style="font-size:15px;"> It is my hope that you find as much adventure, challenge, and enjoyment in these mountains as I have—hopefully more. I’ve purposely left some secrets out of print: wildflower meadows, old mining haunts, prime wildlife habitats, secret monuments, to name a few. I believe that a good guidebook will get you to the top and back safely but leave plenty of space between the lines for imagination and discovery.
After all, each step into the wilderness reveals something about the mountain—and about ourselves. And let’s face it: It’s awfully convenient that all of that enlightenment is waiting so close to home.
The roughly 70 miles of paved highway that connects Denver to Vail is an engineering marvel. Cutting through some of Colorado’s highest terrain, I-70 goes 1.7 miles through the earth via the 11,158-foot Eisenhower–Johnson Memorial Tunnel and over 10,662-foot Vail Pass. Along the way, it passes through several distinct mountain ranges (all subranges of the Southern Rocky Mountains), including the Front Range, the Williams Fork Mountains, the Tenmile Range, and the Gore Range.
I-70 is the critical foundation upon which Colorado’s thriving outdoors recreation industry is built. The highway is maintained year-round, offering access to several ski areas and tourism-based mountain towns. At times it is easy to forget just how amazing this roadway is, especially when you are mired for hours in the notorious gridlock that inevitably builds up in busy and winter months. On the plus side, it does give an aspiring adventurer plenty of time to gaze at the mountains.
The hikes in this book are divided into three primary sections: Denver to the Eisenhower–Johnson Tunnel, the tunnel to Vail Pass, and Vail Pass to the town of Vail. In order to narrow the focus, the rule for this book is that all trailheads are within 10 miles of an I-70 exit. A few bonus hikes just beyond this radius are given a quick look as well. Thankfully, nearly all of the trailheads for the peaks in this guide are accessible by any standard car or truck. Only four of the primary trailheads require a high-clearance, four-wheel-drive vehicle, and in all of those cases, stock SUVs tend to do just fine.
Colorado hikers are getting the best of both worlds hiking along I-70. It only takes 20 minutes to leave behind the droning buzz of traffic. Because so many of these mountains are overlooked, many hiking days are uncrowded, peaceful experiences. Yet, one is never far from civilization. From Denver, the farthest-west hikes are only about a 2-hour drive from home. The towns along the way have great restaurants and plenty of attractions to tack onto a good hiking day.
These mountain adventures are perfect for those who cherish time in the hills but only have so many days where they can get out. In no way are these peaks compromised in terms of quality or challenge—you are getting the real deal, minus the hassle of long drives along remote mountain roads. It is a happy coincidence that the terrain ranges from simple, on-trail walk-ups (Grays Peak) to burly, gutsy scrambles (Pacific Peak, west ridge).
Note on I-70 Tolls
At the time of writing, Colorado was enacting a new toll system for brief, heavily trafficked sections of I-70. Started in autumn 2015, a single toll lane (with varying costs) was opened to complement the free I-70 lanes. Travel on the highway remains toll-free, with the toll lane option for those in a hurry or sick of being stuck in traffic. Whether this strategy succeeds will be seen.
About This Guidebook
The rule for selecting peaks is that their primary trailheads must be within 10 miles of the I-70 corridor. In most cases, they are much closer than that.
While there are no technical routes requiring ropes or specialized mountaineering skills, there are some scrambles that have dangerous sections. Please read the class rating system for more information.
One of the great things about this collection of mountains is that they can be combined in many different ways, especially as point-to-point adventures (which are easier to set up, since many of the trailheads are right along the highway). While this guide mentions many of the possible route combinations, those looking for multiday adventures or huge single-day outings will find enough information to create unique routes.
All GPS tracks are available online in the GPX and KMZ file formats at mountainouswords.com/I70-hikes. These are free downloads for your personal use; please do not upload them on other sites.
While all the routes in this book are worthy (I’ve weeded out the stinkers), the very best are denoted by a star icon
Gear
Preparing for mountain hiking means that you may be dealing with blistering heat and frigid storms—sometimes in the same day! For three-season hiking in Colorado, here’s a checklist of recommended gear.
It’s been my experience that two particular pieces of gear are worth investing in the best possible options you can: eye protection and footwear. This doesn’t necessarily mean the most expensive, but it does usually mean paying a bit more for better quality.
• High-quality footwear. I prefer a low-hiker with a rugged, Vibram outsole, often paired with gaiters for off-trail terrain. For off-trail hiking, a stiffer, full hiking boot is recommended for those with foot or ankle issues.
• High-quality eye protection. Make sure glasses cover your full range of eyesight and are UVA–UVB protected (without distortion from cheap lenses). I often pack along eye drops to use during and after the hike as well.
• First aid kit (see for more details)
• Noncotton base layers
• Lightweight rain/wind shell
• Lightweight, long-sleeved fleece
• Lightweight down or synthetic puffy jacket
• Gloves
• Winter hat and neck gaiter
• Visor or baseball cap
• Sunblock
• Camelbak (or similar hydration system) and at least 48 ounces of water
• Plenty of easy-to-digest food and snacks (I often use gels, gummies, and energy bars only on many hikes)
• 1,800- to 2,500-cubic-inch backpack
• Compass, map, GPS, or navigation-based smartphone app
• Gaiters
• Hiking poles (strongly recommended for many of the hikes in this guide!)
Safety: First Aid and Hiking at Altitude
The Effects of Altitude and Altitude Sickness
Lower levels of oxygen at altitude (more than 8,000 feet)
