A word about Fourteeners. There is a tendency today for a lot of people to count how many fourteeners they have bagged. I don't think there's anything wrong with this - in fact, if it gets people out of their houses, then it must be a good thing. However, I prefer to avoid fourteeners if I can, only because there are many cooler peaks that are not as high, and they are always less crowded than a famous fourteener. It always annoys me when I'm on top of something like Grays on a mid-July weekend and there is some annoying person loudly declaring for everyone to hear "Oh my God! I can't BELIEVE how crowded it is up here! I might as well be in Denver.." etc. blah blah blah. I always think - Duh, you dummy, if you wanted solitude, don't climb one of the most popular peaks in the state on the most crowded weekend of the year. If you want solitude, I will grudgingly give you a tip that guarantees an absence of crowds - look at a topo map with a prominent Fourteener on it. Pick a high peak right next to the fourteener (one that is not usually included in a loop) and hike that instead. Anyone who drives all that way will almost always climb the fourteener, and you will have your mountain to yourself. This has worked many times for me, even on crowded weekends. Just check my Edwards and Argentine trip report for an example. Enjoy!