centerpiecesof protected,wild nature (Valeand

Vale1989).Today

he Fourteenerspawn

dealsof both wildernessdefenseandpres-ervationfunds;the conundrum is that accessis needed to ensure that the publicvalues the peaks,yet the impact of such use demandsstrictpreservationmeasures

(Kelly1994).

FOURTEENER CONOGRAPHY

The Fourteenershavebecome toweringand tangible"peaksof identity," ngender-

ing a collectivesense of attachmentbetween communities and their surroundingidealizedlandscape(Blake 1999).To graspthe process by which identity is devel-

oped betweenthe Fourteenersandnearby owns, I used as a casestudythe Sawatch

Range n centralColorado,whereI haveclimbedeveryFourteener.Key o my inter-pretationof placeidentityis the Fourteener conographyevident in suchlandscapefeaturesas welcome signs and the logos of businesses,chambersof commerce,and

governmentoffices.I also tested the attitudesof local residentstowardthe Four-




teenersthrough conversations,newspapermastheads,business names, postcards,actions towardland preservation,and tourist brochures.5Elsewhere n Colorado

the mountains below 14,000 feet may also be peaks of identity,6 but the SawatchFourteenersdominatethe iconographyof nearbytowns evenwhen otherpeaksare

closer.

Crowningthe ContinentalDivide, the SawatchRangeis appropriateas a case

study, or it containsa barricadeof fifteenFourteeners,more than anyotherrangein Colorado,and includes four of the fivehighestpeaksin the state.The mountain

splendorand elevationof the rangeresultin nicknames such as "Colorado'sRoof-

top,"' Backboneof the Continent,"and "Heartof the Rockies."The rangetakesits

name from a phonetic spellingof saguache,a Ute word meaning"waterof the blue

earth,"which was givento hot springsnear Mount Princeton and to a formerlakein the San LuisValley,and it has been said that the onlywayto pronounce"Sawatch"

is to sneezeit (Rennicke1986).Spanning wo nationalforests, ourwildernessareas,and partsof five counties, the SawatchRangeextendsnearlyioo miles in a north-

west-southeast directionfrom the EagleRiver to the town of Saguache,averaging20 miles acrossbut wideningto 40 miles in places.The Sawatch ncludesone of the

most famous Fourteeners,Mount of the Holy Cross,the long-popular CollegiatePeaksgroup of five Fourteeners n the heart of the range,7and severalpeaksthat

havebecome infamous for theirdegreeof ecological degradation.8

The Coloradomineral belt cuts directlythrough the heart of the Sawatch,9 omining was the primary economic activity from the 1700s until about 191o.Both

hardrockand placer activities contributedto significant environmental impactsbecausethey resulted n heapsof wasterock from mines and smeltersand in clear-

cuts of timber for fuel, building materials,mine timbers,and railroadties. In the

twentieth century ranchingand outdoor recreation-basedtourism have each, in

turn, bolstered the economic base of the Sawatch.Eventhough a strongbelief in

mining and associated ndustriespervadesthe local communities,the Fourteeners

and associatedtourism have largelysupplanted mining as the dominant icons of

community identity(McNicoll and others 1999).

Minturn,a small but growingamenitytown (population 1,o68;elevation7,817

feet) on the cusp of the GreaterVail areain the northern Sawatch, s the closest

incorporated own to Mount of the Holy Cross.Probablybecauseof its small size

and narrowvalleysite,Minturn'sbusinessesfeature few icons of mountains-onlytwo representations f BattleMountain,the closest distinctivesummitvisible from

town. The "Topof the Rockies" cenic-bywaybrochurenotes that Minturn is the

gateway o the Holy CrossWildernessArea,but as a consequenceof the mountain's

limitedvisibilityandaccessibility,HolyCross consin thelandscapeare ew. 0Though

rarely viewed, the distinctive character of Mount of the Holy Cross provides a ca-

chet that many higher and more visible Sawatch Fourteeners lack.

Rumors of a giant cross hiding deep in the northern Sawatch were finally provedtrue in 1873 with William Henry Jackson's photograph (Figure 4) and Thomas

Moran's painting of Mount of the Holy Cross. Soon thereafter, Henry Wadsworth




Longfellow'spoetry further establishedthe peak as a symbol of Christianityandthe legitimateconquestof the West(Kinsey1992).Because he mountain contained

one of the most recognizable cons in the world,a national monument was formedaround it in 1929.By1950,however, he monument had been abolished,a victim oflow visitation,poor accessto viewsof the crossin the ruggedterrain,and a percep-

tion of the cross that was less distinct thantheone in Jackson'sphotograph (Brown 1968).Even houghMountof theHolyCrosshas since

been designateda wildernessareaand its fame

lingers regionallyand locally, oday compara-

tively few people outside Coloradoare aware

of its history,significance,and location.The contribution of Holy Cross to local

place identity is manifest in postcards, n thename of the local Holy CrossRangerDistrict,

and,most significantly, s the peakshowcasedon Minturn's logo (Figure 6). The logo is

prominently displayedthroughoutthe newlyconstructedTown Hall and is featuredon newwelcome signs at both ends of town. Histori-cal

symbolismand elevationare

keyto the role

of Mount of the Holy Crossin the iconogra-phy of Minturn. Without its legendarycross and Fourteener tatus,the mountainwould go unheralded.

The relationshipof the Fourteeners o place identity is more deeply ingrainedand complexin Leadville population4,763;elevation10,152 feet) thanin Minturn.Inthe localiconography,he Fourteeners ymbolicallycompetewith theheritageof

mining-born-and-bredLeadville(Wyckoff1999). Leadville is positioned on the

westernslopesof the Mosquito Range,but its definingviews are of two distantyet

toweringSawatchFourteeners,Mount Massiveand Mount Elbert,Colorado's wo

highestpeaks(Figures3 and7).Thoughmore central o the town'sminingpastandcloserto town, the MosquitoFourteenersand several ower Sawatchpeakslackthe

height and aestheticprospectof Massiveand Elbert,so they are the only peaksof

identityfor Leadville.

Except or itshigh,broadshoulders,Mount Elberthardlymeritsa secondglance,yet it has been recognizedfor its primateelevation among the Rockies since the

1920S Toll1923).Elbert s the icon of the LeadvilleRangerDistrict,a choicejustifiedin part by the interest of hikersin baggingthe statehighpoint via a hike that,byFourteenerstandards, s long but relativelymoderate. Forest ServiceRangerDis-

trictlogos arehigh powered n the developmentof place identity,giventheirwide-

spreadvisibilityon forestliterature, igns,and equipmentand giventhe symbolicimportanceof how the publicland-management agencyrepresents ts lands. Per-

hapsjust as importantto the choice of Elbertover Massivefor the logo is Elbert's

FIG.6-Mount of the Holy Cross onthe logo of Minturn,Colorado.(Photo-

graph by the author,July2001)




FIG. -Mount Elbert,high point of Colorado,and a mine headframe. Photographby the author,

August2001)

FIG.8-Mount Massiveand relics of the power-drillcompetition held duringthe LeadvilleBoom

Dayscelebrations n 1999and 2000. (Photographby the author,August2001)




pointed summit as viewed from Leadville,a form that makes it easierto reproduceasa simplified con (Rowan2001).Elbert s also featuredon four currentpostcards,

a total equalto or greater hananyother SawatchFourteenerexceptMountPrince-ton."1 ronically,on one postcardthe ratherundistinguishedshape of the Elbert

massif ledto misidentificationof two nearbyThirteenersas the state'shighestpeak.Instead of diminishing the importanceof Elbert, however,this misidentification

mayindicatethe powerof primacyin placeattachment.Beingnumberone means

that Elbertsymbolically ays claim to far more terrainthan do most mountains,even servingas a peakof identity in Leadville,where it appears n severalbusinessnames and icons.

Theaptlynamed Mount Massive s impossible o ignoreas the probableeaderof

Leadville'swo peaksof identity(Figure8). Massives much closerto townand is thecenterpiece f the MountMassiveWildernessArea,whereasElbert ackssucha desig-nation. Threecurrentpostcards eatureMassive's uggedmultiplesummitsand east-

ernslopes,which arecoveredbysnow morefrequentlyhan areElbert's pen ridges. n

an important bonding of Leadville and Massive,the three postcards portraythe

townscape n the foreground.Massivealso dominatesthe mountainiconographyoflocal businessesand artworkandis featuredon the mastheadof the localnewspaper.The effort o preserveheopenviewof Massive rom across heHaydenMeadowsnearLeadville s yet another ndicationof the peak's ignificancen localplaceattachment

(Morrow 001).Mining sclearlyentral o

Leadville'sharacter,ut Massive nd Elbert

are each also communityicons of pride,supplanting he MosquitoFourteenersn acelebration f beauty,wildernessquality,and elevation.

Like Leadville, Buena Vista (population 2,195;elevation 7,954 feet) is close to

severalFourteeners; ut,unlikeLeadville,no ambiguityexists as to the localpeakof

identity. Mount Princeton dominates the town's iconography through businessnames and signs,the Chamberof Commerce ogo andpromotionalbrochures, he

official town logo and signs (Figure9), the mastheadof the local newspaper,and

five currentpostcards, ncludingone that misidentifies t as MountAntero,the nextFourteener o the south. Nine local business or

organizationsignsfeaturea faithful

representationof a nearbymountain;in everyinstance it is Princeton. One of the

well-knownCollegiatePeaks,Princeton is neitherthe highest of the group nor theclosest to town, yet it is the only mountain that promptslocal residentsto say,"It'swhat we look at eachmorningto reminduswhy we live here," nd"It'swho we are,the icon of Buena Vista" Figure o). The accessibilityof the peak is important to

the role of Princeton n localplace identity,but evenmore significantareits visibil-

ity, shape,color,and qualificationas a Fourteener.

Mount Princeton is the gatewaypeakin views from the highways eadinginto

Buena Vista, especially coming west over Trout Creek Pass on U.S. Route 24. The

massif's distinctive trio of pointed summits, as viewed from the east, sets Princeton

apart from the other Collegiate Peaks in local iconography. When the ChaffeeCountyTimes changed its masthead in 1995 to show a detailed representation of Mount

Princeton, the announcement describing the change touted the "timeless majesty of




the Mount Princetontrio of peaks" ChaffeeCountyTimes1995).The ChalkCliffson Princeton's outheastern lank also add to its characteron postcards.12Further-

more,the entire massif of Princeton s easilyvisiblefromtown,with no interveningfoothills. The otherCollegiatePeaks,with equallydistinctivebut less visibleshapesand elevations,are set farther nto the range.

As case studies, Salida(population 5,504;elevation7,036 eet)andPonchaSprings pop-ulation466;elevation7,469feet),the southern-mostincorporated ommunitiesalongthehigheasternfront of the Sawatch,differfromMin-

turn,Leadville, nd BuenaVista.The localmin-

ing heritage s inescapable-the smokestackofa formersmeltertowers overSalida-yet min-

ing as an icon is far less obvious todaythan isthe unambiguous peak of identity, MountShavano (Figure 11).LikePrinceton, Shavano is

agatewaymountain,dominating heapproachto Salida-Poncha prings romthe eastand also

prominent napproachesromotherdirections.At the southern nd of theUpperArkansasRiver

Valley,Shavanos

at a geographical ulcrum,acrossroadsof highwaysandlandforms,with the Sawatch o the northand the Sangrede CristoRangeto the southeast and with passesleadingsouth into the San Luis

Valleyand west over the ContinentalDivide.

Easilyoutdistancingall cultural eaturesandothermountains,the iconographyof Shavano s rivaledonly bythatof the ArkansasRiver, ne of thepremierwhitewaterrecreationrivers n the nation. Signs,logos, postcards,and local residentsallpro-claim the significanceof Shavano n the localplaceidentity.One residentdismissesTenderfootHill, the small, steep rise on the edge of Salidathat sports a hillside

letter,as"nothing

butnovelty."

Anotherresidentsays

ofpotentialcity

icons,"Moun-tains and riversare the only thingsthat last."

Importantto Shavano's dentity is the uninterrupted, ull view of the massif;views of the peak are framedby the northwest-southeast orientation of Salida'sstreetgrid,which parallels he former railroadright-of-way.Even more distinctiveis a snowformationthatappearson Shavano's astsidefor a few weekseachspring.As the snow melts from the summit and ridges,a lingeringsnow-filled crevicere-sembles an angelwith upliftedarms. The legend of the Angel of Shavano,whose

meltingsnow sustains ife in the valleybelow,is an indispensablepartof Shavano's

iconography(Everettand Hutchinson1963).Shavano'sangel legend and visibilitycombine with its Fourteenerstatus to assure that it remainsmore central in localplaceidentitythando othernearbydistinctivepeaks,such as Mount Ouray,a highThirteener n the southernSawatch,andpointyMethodistMountain,at the north-ern end of the Sangrede Cristo.

l,,k.

FIG.9-Mount Princeton on the logoof BuenaVista, Colorado. (Photographby the author,August2001)




FIG. lo-Mount Princeton and BuenaVista,Colorado. The formerChaffeeCounty Courthouse,now occupied by the Buena VistaHeritageMuseum,is visible at the right edge of the photograph.(Photographby the author,August2001)

FIG. 11-Diana Blake iews Mount Shavano left)andTabeguacheMountain(center) romthe south-ernslopeof Mount Antero.In the1870sAnterowas aUintah Ute chief,and Shavanowas aTabeguacheUte chief. (Photographby the author,August1990o)




FIG.2-Amodel-railroadioraman theBuenaVistaHeritageMuseum epictsMountShavano sthepeakof identityfor Salida.Thepainting ncludes heAngelof Shavano now formationand Salida's

preserved melter smokestack. Photographby the author,August2001)

A dioramaof railroadsn theUpperArkansasRiverValleydisplayedn the BuenaVistaHeritageMuseumsuccinctlyportrays he localpeaksof identity.On the back-

drop are painted many mountains,but there is room for only one or two peaksbehind each town.Althoughthe mountainsin anydirection from town couldhavebeen portrayed n the diorama,faithfulrepresentationsof Massiveand Elbertap-

pearbehind Leadville;of Princeton,behind BuenaVista;and of Shavano,behindSalida Figure12).Theprimary actors n creatingSawatchpeaksof identity ncludeFourteener tatus,massifvisibility,shape,snowcover,andlegendaryhistory.Butinthe identityof each Sawatch own, Shavano,Elbert,Massive,and Holy Cross ikelyplaylesser roles than Princeton does in the characterof Buena Vista.Not only isPrincetonwithin the memorablynicknamedCollegiatePeaks, t has the distinctivetrio of summits,the ChalkCliffs,a stand-alonequality,easy accessibilityby road,and a lack of iconographiccompetitionfrommining or from the ArkansasRiver.

PEAKS OF IDENTITY

Other strong examples of the Fourteenersas peaks of identity exist outside theSawatch.The one with the strongestethnic tie is CulebraPeak,otherwiseknown asLaSierra, he southernmost Colorado Fourteener n the Sangrede CristoRange.




With a traditionof communalland useby SpanishAmericans hat datesbackto the

185os,privateownershipof the mountain since 1960hasbroughtstrife to the local

sense of place (Weinberg1997;Wilson1999).Climberswho areattemptingto sum-mit everyColoradoFourteenerhave also experiencedangstbecauseof the restric-

tions placedon accessto Culebra(Meyers2001).

A Fourteenermay be a peak of identityboth for a local community and for a

largerregion.Mount Evans s a peak of identity for Denver,but so is LongsPeak,more distantyet higher and more rugged.As the centerpieceof RockyMountain

NationalPark,Longsis alsoarguablyapeakof identityfor the whole RockyMoun-

tain region.Appearingin countless print advertisements, elevision commercials,

calendars,and magazinecover images,Mount Sneffels and the Maroon Bells are

additionalexamplesof Fourteeners hat representall westernmountains as idealnaturein regionalplace identity.

This overlapof spatial resolutions for peaks of identity is illustratedbest bycommodified and contested PikesPeak,"themountain that definesthe Colorado

Springsregion,Colorado,and evenAmerica" ColoradoSprings2001). Considered

by manyto be the most spectacularFourteener,because of its tremendous8,000-foot risefromthe plains(Writers'Program .. 1941,4), PikesPeak s alsoasymboliclandmarkof the entireWest.The mountain waspopularizedby Zebulon Pike's irst

summitattempt, he"PikesPeakor Bust"goldrush,and the foot trail,roadway,and

cog railway hat haveeach, n turn,led to a summitultimatelyriddledwithdevelop-ment and memorials.The rich symbolismof PikesPeakand the summit view that

inspiredthe lyricsto "Americahe Beautiful" ombine to result in its promotion as"America'sMountain" McChristal1999).Evenamid such favorablehyperbole,theidealizednature of the Fourteenershas led to controversyoverthe environmental

damagecausedby the Pikes PeakHighway(Rutledge1999).The link among nature,place identity,and the Fourteenersdepends on their

conceptualizationas a distinctgroup.Without thisassemblage,a fewpeaksof morethan14,000feetwould haveastrong image,but otherswouldbe essentially gnored.

Elevation s a critical,but not the only,factor n Fourteenersymbolism.Mountainsbarelyabove that elevation areheraldedaspeaksof identityfor local communities,the state,the region,and the nation, yet peaksjust below that elevation are often

hardlyknown. Butelevation s merely hegatekeepernto the Fourteenerclub:Oncein this elitegroupof mountains,othertraits, ncludingshape,accessibility, nd theaesthetics of visibility,areas important as elevation in determiningthe natureof

place identity.The increasingemphasison climbing other Colorado mountains, such as the

Thirteeners, he CentennialPeaks,or county high points, is not likely to cause a

significant esseningof Fourteeneruse, nor will less

promotionof the Fourteeners

by the public land agencies.13 he Fourteenersare alreadyoverburdenedwith at-

tention;theirwell-established mageandmarketingallure aremore likelyto trickledown to other mountains than to diminish. The acceleratingcommodification ofthe Fourteenersn materialgoods has a silver ining,however,becausemany prod-




uctspromoteenvironmental warenessnd celebrate love of andpridein themountains speaksof identity.

Thesymbolism f Colorado's ourteeners asservedas a dynamic ndpotentforce or acentury nd ahalf.The futurewillprobably ringchange o theirplaceidentity.Whatwesee as overuseodaymaybe seenasacceptablesein the future.As theirpopularity ontinues o spreadbeyondColoradans,mountaineers,nd

peakbaggers,he Fourteeners illincreasinglyeviewedassymbolsof higherde-alsregardingatureandthemanagementf mountainanduse.Thoughnotyetahouseholdname outside he stateandthe region, he fifty-fourFourteeners illbecomencreasinglyentralnplace dentity, ssymbolsnotonlyofwondrouscen-

erybutalso of howmountains houldappearntheidealizednaturalworld.

NOTES

i. Fourteen housandfeet equals4,267meters,but the metricsystemfailsto generateenthusiasm

when it comesto the heightof mountainsin the United States(Roach1999).The closestround metric

figure,4,000 meters, ncludes well over 600 peaks(WinnerandWinner1977), ar too manyto achieve

a strongidentity.Furthermore, veryclimbingclub in the United Statesbases its criteriaon feet, so I

use that measurementsystemthroughoutthis article.

2. Colorado also has the highest mean elevation, approximately6,800 feet, of any state in the

nation (Writers'Program... 1941).

3. In this articleI adoptthe traditionalcount of fifty-fourFourteeners Bornemanand Lampert

1998).The consensusfor

determininga

separatemountain relieson a

3oo-foot dropto the saddlethat

connects two higherelevations.An illustrationof the arbitrarynatureof this consensus s the fact thatboth North Maroon Peakand El Diente Peakfail the standardyet are accepted as Fourteeners.A

distanceof 0.25-0.50 mile between summits is sometimes used as a standard for defining separatemountains. Some mountaineers use a list of fifty-fiveColorado Fourteeners,which includes Chal-

lengerPoint, approximately0.20 mile distantfrom and 300 feet lower than Kit CarsonPeak(Roach1999).Some massifs havemultiple summitsthat exceed14,000feet, as do the fivesummits of Mount

Massive,but they count as only one Fourteenerwith the applicationof these standards.

4. Ironically, n 2001the stewardswere moved from busier mountains to La PlataPeak,in re-

sponse to four fatalities n the precedingthreeyearson that Fourteener.The stewards'emphasison

education correspondingly hifted from"LeaveNo Trace" o hikerpreparedness Rowan2ool).

5. Althoughpostcardsand scenicbrochuresare intendedprimarily or consumptionby tourists,

local residents ypicallyselect their content.6. Some examplesof mountains below 14,000 feet that are peaks of identity in Colorado are

HorsetoothMountain(FortCollins),FisherPeak(Trinidad),GrandMesa(GrandJunction),SleepingUte Mountain (Cortez),the LaPlataRange (Durango),Mount Kendall(Silverton),Mount Abrams

(Ouray),and Mount Sopris (Carbondale).

7. Harvard,Columbia,Oxford,Yale,and Princeton constitutethe CollegiatePeaks,a groupthatfirstgainedanidentityin 1869(BornemanandLampert1998).The expansiveCollegiatePeaksWilder-nessArea,designated n 1980,containseight Fourteeners,but not Princeton.

8. Mount Elbert,Mount Harvard,andMount Belford n the Sawatchwereamong the firstpeaksto receive attention from the CFI.Although these Fourteenersfeaturegreatheights, their relativelymoderatesteepnessattractsmany beginningpeakbaggers.

9. The SawatchAnticlineformedapproximately 0 millionyearsago, duringthe LaramideOrog-eny,with the SawatchRangeon its westernflank and the Mosquito Rangeon its easternflank.Oli-gocenebatholiths ateradded to themountain-buildingsequenceof the centraland southernSawatch.As the mountains rose, mineral-rich solutions seeped upwardthrough fissures and crystallizedto

produceColorado'smineralbelt, a 5o-mile-wide mineralizedzone extendingfrom near Boulder to




nearDurango.Subsequently, rustalextensionsproducedthe Rio GrandeRiftthat splitsthe SawatchAnticline. Thousands of feet of overlying rocks were eroded to expose granite, schist, and gneiss;Pleistoceneglaciationscouredthe Sawatch; nd the UpperArkansasRivereventuallyoccupied the rift

(Chronic1980; Karnuta1995).Mount Antero,in the Sawatch, eaturesthe highest minerallocality inNorth America(Bornemanand Lampert1998).

to. Mount of the Holy Crossis visible from only one road in the state: an unpavedroute overShrine Pass.The mountain rises on the southwesternhorizon, nearly20 miles from a rustic ForestServiceviewpoint alongthe road.The mountain can alsobe seen fromthe top of aVailski lift.View-

ing anyaspectof the mountain froma closerproximityrequiresa moderatehikeaftera long drive onthe roughTigiwonRoad;the best vista of the crosson the eastern facerequiresa strenuousclimb ofNotch Mountain.

11. In 2001I collectedeverypostcardfeaturinga Fourteener hat wasfor sale in the local commu-nities. Of the fifteen SawatchFourteeners,only the five I examined in this study appearon the post-cards.

12. Containingno chalk, he ChalkCliffsarenamed fora white, chalkyappearance ausedby thehydrothermalalterationof Mount Princeton'squartzmonzonite (Karnuta1995).The Chalk Cliffs arefeaturedon three currentpostcardsof Mount Princeton, ncludingone on which it is misidentified asMount Antero.

13. An example of depublicizing the Fourteenersoccurred in the summer of 2001,when theLeadvilleRangerDistrict and CFI greedto stop distributinghikers'cardson which wereprintedtheLeaveNo Traceethics anda checklistof the Fourteeners.Theirconcern wasthatthe checklistcould be

promotinguse of the Fourteeners o an extentthat the LeaveNo Traceethicswould be impossibleto

uphold (Rowan2ool).

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Documents

Blake, Kevin, 2002, Colorado Fourteeners and the Nature of Place Identity