Review
Mitchler & Covill are Highpointers, leaders in a band of zealots whose passions command them to ascend towering summits, and some not quite so tall... from an almost ridiculous 4,119 foot hump along a road in Phillips County to the 14,433-foot summit of Mt. Elbert in Lake County. To be a true Highpointer, you have to climb them all. History, exploration, alternative recreation, it's all there in "
Hiking Colorado's Summits". --
Charlie Meyers, The Denver Post, June 20, 1999The route descriptions are a valuable addition to mountaineering literature. Nevertheless, it is the descriptions of routes to the high points of the non-mountainous counties that constitute the most unique and new addition to Colorado mountain information.
The book is filled with interesting detail about each county. Maps are excellent. Hiking descriptions are thorough. There are many supple-mentary tables and lists. Even if you never visit a county high point, the book offers lots of inter-esting reading. Books on county high points are available only for a few states. This one sets a high standard for such books.
County highpointing is not for everyone, but some will find it to be an engaging activity. It enables a person to see and enjoy the wide diversity of Colorado. For those who want to do something besides climb in the high mountains, this book can serve as a travel guide to the entire state. Whether you have a goal of reaching the high point of every county, or just want to visit a few places off the beaten track, the book will be a valuable additional to your library. ([ A book review by Bob Martin (excerpted from The Colorado Mountain Club publication: Trail & Timberline, issue # 952, March 2000)) -- (excerpted from The Colorado Mountain Club publication: Trail & Timberline, issue # 952)
To say the guidebook is reader-friendly would be an understatement. -- Patrick Fitz-Gerald, The Canyon Courier, July 7, 1999
From the Inside Flap
The authors would like to dedicate this guidebook to all those outdoor enthusiasts who can't wait to get out and see something they haven't seen before, to go somewhere new, to find a special place that few have found before, and generally not follow in the footsteps of the rest of the weekend warriors. There are hikers who can't remember where they went last vacation, much less last summer. This book is not for them. It is for those who like to keep track of their accomplishments, shooting for a goal, checking off new places visited on the infinite list of the great outdoors as they go along. You know who you are; you make a list when you go to the grocery store, you write down directions when you need to drive to an unfamiliar neighborhood. You aren't afraid of a road trip, and you've camped out before just to save money. You keep track of who sent you a Christmas card, and most importantly, you remember all the mountains you've climbed and all the trails you've hiked. In short, you're a peakbagger, but you're tired of eating the dust of other hikers on the more popular peaks in Colorado, particularly on the fourteeners. You yearn for the solitude of the plains mesa and the rugged splendor of a seldom-visited thirteener. You anticipate the day, not too far from today, when you will jump in your car and make a quick escape to the trailhead of a nearby hill or peak that isn't famous, isn't difficult, isn't awe-inspiring, but it's all yours for that day. You are now a county highpointer. This book is for you. Don't forget to sign the register.
