If everyone took federal law seriously, the United States would have gone metric about 20 years ago, and there would be no such thing as a 14er. In meters, those 54 Colorado peaks whose summits exceed 14,000 feet above sea level would be 4,267ers, and that's not the stuff of lore.
Perhaps fortunately, we still use the traditional measurements, and that makes 14ers an economic factor because people come to climb them, and spend money in the process.
How much do they spend?
The Colorado Fourteeners Initiative, a preservation organization based in Golden, conducted surveys of climbers and hikers last summer and plans to continue them this summer.
Preliminary results show that the average Fourteener visitor spends $191.61 within a 25-mile radius of the peak, and $221 on the full trip.
CFI's recent newsletter also announced that detailed route descriptions will be available on its website, www.14ers.org.
Also, CFI has an "adopt a peak" program for trail maintenance and restoration. In our area, La Plata, Shavano, and Harvard remain orphans in need of adoption. For more information, visit the website or call CFI at 303-278-7650.