Mount Marcy

Mount Marcy is the highest peak in the Adirondacks and in the state, rising 5,344 feet above sea level. It is surrounded by the other high peaks of the MacIntyre Range, which extend in a southwesterly and northeasterly direction through the west central portion of Essex County. The divide between the Hudson and the St. Lawrence Rivers passes over its summit, and to the southwest, at the base of the cone lies Lake Tear-of-the-Clouds, the highest lake source of the Hudson River.
When the first recorded ascent of Mt. Marcy was made in 1837 by Professor Emmons and his party, there were no trails or guide posts. They struggled through virgin forests which, especially in the dense alpine growth of pure scrubby balsam near the top of the mountain, made for tough-going. Today, however, the peak can be approached on well-marked trails from four directions. Many of these trails have interesting variations and side trips.

Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park offers a variety of challenging ascents for the climber throughout the year. Rocky Mountain encompasses 113 named mountain peaks over 10,000 feet and 71 over 12,000 feet. The park contains stretch of legendary high peaks, including Hallett Peak (12,173'), Otis Peak (12,486') McHenry's Peak (13,327'), Chiefs Head Peak (13,579'), Spearhead (12,575'), Half Mountain (11,482'), and the renowned Longs Peak (14,256'). Some climbers claim that the Diamond cliff of Long's Peak is the best alpine wall in the U.S.
Technical climbs do not require registration either at the trailhead or in advance, but registration is always required for overnight bivouacs. It is your responsibility to leave details about your destination with someone who can report your absence if you happen to be overdue. For information about permits and regulations see a park ranger. Minimum impact climbing techniques are essential to the preservation of this proposed wilderness area. Motorized drills are prohibited to avoid damaged rock, disturbance to raptor habitat, and to eliminate noise from undeveloped areas in the park. Climbers are urged to leave no trace by using brown-colored chalk, neutral colored webbing, and traveling on established trails. Pack out what you pack in, so that others may enjoy their climbing experiences.

Hells Canyon National Recreation Area

In 1975, Congress established the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, which includes sections of both Idaho and Washington. This relatively new pseudo-national park includes most of the Seven Devils Mountains; 190,000 acres (including the entire high peak area of the central range) are designated as the Hells Canyon Wilderness. The southern section of the range is managed by the Payette National Forest, and the eastern foothills are managed by the Ne Perce National Forest.
The range is readily accessible, with the most popular route beginning in Riggins, Idaho, and allowing passenger autos to reach over 8,000 feet in elevation at Windy Gap. While the southern and northern approach routes are more primitive, they do offer quick approaches to most of the Seven Devils' most important summits.
Hiking and climbing opportunities are above average. Due to the large elevation differentials, the Seven Devils have the longest hiking season of any Idaho mountain range, with hiking beginning along the Snake River in early March. While the best known trails are located within the Wilderness boundaries, many excellent trails are located in the southern Seven Devils, west of Council.

The Seven Devils Mountains

The Seven Devils Mountains extend along the Idaho/Oregon border for roughly 40 miles between the Idaho towns of Whitebird and Council. They are bounded by the Snake River on the west and the Salmon and Little Salmon rivers on the east. The range ranks high among Idaho's mountain chains in terms of ruggedness and scenic quality; it is the state's most precipitous range, with elevations varying from just above 1,000 feet at the Snake River to 9,393 feet on the summit of He Devil.
The range was formed by block faulting of the region's very complicated rock layers, which contain a little of everything, from oceanic sedimentary rocks to intrusive igneous rock and limestone caves, all within short walking distance of each other. In the past, mining activity has taken place in this range; old digs can still be found, mostly at the lower elevations. While the Seven Devils block was uplifting, the Salmon River cut an immense trench on the east side of the range, and the Snake River cut an even deeper canyon along the western side. Between the two river canyons is a high 3-mile-wide bench which forms the Seven Devils high country. This crest runs north to south and is most pronounced on its east side, where all of the major peaks are found. The western slope of the range, while at first more moderate than the eastern side, eventually descends rapidly into the Hells Canyon of the Snake River.

Longs Peak

Longs Peak is undisputedly the monarch of the northern Front Range and one of the outstanding peaks of the entire North American continent. It has gained prominence in the eyes of explorers, settlers, writers, tourists, mountaineers, and technical climbers. Longs Peak offers something for virtually everyone either in its striking beauty or its climbing possibilities, but first and foremost, Longs is a climber's mountain. Even the easiest routes up Longs are classic climbs, and nothing in the Rocky Mountains quite compares with climbs on Longs's mark of individuality — the magnificent 1,675-foot east face, crowned with the sheerest part of all, the 1,000-foot Diamond.
The history of Longs Peak is so rich that any detailed account deserves an entire book. Two such books are Stephen Trimble's Long's Peak: A Rocky Mountain Chronicle, which was published in 1984 with some fine color photography, and Paul Nesbit's Longs Peak — Its Story and a C1imbing Guide, which was the standard guide to the mountain for many years. Also, Bill Bueler's Roof of the Rockies devotes a chapter to Longs Peak and vicinity.

Pikes Peak and Mount Evans

Pikes Peak and Mount Evans
The trailheads described here are places passenger cars can reach. Sometimes these places are well-marked parking lots at the end of a road, and sometimes they are just points on a continuing road where the road becomes too rough for passenger cars. Four-wheel-drive vehicles can shorten many of the ascents in Colorado, but, when you think about it, wouldn't you rather have more mountain, not less?
Colorado's Front Range extends from the Wyoming border southward 175 miles to the Arkansas River valley west of Pueblo. It is Colorado's longest range. When you approach the Rocky Mountains from the east, the Front Range provides an abrupt scenery change. The land is flat, then roars up like crazy. Two of the most well-known and popular peaks for climbing in the Front Range are Pikes Peak and Mount Evans. Both are close to Denver and allow the motivationally challenged the opportunity to drive all the way to the summit. The standard climbing routes to the summits of both peaks can also become quite crowded.

Colorado's Front Range

The trailheads described here are places passenger cars can reach. Sometimes these places are well-marked parking lots at the end of a road, and sometimes they are just points on a continuing road where the road becomes too rough for passenger cars. Four-wheel-drive vehicles can shorten many of the ascents in Colorado, but, when you think about it, wouldn't you rather have more mountain, not less?
Colorado's Front Range extends from the Wyoming border southward 175 miles to the Arkansas River valley west of Pueblo. It is Colorado's longest range. When you approach the Rocky Mountains from the east, the Front Range provides an abrupt scenery change. The land is flat, then roars up like crazy. Two of the most well-known and popular peaks for climbing in the Front Range are Pikes Peak and Mount Evans. Both are close to Denver and allow the motivationally challenged the opportunity to drive all the way to the summit. The standard climbing routes to the summits of both peaks can also become quite crowded.