Last Updated on June 11, 2014 by James Dziezynski
One of the great things about Colorado’s mountains are the sheer volume of peaks. Beyond the well known collection of 14,000 ft. summits (and a few glamourous 13,000 ft. peaks) wait some of the most wonderful places in the Rockies, wild places where isolation and sheer anonymity translate into unique and adventurous experiences. Many of these peaks are nameless, marked by the somewhat ironic UN (unnamed) designation on maps, or else defined merely by their topography.
What I find most inviting about these places is the unknown emotion they will awaken. In lesser places, I have seem nameless tributaries at their start, long before they have grown into mighty rivers. There are unexpected scrambles, rainbow-colored carpets of alpine flowers, secret corridors and deep, dangerous forests. What these mountains lack in popularity, they make up in character.
Who knows what you’ll see in the less-traveled corners of the Rocky Mountains?
Admittedly, it’s sometimes difficult to describe what makes these places so special. Many of the rounded, gentle summits would disappoint the thrill-seeker but would engage the philosopher. There are gritty, pathless routes that yearn to twist knees and bend ankles. And there are places that offer up hidden views of the world. And sometimes these places touch raw, unfiltered emotions: bliss, loneliness, purpose and nostalgia are just a few that have been unexpectedly summoned in my own adventures.
I tried to include several of these mountains in my guidebook Best Summit Hikes in Colorado without painting an overly vivid picture for the reader. Treasury Mountain, Fools Peak and Lone Cone are a few of my absolute favorites. Most days I’m more than happy to share the adventure with friends, though there are times when nothing is better than a solitary outing in the high country with my “pack”: my border collies Mystic and Fremont.
A secret creek is a great place to cool the paws.
If you love mountains, once in a while seek out a little known peak and embrace its wild and unpredictable nature. If you’re feeling especially bold, leave the camera at home. Mountains certainly invigorate our bodies and our egos but I have found it rewarding to balance that with quiet visits to unfamiliar places. Dogs are encouraged.
I think we owe it to ourselves to experience magnificent places with our secondary senses, lest they grow stagnant.
Mystic gazes out from the windy summit of 13,408 ft. Mount Wilcox.
