The Colorado Fourteeners Initiative needs your help! I encourage you to help out if you can.

For years I've been a strong supporter of the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (CFI) and make annual contributions to help the organization. Since I saw their first projects completed on Mt. Belford and La Plata Peak, I’ve been very impressed with their work and realized that this organization is vital to the restoration and sustainability of our 14er trails. Many people who visit 14ers.com may not have heard of the CFI or it’s projects. Well, the more you climb 14ers, the more you will see their work first-hand. It’s important to mention that 14ers.com and 14ers.org (CFI) are entirely separate organizations which have similar Internet domain names and a strong partnership.

Donate to the CFI
For questions about donating to CFI, please call Lloyd Athearn, Executive Director, at 303.278.7650 or e-mail at cfi@14ers.org.

CFI’s Mission
14ers.org (CFI) is a non-profit 501©(3) charitable organization which has a focused mission "to protect and preserve the natural integrity of Colorado’s 14,000-foot peaks through active stewardship and public education."

Goals and objectives in carrying out its mission are to:
- Create a structure for local community involvement in 14er stewardship;
- Educate hikers about Leave No Trace principles and sustainable recreation practices;
- Establish and maintain sustainable hiking routes for the protection of alpine resources;
- Restore damaged and eroded areas to protect sensitive alpine plant communities.

Past Projects:
Since its inception in 1994, CFI crews, volunteers, and youth corps crews, under the guidance of the U.S. Forest Service, have restored social routes and delineated 21 new sustainable routes on 20 peaks: Mt. Elbert, Mts. Belford & Oxford, La Plata Peak, Humboldt Peak, Huron Peak, Mt. Harvard, Mt. Bierstadt, Missouri Mtn., Grays & Torreys Peaks, Quandary Peak, Capitol Peak, Tabeguache Mtn., Mt. Sneffels, Mt. Evans (Chicago Lakes to the summit), Mt. Massive (North Halfmoon route), Wetterhorn Peak, Pyramid Peak, and Mt. Massive (East side).

Paying it forward:
As they become increasingly popular, Colorado’s 14ers are sustaining considerable damage to their fragile ecosystems due to a lack of proper trail systems and education. While most 14ers are free for people to use, the amount of money needed to build sustainable routes, restore damaged areas, maintain trails, and educate users about Leave No Trace principles is considerable. Without private funds to match funds from federal and state sources, CFI cannot accomplish its mission. The CFI depends on donations from climbers and peak project volunteers. I know times are tough right now, but a few bucks donated to CFI can make a big difference. Non-profit organizations like the CFI often have a more difficult time raising money when the economy is in a downturn. Many of us spend hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars each year climbing the 14ers, so even if a fraction of us donate to the CFI, it will make a big difference.

Thank you,

_____________________
Bill Middlebrook
14ers.com