Preparing for a 14'er
are following your track can avoid being hit. Listen for that yell as you climb too. If you are below someone and they yell "Rock!" cover your head with your arms and, if you can, lie down to avoid being clobbered.
Quietly observe the wildlife at a distance and never feed the animals. The marmots are cute and they will sometimes seem to beg for snacks, but don't give in. Human food is not for animal consumption and may make the animal very sick.
Leave nothing - nothing at all. A single piece of trash can kill an alpine plant it covers in three weeks. We have found it handy to carry a plastic bag to put trash in. This keeps your backpack clean and organized and makes it easy to dump the whole thing when you return to a trash can. We rarely find a piece of trash on the mountain, but when we do, we always take it with us.
Classes You Can Take
Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (CFI)
The mission of this group is to "develop and empower partnerships among nonprofit organizations, concerned individuals, and public agencies in an effort to protect and preserve the natural integrity of Colorado's 54 14,000-foot peaks and the quality of recreational opportunities which they provide." CFI teaches classes on how to hike a 14'er. See the following URL for information.
http://www.coloradofourteeners.org
Colorado Mountain Club
The Colorado Mountain Club is not organized specifically around hiking the Colorado fourteeners, but they are an organization dedicated to outdoor recreation, education, and conservation. The teach several classes on hiking, including some classes on how to hike a 14'er. It appears that their classes are active classes too, so plan to go hiking with these folks. These guys also teach some of the technical climbing techniques, which you will need to complete all the fourteeners. See the following URL for information.
When you get back, rest a lot and eat well. You will be sore and stiff the next day, so plan a gentler activity until you are strong again. A physical trainer we know calculated that a person of approximately 150 pounds can burn 7,000 to 9,000 calories climbing a Colorado fourteener, so plan to eat very well when you finish your descent.
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