The centerpieces of the Colorado Rockies are the 54 peaks over 14,000 ft in elevation, or
"Fourteeners", as they are affectionately referred to by climbers. Once you have scaled a 14er, something gets in your blood - whether it is the magnificence
of the hike, the beautiful burn in your legs, the wonderful scenery, the wildlife, the extreme joy experienced when summiting, the lightheadedness from the
thin air, the pride in knowing you have accomplished something not everyone can or will ever want to or some combination of all of these. And it becomes an
addiction, you need to do it again. And to that end, I have made it to the top of half of them.
The beauty of the rockies, of this great land of ours is impossible to squelch when you stand atop any of these peaks. My photos are one
person's attempts to capture some of the "purple mountain majesty". But try as I might, nothing compares to the real thing.
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