The Beginner’s Guide to Hiking a 14er:

As a Leave No Trace Trainer, you’d think I’d be phenomenal at the Leave No Trace Principles - number one being Plan Ahead and Prepare. But I have made - and continue to make - many mistakes as a recreational outdoor athlete.

If you’re just getting into hiking big mountains, here are a few things I’ve learned the hard way, so you don’t have to.

1.Get out there early. Not only will it probably take longer than you think, but parking lots for standard routes fill up fast on the weekends.

If I know it’s going to be a long day or I want to get out of there earlier, I’ll camp at the trailhead (Decalibron) or backpack in the day before a summit push (Snowmass, Mt of the Holy Cross, Wilson, Wilson, & El Diente).

2.Plan for weather.

Bring those layers, baby. A rain shell with a warm base layer is usually a safe bet. A trash bag to cover a backpack is a life hack if you’re carrying a bigger load, and it can double as a poncho.

The whole reason I started running these bad boys is so I can be done summitting before the afternoon thunderstorms start rolling in between 1-4 pm. I use Mountain Forecast to see if the storms will be aggressive, how much wind to expect, and where the temps will be at different elevations.

3.Navigation.

Having a general idea of what the trail conditions are and what technical skills will be required can help you narrow down what gear to bring, what to wear, figure out how long it’s going to take, and keep you safe.

I check 14ers.com for non-standard routes and AllTrails for standard hikes. I am also known for getting lost so I download the maps and sometimes carry a print out.

4.Support System.

Tell other people where you’re going, go with a buddy, bring a GPS device (like a Garmin in-reach), share your location, etc. The more technical and remote the location, the more important this becomes. Random dangerous things happen on every mountain.

5.Bring back up gear.

Depending on the length and difficulty of the hike, things like ultralight water filters, trekking poles, extra socks, hats, and gloves, ace wraps, extra food, and a headlamp will make your adventure a little bit more enjoyable.

I like the Sawyer Squeeze or Life straw for water filters and tend to carry at least 300 more calories with me than I think I’ll need (which sometimes looks like an extra PRO/GoMacro/Perfect/Lara/EPIC Bar, extra trail mix, or a PB&J).

Hopefully these basic tips keep you from experiencing disaster - but we all know it’s unpredictable out there.

So stay safe, but also stay stoked (: