FALL BEST TIME FOR HIKING 14ERS SCENERY AND WEATHER ARE BEST, AND SUMMER'S CROWDS HAPPILY ARE GONE.(Sports)

Byline: Catherine Lutz, Special To The News

The days are getting shorter and the kids are back in school. But that doesn't mean it's time to put away the hiking gear.

Autumn can be the best time to get into the mountains. Colorado brags of having the highest mean altitude of any state in the union - and climbing its Fourteeners (mountains higher than 14,000 feet in elevation) can be a treat in the fall off-season, when the weather is better, the crowds thinner and the scenery made more special by changing autumn colors.

"Climbing Fourteeners in the fall in many ways is much much better," said Cameron Burns, a former hiking guide and author of several mountaineering books. "A group of us went for this peak in July thinking it'd be the best time to climb, and it monsooned on us for a week. It's the worst weather I've ever had on a climbing trip. So we just decided to come back in the fall."

In September and October, Colorado's weather tends to stabilize. Monsoon season is over - gone are the early afternoon thunderstorms that can derail a midsummer mountaineering trip. And weather patterns - particularly high and low pressure systems - are more predictable.

"On Friday I can get a weather report and know exactly what the rest of the weekend is going to be like," said Lou Dawson, author of Dawson's Guide to Colorado's Fourteeners. "In fall it's either going to be clear and beautiful, or there's a winter storm coming through."

Another advantage to heading to the hills in autumn is the greater potential for solitude. During the summer vacation season, Colorado's Fourteeners are tourist attractions on the same level as the national parks. But by September the visiting peak baggers have gone home. In-state crowds thin out too, making the commute to and from the mountains much less of a hassle.

Probably best of all, the changing colors make fall a season of wonder in Colorado. Leaves enter their metamorphosis at different times at different altitudes, so as aspen groves and scrub oak turn myriad shades of gold, orange and red, hiking a Fourteener is a great way to view the colors from various elevations.

Mount Elbert, the highest peak in the state at 14,433 feet, is a favorite fall climb of Dawson and Burns. A large aspen forest graces the first part of the hike, and there's more time for the lengthy ascent (some nine miles) when it's a clear day.

Also, while it's not unusual to see what looks like a line of ants marching toward Elbert's summit throughout most of the summer, the peak actually can be all yours, especially on weekdays, in the fall.

For the technical climber, some Fourteeners are more doable in the fall, when snow in the higher couloirs is almost completely melted or quite softened up. According to Burns, some of the east-facing routes on Long's Peak are better in fall than any other time of year, because of the peculiarities of moisture and weather on that mountain.

Of course, no Fourteener is a walk in the park, and there is a whole new set of precautions to take in the fall. As the days get shorter and cooler, there is a shorter window of opportunity to bag a peak.

"In the fall the early a.m. temperatures are much tougher, there's really a nip in the air," Burns said. "So you're carrying more layers."

Hikers should always be prepared to spend the night outdoors, Dawson added, which means putting a couple heavy layers in the daypack in the fall.

"In the summer you can get away with wearing running shorts and a sweater around your waist," he said. "But in the fall you should feel confident in the gear you have in case you have to sit out a night with someone with a broken leg, for example."

And of course, you never really know when snow is going to start flying in Colorado, where the start of winter can vary by up to six weeks. Hardcore peak baggers can bank on some of the more southerly Fourteeners, which still are climbable when their northern cousins are blanketed with snow.

The rest of us can look forward to ski season . . . or head to a beach in Mexico.

INFOBOX

GETTING THERE

Fall in love with these fall Fourteeners

* Mount Elbert (14,433 feet): From the Twin Lakes side, the trail winds through a thick aspen forest for the first couple miles. A scenic fall colors hike.

* Mount of the Holy Cross (14,005 feet): Utter solitude can be had on this Fourteener in the fall. Plus the views of forests of golden aspen mingled with deep green pine are breathtaking.

* Mount Bierstadt (14,060 feet): Easy to reach from Denver and Boulder, this peak, accessed from Guanella Pass, can be "such a nice stroll" in the fall, according to Fourteener expert Lou Dawson. The trail meanders though willow groves, which

"have an interesting fall feel. And there are no bugs after the first

frost (usually in early September)."

* Long's Peak (14,259 feet): Head to Long's in autumn

for the sole reason that it's much less crowded.

* Windom Peak(14,082 feet), Sunlight Peak(14,059

feet)and Mount Eolus (14,083 feet): The trail to these

three peaks outside of Durango starts in Chicago Basin, a nice

place to backpack during the fall color season. Plus the bugs and

mud holes of the summer are gone.

* The Fourteeners around Lake City, including

Uncompahgre Peak (14,309 feet), Wetterhorn (14,015 feet) and the

Handies Group (three peaks from 14,001 to 14,048 feet), are good for

fall colors, and at this time of year a lot fewer people are out for

scenic drives on the access roads. "Some are a little more alpine, but

they still have a good fall feel," Dawson said.

CAPTION(S):

Photo

About 35 members of the Denver Rescue Mission's new life rehabilitation program to overcome addictions climbed the more than 14,000-foot Mount Bierstadt near Georgetown. Antz Lopez, of Denver, makes his way to the summit. MARC PISCOTTY / ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS

FALL BEST TIME FOR HIKING 14ERS SCENERY AND WEATHER ARE BEST, AND SUMMER'S CROWDS HAPPILY ARE GONE.(Sports)

Byline: Catherine Lutz, Special To The News

The days are getting shorter and the kids are back in school. But that doesn't mean it's time to put away the hiking gear.

Autumn can be the best time to get into the mountains. Colorado brags of having the highest mean altitude of any state in the union - and climbing its Fourteeners (mountains higher than 14,000 feet in elevation) can be a treat in the fall off-season, when the weather is better, the crowds thinner and the scenery made more special by changing autumn colors.

"Climbing Fourteeners in the fall in many ways is much much better," said Cameron Burns, a former hiking guide and author of several mountaineering books. "A group of us went for this peak in July thinking it'd be the best time to climb, and it monsooned on us for a week. It's the worst weather I've ever had on a climbing trip. So we just decided to come back in the fall."

In September and October, Colorado's weather tends to stabilize. Monsoon season is over - gone are the early afternoon thunderstorms that can derail a midsummer mountaineering trip. And weather patterns - particularly high and low pressure systems - are more predictable.

"On Friday I can get a weather report and know exactly what the rest of the weekend is going to be like," said Lou Dawson, author of Dawson's Guide to Colorado's Fourteeners. "In fall it's either going to be clear and beautiful, or there's a winter storm coming through."

Another advantage to heading to the hills in autumn is the greater potential for solitude. During the summer vacation season, Colorado's Fourteeners are tourist attractions on the same level as the national parks. But by September the visiting peak baggers have gone home. In-state crowds thin out too, making the commute to and from the mountains much less of a hassle.

Probably best of all, the changing colors make fall a season of wonder in Colorado. Leaves enter their metamorphosis at different times at different altitudes, so as aspen groves and scrub oak turn myriad shades of gold, orange and red, hiking a Fourteener is a great way to view the colors from various elevations.

Mount Elbert, the highest peak in the state at 14,433 feet, is a favorite fall climb of Dawson and Burns. A large aspen forest graces the first part of the hike, and there's more time for the lengthy ascent (some nine miles) when it's a clear day.

Also, while it's not unusual to see what looks like a line of ants marching toward Elbert's summit throughout most of the summer, the peak actually can be all yours, especially on weekdays, in the fall.

For the technical climber, some Fourteeners are more doable in the fall, when snow in the higher couloirs is almost completely melted or quite softened up. According to Burns, some of the east-facing routes on Long's Peak are better in fall than any other time of year, because of the peculiarities of moisture and weather on that mountain.

Of course, no Fourteener is a walk in the park, and there is a whole new set of precautions to take in the fall. As the days get shorter and cooler, there is a shorter window of opportunity to bag a peak.

"In the fall the early a.m. temperatures are much tougher, there's really a nip in the air," Burns said. "So you're carrying more layers."

Hikers should always be prepared to spend the night outdoors, Dawson added, which means putting a couple heavy layers in the daypack in the fall.

"In the summer you can get away with wearing running shorts and a sweater around your waist," he said. "But in the fall you should feel confident in the gear you have in case you have to sit out a night with someone with a broken leg, for example."

And of course, you never really know when snow is going to start flying in Colorado, where the start of winter can vary by up to six weeks. Hardcore peak baggers can bank on some of the more southerly Fourteeners, which still are climbable when their northern cousins are blanketed with snow.

The rest of us can look forward to ski season . . . or head to a beach in Mexico.

INFOBOX

GETTING THERE

Fall in love with these fall Fourteeners

* Mount Elbert (14,433 feet): From the Twin Lakes side, the trail winds through a thick aspen forest for the first couple miles. A scenic fall colors hike.

* Mount of the Holy Cross (14,005 feet): Utter solitude can be had on this Fourteener in the fall. Plus the views of forests of golden aspen mingled with deep green pine are breathtaking.

* Mount Bierstadt (14,060 feet): Easy to reach from Denver and Boulder, this peak, accessed from Guanella Pass, can be "such a nice stroll" in the fall, according to Fourteener expert Lou Dawson. The trail meanders though willow groves, which

"have an interesting fall feel. And there are no bugs after the first

frost (usually in early September)."

* Long's Peak (14,259 feet): Head to Long's in autumn

for the sole reason that it's much less crowded.

* Windom Peak(14,082 feet), Sunlight Peak(14,059

feet)and Mount Eolus (14,083 feet): The trail to these

three peaks outside of Durango starts in Chicago Basin, a nice

place to backpack during the fall color season. Plus the bugs and

mud holes of the summer are gone.

* The Fourteeners around Lake City, including

Uncompahgre Peak (14,309 feet), Wetterhorn (14,015 feet) and the

Handies Group (three peaks from 14,001 to 14,048 feet), are good for

fall colors, and at this time of year a lot fewer people are out for

scenic drives on the access roads. "Some are a little more alpine, but

they still have a good fall feel," Dawson said.

CAPTION(S):

Photo

About 35 members of the Denver Rescue Mission's new life rehabilitation program to overcome addictions climbed the more than 14,000-foot Mount Bierstadt near Georgetown. Antz Lopez, of Denver, makes his way to the summit. MARC PISCOTTY / ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS