Best Summit Hikes in Colorado: An Opinionated Guide to 50+ Ascents of Classic and Little-Known Peaks from 8,144 to 14,433 feet [Paperback]

James Dziezynski (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 7, 2007

Author James Dziezynski has meticulously selected 80+ of the state’s absolute best peaks in more than 50 superlative hikes, and his opinionated narrative brings each route to life. Each summit is included because of a notable feature—whether it’s the site of a ghost mine or airplane wreckage, has thundering waterfalls or colorful floral meadows, is the best summit for spotting wildlife or bringing out-of-town friends, or is very accessible. Covering all Colorado’s major mountain ranges, including the well-known Sangre De Cristo, Gore, Sawatch, Indian Peaks, and Maroon Bell wilderness areas to the lesser-known Grenadiers, Medicine Bow, and Outer San Juan peaks, this distinctive guide makes it easy to select exactly the right hike for the right day, the right mood, and the right companions.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

James Dziezynski's love of adventure started in New England's mountains and oceans. Following a NOLS

mountaineering course in Wyoming's Wind River Mountains, he was eventually drawn to Colorado. His adventures

have taken him into the Arctic, Greenland, the jungles of several Caribbean islands, Mexico, the American and

Canadian Rockies, and just about every US state. His work has appeared in Outside, Backpacker,

Hooked on the Outdoors, Women's Adventure, Boulder Weekly, Electronic Gaming

Monthly, Gamefaqs.com, and Mountain Biking, among other publications.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Wilderness Press; 1 edition (August 7, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0899974082
• ISBN-13: 978-0899974088
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #132,324 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great, independent guide, June 21, 2008

By 

D. Reinhart (Illinois) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Best Summit Hikes in Colorado: An Opinionated Guide to 50+ Ascents of Classic and Little-Known Peaks from 8,144 to 14,433 feet (Paperback)

This is not a permutation of some other work ... this is a fresh, unique guidebook. After you have been through Gerry Roach's books, Dawson's, and related classics, you know a lot about the 14ers and the near-14ers. But how about the "best of the best" without regard to altitude?

For my tastes, I want to see those finest places, and not disqualify peaks that don't meet an altitude requirement. Like Bison Peak and Storm King. Places I would not know about from the most popular summit guides.

Thanks James Dziezynski! I may not be able to pronounce your last name, but I darned sure appreciate your hard work and great authorship.

Clearly, I recommend this book if you are looking for mountaineering ideas or exceptional climbs.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Book You've Been Waiting For..., October 2, 2007

By 

J. Pratt (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Best Summit Hikes in Colorado: An Opinionated Guide to 50+ Ascents of Classic and Little-Known Peaks from 8,144 to 14,433 feet (Paperback)

I really enjoy hiking and camping in the backcountry of Colorado and I'm always curious about new places to hike. So when I saw this book I was intrigued and very curious about what it had to offer.
Using this guide for a couple hikes its definitely become the best guide book I've used as it's very easy to use in the field, it's engaging with a unique author flare, thorough and very interesting. A definite "must have" to add to your guide book collection.
What attracted me to this book was the beautiful pictures on the cover and the diversity of hikes, many I've not heard of before, within its pages! Hike and Trailhead descriptions are written in an easy to follow manner and the directions have been thorough and very accurate. It's obvious that a lot of time was spent researching these aspects. It's also really helpful that the intro page to each hike has an elevation graph, a mile by mile break down of the hike, interesting things you'd expect to see on the hike and wheather its a good day hike or one for camping. Also what's made the book a great guide in my opinion are the maps with GPS coordinates and the interesting tid-bits of historical info. included at the end of each hike description. Even more are the fun trivia questions in the Appendix section of the book! I've learned some really neat things so far!
From cover to cover this a great guide and I am happy to have bought it!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Accurate and Interesting Guide, August 27, 2007

By 

W. Smale (Copper Mtn., CO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Best Summit Hikes in Colorado: An Opinionated Guide to 50+ Ascents of Classic and Little-Known Peaks from 8,144 to 14,433 feet (Paperback)

Ever since meeting the author while hiking Mt. Powell (one of the chapters in this book), I have looked forward to the release of this book. It didn't disappoint! As an avid hiker/climber living in the Colorado mountains, I have hiked many of the peaks described in this book. The route descriptions appear accurate and full of useful detail.
I especially appreciate the detailed driving instructions, altitude profiles and optional routes. The "Why Climb It?" section in each chapter definitely whets the appetite for the hikes shown. Dziezynski interjects his rather off-beat sense of humor and personal experiences to make it more enjoyable and less of a "just the facts ma'am" sort of book. I highly recommend this book to both the seasoned mountain veteran and the casual tourist visiting the Colorado mountains for the first time.