Photos courtesy of Colorado Fourteeners Initiative
By Sonya Stephen
Every year, thousands of locals and tourists alike climb to the peaks of our 14,000-foot mountains to gaze out at incredible views and experience hiking in Colorado’s alpine tundra. This delicate ecosystem is easily damaged by hikers so it is essential to be aware of how you can best minimize your impact before embarking on these trails. The Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (CFI) has been hard at work building and maintaining these trails since 1994. Did you know that in 1994, only three of Colorado’s 14ers had established trails? Thanks to the work of thousands of volunteers and CFI staff over the years, these trails now serve the thousands of hikers that use them each year. No matter how great your trail etiquette is, we all leave our mark on these mountains as we recreate. As the number of visitors grows every year, it is becoming increasingly important to understand how to mitigate our impacts on this landscape wherever possible.
About Colorado’s Unique Alpine Tundra
Globally, there are two types of tundra ecosystems: alpine and arctic. In Colorado, we have alpine tundra that begins between 11,000 and 11,500 feet above sea level. Alpine tundra is often treeless and the climate is cold and dry. Because of strong winds and a harsh climate, the plants that can grow here are limited and often perennial. While these plants might seem hardy, they are actually very fragile. Walking off trail can easily lead to stepping on flowers, lichen or other plants, causing damage that could take hundreds of years to recover. This is because plants like lichen that live close to the ground can live for decades or even over 100 years. Wildlife in this ecosystem is limited due to these harsh conditions, but some animals that can bear the winters are yellow-bellied marmots, pika, white-tailed ptarmigan and bighorn sheep. As you explore Colorado’s alpine tundra this summer, it is essential to keep this ecosystem’s delicate nature in mind.
Leave No Trace Principles
An easy way to stay vigilant of your impact on the environment is to follow Leave No Trace principles. Based in Boulder, the Leave No Trace organization uses the “power of science, education, and stewardship…to ensure a sustainable future for the outdoors and the planet.” Below are their 7 principles to minimize impact and how they might relate to hiking a 14er:
1. Plan Ahead & Prepare
Do you have enough supplies for this hike? Be sure to bring ample water (at least 2 liters per person), food, warm layers and sunscreen.
2. Travel & Camp on Durable Surfaces
CFI intentionally builds trails on durable surfaces – surfaces that are less vulnerable to erosion and built to sustain thousands of footfalls. Avoid walking off trail and stick to designated areas.
3. Dispose of Waste Properly
Be mindful of where you urinate and always bring a wag bag for number 2s! You can pick up a wag bag/waste bag at the AHRA Visitor Center in Salida or at the Salida Ranger District.
4. Leave What You Find
Appreciate the rocks, flowers, trees etc…and leave them untouched. Take only photographs!
5. Minimize Campfire Impacts
Always check current fire restrictions before building a campfire. Wildfires can have devastating impacts on the alpine tundra and are generally not advised above 11,000 feet.
6. Respect Wildlife
Observe wildlife always from a distance, do not approach or feed.
7. Be Considerate of Others
Remember that hiking a 14er is a big challenge for most people. Share the trail and look out for your fellow hikers.
Colorado Fourteeners Initiative’s Work on Mount Shavano
Abiding by Leave Not Trace principles not only helps protect these delicate ecosystems for future generations, but it also shows respect for the teams that helped build these trails in the first place. As one can imagine, building a trail at 10,000+ feet is no easy feat. CFI’s work on Mount Shavano has been one of the organization’s biggest accomplishments and challenges. In 2012, CFI conducted a Sustainable Trails Inventory to assess the condition of existing trails up Colorado’s 14ers. Each trail assessed was given a grade, and Shavano received an “F.” The trail had extreme resource damage and was in a state of ecological disrepair. Unfortunately, this was not the only hurdle to overcome. The land atop Shavano was technically private mining land, so CFI had to purchase the land in order to conduct trail building to the summit. While this land is still owned by CFI, the organization has the intention to eventually give it to the US Forest Service in the future.
The project to rebuild and restore the Shavano trail was set to take 6 years, beginning in the 2022 season and culminating at the end of next summer. However, due to the hard work and dedication of CFI’s volunteers and staff, they are set to finish work on the trail by the end of this summer. Much of their work included closing off and re-vegitating social trails. Social trails are those created by the public and are not considered established trails. This serves as a good reminder to always stay on designated trails and follow the new and improved signage.
July, August and September are some of the most popular months to hike 14ers in Colorado. As you get out on the trail this summer, be sure to pack plenty of food, water and layers and to follow Leave No Trace principles. It is up to every one of us to tread lightly on these trails and keep them intact for generations to come.
Thank you to Lindsey King, Deputy Director of CFI for providing information and resources to support this article. And, thank you to all of CFI and its volunteers for your hard work building and maintaining trails on 14ers throughout Colorado. Click here to learn more about the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative.
Sonya Stephen is an AmeriCorps member completing her summer service term with GARNA.
Other resources:
https://www.uncovercolorado.com/colorado-14ers-list/
https://www.14ers.org/what-we-do/current-future-projects/
https://www.nps.gov/romo/learn/nature/alpine_tundra_ecosystem.htm
GARNA works with communities of the upper Arkansas River valley to foster the stewardship of the region’s natural environment and the resilience of our communities.