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Boots are the one piece of 14er gear you can't improvise around.
You can borrow a jacket. If your filter dies, you drink what you carried and turn around early. But there's no field repair for the wrong boot. You're five miles up a drainage with the sun climbing, and the small wrong thing you put on your foot at 4am is compounding with every step you take.
And it's almost never dramatic. A warm spot below treeline turns into a hot spot at the saddle, then a blister somewhere on the summit ridge, and then you're limping down talus on a foot you don't trust anymore. The blister is the cheap part. What costs you is the four hours of sloppy footwork it buys, on loose rock, at the hour of the day when Colorado weather stops being theoretical.
Nobody can tell you what the best hiking boot is. So I built this guide around a smaller question: what do your feet, your peak, and your pack actually need? Answer that and the boot mostly picks itself.
Start Here: Pick by Route, Not by Rating
Don't want to read five thousand words? Find yourself below. I explain every one of these further down.
Your first 14er, a Class 1 or 2 trail, summer, day pack.
Merrell Moab 3 Mid. It fits more feet than anything else here, it's the cheapest boot I'd put a beginner in, and every shop in Colorado has it in stock.
You're going to climb a lot of these.
Oboz Bridger Mid. More boot, more support, and it'll still be under you in three seasons.
Every boot crushes the front of your foot.
KEEN Targhee IV Mid in a true Wide. Try this before you size up. Going bigger doesn't make a boot wider.
Class 3, an overnight, or a full pack in the Elks.
Salomon Quest 5 GTX. Stiff enough that the boot absorbs a rock rolling underfoot instead of your ankle.
Dry August, a maintained trail, and you move fast.
HOKA Speedgoat 7. Read that section first. There's a real line here and people cross it.
June, or any snowfield.
A waterproof mid boot plus microspikes. Not trail runners. This is the one that fills up the early season rescue reports.
Quick Comparison
| Boot | Price | Wide? | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oboz Bridger Mid | $220 | Yes, EE | All-around Colorado hiking. What I wear. | See it |
| Merrell Moab 3 Mid | $170 | Yes | Your first 14er. Best value here. | See it |
| KEEN Targhee IV Mid | $180 | Yes, true Wide | Wide and high-volume feet. | See it |
| Salomon Quest 5 GTX | $240 | No, runs narrow | Heavy packs, Class 2+ and Class 3 talus. | See it |
| HOKA Speedgoat 7 | $165 | Yes | Fast days on Class 1 and 2. Summer only. | See it |
Paid links. Prices checked 3 August 2026 and they change without warning.
What Actually Matters in a 14er Boot
Six things decide whether a boot works above treeline in Colorado. If you skim everything else on this page, read this part. It'll still be true after every model I name gets discontinued.
Fit beats every other feature on this list combined. A $250 boot a half size too small will wreck you worse than a $120 boot that fits. Every brand builds on a different last, which is the foot-shaped mold the whole boot gets built around. Merrell and KEEN run roomy. Salomon and Lowa run narrow. Oboz sits in between and offers a genuine wide. That's not a ranking of the brands. Those are just shapes, and one of them is yours.
Traction is the most Colorado-specific thing on this list, and most boot guides breeze right past it. There isn't much dirt above treeline here. You get decomposed granite that rolls under you like ball bearings on a slope, wet talus in the Sangres, and the loose garbage rock the Elk Range is famous for. Two things matter: rubber compound and lug depth. Softer, stickier rubber grips slab and wet rock better and wears out faster. Deeper lugs, call it 4mm and up, bite into scree and mud. Shallow lugs on hard rubber are fine on a groomed Front Range trail and downright scary on a wet Sawatch descent at mile nine.
Weight adds up, and altitude makes it add up faster. There's an old rule of thumb that a pound on your feet costs you about what five pounds on your back does. It's closer to true than most rules of thumb. Over 3,000 feet of gain and eleven miles round trip, an extra pound on each foot eats into what you've got left. And what you've got left is exactly what you're spending at 13,500 feet when you're deciding whether that cloud is a problem.
Ankle support is a question about load and terrain. Elevation has nothing to do with it. A mid cut earns its weight when you're carrying a heavy pack or crossing loose rock at an angle. On a Class 1 trail with a day pack it's mostly just extra weight to haul. And ignore anyone who tells you a 14er "requires" a boot. Some of them do. Most of them don't.
Waterproofing is a trade-off. A GORE-TEX membrane keeps creek water out. It also keeps your sweat in. Plenty of experienced Colorado hikers skip it on purpose in July and take wet feet at a crossing over feet that are swimming by noon. The membrane earns its keep in June snowmelt, in the fall, and any morning you'll be pushing through wet willows. If you're only ever going to own one pair, buy waterproof.
Break them in well before the mountain. Wear them on errands. Wear them on flat trails and up the hill in your neighborhood. If a boot's going to give you a hot spot, you want to find that out two miles from your car.
💡 Tip: Try boots on at the end of the day, wearing the socks you actually hike in. Your feet swell over the course of a day, and they swell on trail too. A boot that feels great at 9am can feel a size too small by mile six.
Boots, Trail Runners, or Approach Shoes?
This argument never dies on the 14ers forums. Most of the heat comes from people arguing it in general when the answer depends entirely on the day you're having. Here's how I'd sort it out.
Trail runners are light, they breathe, and they dry fast. That's the whole list. No ankle structure, and a soft upper that a rock goes right through. They're a perfectly good choice, and a more common one every year, on a dry summer day, on a maintained Class 1 or 2 trail, with a pack under about 25 pounds. There's a real safety argument for them and it comes down to fatigue. Lighter feet mean more left in the tank on the way down, and the way down is when people get hurt.
Mid boots buy you two things: a torsionally stiff platform, and a cuff around your ankle. Most people credit the cuff. The stiffness is what actually saves you. When a rock rolls under your foot on a traverse, what keeps your ankle where it belongs is a chassis that won't twist, and plenty of tall, soft boots just fold right along with you. For most people on most 14ers a mid boot is the default, and I think that's the correct default.
Approach shoes almost never show up in these roundups, and they're the sleeper pick for Colorado's Class 3 peaks. Low cut, low volume, sticky climbing rubber, and a smooth toe patch made for standing on small edges. On the Crestones' conglomerate, on Wilson Peak, on any ridge scramble where you want to feel the rock through your foot and trust it, an approach shoe beats a boot outright. You give up ankle protection and all comfort on a long flat approach to get that. Most people who own them carry them and hike in something else, which tells you how specialized they are.
Match it to your route and it gets simple:
- Class 1 and easy Class 2, dry, day pack. Trail runners or a mid boot, your call. Let your ankle history decide it.
- Sustained Class 2 talus. Mid boot. Longs via the Keyhole is the test case, and it's why that route starts more footwear arguments than any peak in the state.
- Class 3 scrambling. Approach shoe if you're comfortable on rock, stiff mid boot if you're not.
- Anything with snow, or a pack over 30 pounds. Boot. I'm not going to argue about this one.
Not sure which class your peak is? Every Colorado 14er ranked by difficulty sorts that out.
What I Wear: Oboz Bridger Mid Waterproof
These are my boots. If you want the short version of this whole article, it's this: buy these, break them in, go climb something.
What I like about them is boring. The nylon shank is supportive and doesn't fold when you're edging across a loose sidehill. The outsole holds on granite. And the insole is better than what most brands throw in the box, which quietly saves a lot of people the $60 aftermarket footbed they'd otherwise end up buying. Oboz managed to build a rugged boot that doesn't feel like a brick, and that balance is harder to pull off than it sounds.
But the fit is what I'd point at first. Oboz makes a real Wide, an EE forefoot on a C heel, and that combination is what a lot of people need and can't find anywhere else. If your heel is normal and your toes get crushed, try this before you give up and size up. A bigger boot is just a longer boot. Your foot slides forward on the descent and your toenails pay the bill.
One thing to flag. The classic Bridger Mid is late in its life. Oboz is showing limited stock and has rolled out the Bridger Ridge Mid GORE-TEX at $240 as the newer, burlier replacement. Buying today, either one works. Reading this a year from now, the Ridge is the one that still exists.
Oboz Bridger Mid Waterproof, men's
$220 · Wide sizes 8W to 14W. The boots I wear.
Check price at REI →
Oboz Bridger Ridge Mid GORE-TEX, men's
$240 · The newer, burlier version. Safer long-term link.
Check price at REI →
Oboz Bridger Ridge Mid GORE-TEX, women's
$240 · Thin stock right now, check sizes.
Check price at REI →Your First 14er Boot: Merrell Moab 3 Mid Waterproof
If you're standing in a store with $200 and a Quandary Peak reservation three weeks out, buy these and stop researching.
The Moab 3 is the most recommended hiking boot in America, and it isn't because it's the best boot. It fits more feet acceptably well than anything else does. It costs $170. Every outdoor store in Colorado has it in your size right now. For a first 14er, available and comfortable beats optimal every single time.
It's not the most supportive boot on this page and it won't last the longest. Climb thirty peaks a year and it'll wear out well before the Oboz or the Salomon. But most of you reading this are climbing your first 14er, or maybe your third, and for that the Moab 3 is just the right answer.
💡 Spending less: the KEEN Hightrail Mid is $160, about six ounces lighter per pair than the Moab, and comes in a wide. It's newer, so fewer stores carry it, but on paper it's the better boot.
Merrell Moab 3 Mid Waterproof, men's
$170 · The most-recommended hiking boot in America.
Check price at REI →
Merrell Moab 3 Mid Waterproof, women's
$170 · 4.6 out of 5 across 1,468 reviews.
Check price at REI →
KEEN Hightrail Mid Waterproof, men's
$160 · Cheaper, lighter, comes in a wide.
Check price at REI →
For Wide Feet: KEEN Targhee IV Mid Waterproof
If every boot you've ever tried pinches across the ball of your foot, start here.
KEEN builds the roomiest stock toe box in mainstream hiking footwear, and the Targhee IV comes in an actual Wide instead of just running generous. That distinction matters more than it sounds. A boot that "runs wide" is still built on a standard last, so it ends up loose on your foot in every direction when you only needed room in one. A true Wide is a different mold: more room where your foot is broad, same hold at the heel.
You trade some precision for that. The Targhee is softer underfoot than the Salomon or the Oboz. On Bierstadt or Grays and Torreys you'll never notice once. On steep loose talus under a heavy pack, you'll feel it squirm under you.
💡 Wide feet but you want more support: try the Oboz Bridger in Wide first. Same width solution, stiffer platform underneath it.
KEEN Targhee IV Mid Waterproof, men's
$180 · Roomiest stock toe box. Real Wide sizes.
Check price at REI →
KEEN Targhee IV Vent, men's
$160 · Mesh, no membrane. For hot dry days.
Check price at REI →For Heavy Packs and Rough Terrain: Salomon Quest 5 GORE-TEX
This is the boot for the hard half of the list. Heading into the Elks for Capitol, or up Crestone Needle, or in on an overnight with a full pack, the stiffness and the taller cuff finally pay back the weight they've been costing you everywhere else.
I've got real history with this family. The Quest 3, and then the Quest 4, were my boots across a lot of 14ers and a lot of backpacking trips, and I loved both of them. They're what I grabbed when the day was going to be long or the pack was going to be heavy, and neither one ever gave me a reason to shop around.
The Quest 5 I've only had a few short hikes in, and that was a borrowed pair that ran a little big on me because it wasn't mine. So take this as a first impression, not a season of use. With that caveat, it's the boot I remember. It's heavy, noticeably heavier than most of what else is on this page, and that's the price of admission. But the support is there, the traction on loose ground is excellent, and the thing feels tough as hell. Three generations in, that reputation got built on my feet instead of on a spec sheet.
Salomon's chassis really resists twisting, which is the property I was going on about earlier. It's why a stiff mid boot will protect your ankle better than a soft high one.
Fit warning, and I mean it. Salomon runs narrow. If you've got a wide foot, it doesn't matter how good the specs look. Go back up to the Oboz or the KEEN.
Note the 5. If you run into an article recommending the Quest 4, including an older version of this one, that boot's discontinued.
Women, read this part. Salomon doesn't currently offer a women's Quest 5 at REI. The closest thing in the family is the Quest Echo GORE-TEX at $220. That's a different boot, not a women's cut of this one, so treat it as its own decision. If you want this much support in a women's specific fit, the Lowa below is your better bet and it comes in both.
💡 The buy-it-once option: the Lowa Renegade Evo GTX Mid at $280 is leather you can resole, and with some care it'll last a decade. It runs even narrower than the Salomon. Men's is in the cards below; the women's is here.
Salomon Quest 5 GORE-TEX, men's
$240 · Replaces the discontinued Quest 4. No women's version.
Check price at REI →
Lowa Renegade Evo GTX Mid, men's
$280 · Resoleable leather. Runs narrow.
Check price at REI →Fast and Light on the Walk-Ups: HOKA Speedgoat 7
This is the recommendation people argue with me about, so let me be precise.
A big share of Colorado's 14ers are Class 1 and Class 2 walk-ups. On a dry summer day with a light pack on a maintained trail, a trail runner is a defensible choice, and more experienced hikers make it every season. Lighter feet mean less fatigue over eleven miles, and less fatigue late in the day means better decisions. That's a safety argument. The comfort is just a bonus.
The Speedgoat runs a Vibram Megagrip outsole with 5mm lugs. That's deeper and stickier than most trail shoes bother with, and it's why this particular shoe keeps showing up on 14ers instead of staying down on the Front Range.
Now the part where people get hurt. A trail runner gives you zero ankle support and a soft upper that stops nothing. Wear it on loose talus, on a snowfield, on Class 3, under a pack over about 25 pounds, or on a day when the forecast is unsettled and you might be coming down wet rock in hail, and you've picked wrong. Risk management isn't fear. It's smart. And smart, here, means knowing which tool fits the day in front of you, and being willing to leave the fast option in the car when it doesn't.
💡 The middle ground: the Salomon X Ultra 5 Mid GTX at $190 weighs about two pounds a pair and still gives you a supportive cuff. If "light, but I want my ankles covered" is you, start there.
HOKA Speedgoat 7, men's
$165 · Vibram Megagrip, 5mm lugs, 1 lb 3 oz per pair.
Check price at REI →
Salomon X Ultra 5 Mid GORE-TEX, men's
$190 · The middle ground: light, still has a cuff.
Check price at REI →A Note on Women's Boots
Every boot on this page except the Salomon Quest 5 comes in a women's version, and I've linked those above next to the men's. It's worth knowing what the difference actually is, because "women's" gets thrown around loosely in this industry.
A women's last is narrower through the heel relative to the forefoot, lower in volume overall, and built with a different midsole density because it's tuned for a lighter average body weight. That midsole part is what people miss. Put a women's boot and a men's boot in equivalent sizes side by side and you don't have the same boot in two colors. They compress differently underfoot.
Two things to check that men's guides never mention. First, calf fit on mid and high cut boots. It's a real problem with the taller models, and it's why some women end up in low shoes they wouldn't otherwise pick. Second, if you've got a narrow heel and a wide forefoot, which is common, a women's wide will usually treat you better than a men's standard, even when the men's length is right.
And when the women's version of a boot you want is out of stock in your size, which happens way more often than it should, the usual conversion is a men's boot 1.5 sizes down from your women's size. It's a workaround, not a fix. But it beats the wrong boot.
How to Buy Boots Without Gambling $200
There's a problem with everything I just told you: I can't fit your foot from here. Nobody can. Fit is the whole game, it's individual, and a boot that's perfect on my foot can be actively painful on yours.
Which is why how you buy matters almost as much as what you buy.
The best version: go into a store and get measured. REI shops measure length, width, and arch length on a calibrated device, and foot volume takes a person standing in front of you to assess. Most of their stores also have a test rock. It sounds like a gimmick. It isn't. Standing on an edge is the fastest way to feel whether a boot is going to hold your heel.
If you're buying online, pay attention to the return window you're buying under, because it changes the math completely. REI gives Co-op members a full year to return most items. Non-members get 90 days. Footwear isn't on the exceptions list, so the year applies to boots. Membership is a one-time $30, it doesn't renew, and members get free standard shipping with no minimum order.
So here's the practical move. Order two sizes, or two models. Wear them indoors and on a local trail. Keep the pair that works and return the other one, clean and inside the window. That's what the policy is there for, and it turns a $200 guess into a cheap trial.
Three caveats I'd rather you hear from me than find out later. REI doesn't cover ordinary wear and tear, so this isn't a free season of boots, and they'll turn down returns they consider abusive. Mailing a return costs you $7.99 out of the refund, though returning at any store is free. And they don't do exchanges by mail, so swapping a size means returning and reordering.
The membership math is simple if you buy gear at all. Members earn an annual Co-op Member Reward, usually around 10% back on eligible full-price purchases, though REI says plainly that the 10% is typical and not guaranteed. One catch that matters on a boot article specifically: sale, clearance, and outlet items earn nothing. So the membership pays you back on a full-price boot and pays you zero on a discounted one. You get the 365-day window either way, and on footwear that window is worth more to you than the percentage is.
Membership, reward, and return details above are from REI's own published terms, checked 3 August 2026. Policies change. Check before you count on one.
How to Get the Fit Right
You can pick exactly the right boot off this page and still be miserable at mile eight. Five things to do.
Size up, usually by a half. Your feet swell on a long descent, and a 14er descent is a long descent. Standing up, you want a thumb's width between your longest toe and the front of the boot.
Do the ramp test. Most outdoor shops have one. Walk down it. If your toes hit the front, either the boot's too small or your lacing is wrong. Bruised and lost toenails on the way down are the most common 14er foot injury going, this test catches it in thirty seconds, and almost nobody bothers.
Lace in two zones. Looser over the top of your foot, locked down at the ankle. Your heel stays put and your instep doesn't get strangled. Heel lift is what makes blisters, every single time.
Try them loaded. Put the pack you'll actually carry on your back before you decide. Weight changes how your foot spreads and how the boot holds it.
Bring your socks, or buy them first. A midweight merino sock changes the fit more than half a size does, and a thin liner underneath changes it again. Fitting boots in cotton gym socks tells you nothing. Merino is the standard because it insulates when it's damp and doesn't hold odor, and the reason experienced hikers will pay $26 for socks is that cheap ones are where blisters start.
The three things to buy with the boots
Merino socks. Fit them together or you haven't really fitted the boots. Darn Tough Hiker Micro Crew, men's · women's, $26 and guaranteed for life. Pair them with a liner sock if you're blister prone.
Microspikes, if you climb before mid-July. Kahtoola MICROspikes are the standard. More on which traction to buy.
Gaiters, for scree. The Sawatch will fill a low shoe with gravel inside a mile. My gaiter picks or browse the full range at REI.
Paid links
One more. If the boot fits everywhere but your arch collapses or your foot swims in volume, an aftermarket footbed fixes more problems than people realize, and it's a lot cheaper than a second pair of boots. Browse insoles at REI. Paid link
Early Season Changes the Answer
Colorado's 14er "season" opens on snow, and everything above assumes dry rock. In June, and well into July on north-facing routes and in the couloirs, you're crossing snowfields whether you planned on it or not.
Two things change. First, waterproofing stops being optional. A snowfield at 10am is a wet snowfield, and soaked feet at 13,000 feet stop being a comfort issue and start being a cold injury issue. Second, you need traction, and traction needs something to bolt onto. Microspikes will fit a trail runner, sure, but a soft shoe under a spike gives you almost nothing to edge with. A hard snow traverse in trail runners is how people end up taking long, fast rides down things they can't self-arrest on.
So the early season answer is a waterproof mid boot plus microspikes, and depending on the route and the year, an ice axe and the training to use one. If you're eyeing a real winter or spring objective, that's a whole different category of gear and I cover it separately in boots for winter 14ers.
Making Them Last, and Knowing When to Stop
Most boots die years before they should. Neglect kills more of them than mileage does.
After a wet or muddy day, knock the dirt off and let them dry at room temperature. Not next to a fire, not in front of a heater, and never in a hot car. Heat cracks midsoles and unglues outsoles, and it does that damage where you can't see it, so the boot looks fine right up until it delaminates on you three miles in. Pull the insoles out so the inside dries too. Leather boots want conditioning a couple of times a season. And if a waterproof boot starts wetting out on the surface, the membrane is probably fine. It's the DWR finish that's worn off, and that's a wash-in treatment, not a new pair of boots.
Retire them somewhere around 500 to 1,000 miles, though Colorado talus pushes that toward the low end. Two tests. Look at the lugs under the ball of your foot and on the outside of the heel. If they're rounded off or smooth, the grip you're counting on is already gone. Then press hard into the midsole with your thumb. It should push back at you. If it stays compressed and creased, the cushioning and the support are done, no matter how good the upper looks.
That last one gets people. A dead midsole on a long descent is exactly how a good day turns into a knee problem.
How I Chose These
Let me be straight about what this page is.
The Oboz Bridger is what I wear on Colorado peaks now. Before that I put a lot of 14ers and a lot of backpacking miles into the Salomon Quest 3 and Quest 4, which were my boots for years. The Quest 5 I've only hiked in briefly, in a borrowed pair that didn't fit me right, and I said so up in that section instead of letting it read like I own them.
Everything else on this page is a recommendation, not a personal review. I'd rather say that out loud than imply testing I didn't do. And if a gear article never draws that line anywhere, ask yourself why.
I picked these four ways. Fit architecture: does the boot solve a specific foot shape, or is it just generically comfortable? Terrain match: what do Colorado 14ers actually put underfoot? Loose rock, far more than trail. Availability: a recommendation you can't buy is worthless, and roughly half the boots in the last version of this article are discontinued now. Price: above about $280 you're paying for resoleability or mountaineering features a standard 14er will never ask you for.
I update this page when products change instead of on a schedule, and I recheck prices every time. If something here is wrong or has gone out of stock, email me and I'll fix it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need hiking boots to climb a 14er?
No. On Class 1 and Class 2 walk-ups in dry summer conditions, plenty of people climb in trail runners and do fine. You need boots when you're carrying weight, crossing snow, moving over sustained loose talus, or heading onto Class 3. The peak's difficulty rating tells you a lot more than its elevation does.
Are trail runners or boots better for 14ers?
Wrong question, honestly. Trail runners win on dry maintained trail with a light pack, where saving weight buys you a better descent. Boots win on talus, on snow, under a heavy pack, and on any day the weather looks unsettled. If you're climbing a handful of peaks a year, one mid boot will serve you best, because it's the option that's never actively wrong.
Should my 14er boots be waterproof?
For midsummer Colorado hiking, waterproofing is optional and it costs you breathability. It earns its keep in June snowmelt, on early-season snowfields, and in the fall. Only buying one pair? Buy waterproof.
How much should I spend on hiking boots for 14ers?
$160 to $240 buys you everything you need. Above that you're paying for leather that resoles or for mountaineering features a standard 14er won't use. Below about $120 you start losing the shank stiffness and the outsole rubber that do the actual work on rock.
Are expensive hiking boots worth it?
Up to a point. Going from $100 to $180 buys you real things: a stiffer shank, better rubber, a last that comes in more than one width. Going from $180 to $300 mostly buys durability and resoleability, which only pays off if you hike enough to wear a boot out. If you climb a few 14ers a summer, the $180 boot is the smarter buy, and I'd put the difference toward socks and a proper fitting.
What size hiking boots should I buy for 14ers?
Usually a half size up from your street shoe, fitted in your hiking socks at the end of the day. You want a thumb's width in front of your longest toe standing, no heel lift walking, and no toe contact walking down a ramp. Remember that sizing up is a length fix. If your problem is width, you need a wide, not a bigger boot.
How long do hiking boots last?
Roughly 500 to 1,000 miles depending on the boot and the ground, and Colorado talus is hard on footwear. Replace them when the lugs are worn smooth or the midsole stops rebounding under thumb pressure. A boot can look fine and still be finished.
Can I wear my running shoes on a 14er?
Road running shoes, no. The outsole has no bite on loose rock and the upper has no structure. A trail running shoe is a completely different product, and it's a reasonable choice on the easier peaks, as covered above.
Do I need to break in new hiking boots?
Yes, and not on the mountain. Put 20 to 30 miles of ordinary walking on them first. Modern boots need less break-in than the old full-leather ones did, but less isn't none, and finding out on Longs Peak is an expensive way to learn.
What should I wear on my feet for a winter 14er?
Nothing on this page. Winter and spring objectives call for an insulated mountaineering boot that's compatible with the crampons you're carrying, which is a different category with different rules. I cover those in boots for winter 14ers.
Keep Going
New to this? Start with How to Climb a 14er: The Beginner's Guide, then work through the free 14er gear checklist so the boots aren't the only thing you get right.
Picking a peak? All 58 Colorado 14ers ranked by difficulty will tell you what class you're signing up for, which is the one input every recommendation on this page depends on.
Rest of the foot system: sock liners, gaiters, and microspikes.
Going in winter? Mountaineering and hiking boots for winter 14ers is the version of this article for snow season.
