COLORADO'S PEAKS MARK TWO HISTORIC MILESTONES

In the summer of 2026, Colorado's 54 fourteeners won't just be mountains. They'll be monuments — to 250 years of American independence, 150 years of Colorado statehood, and the enduring spirit of the people who have always looked up at these peaks and said, "Let's go."

The year 2026 brings a collision of anniversaries unlike anything Colorado will see again in our lifetimes. The United States turns 250 — its semiquincentennial. Colorado turns 150 — its sesquicentennial. Because we are the Centennial State, we are the only state in the Union to observe both milestones simultaneously, a combination so rare it has earned its own mouthful of a word: the sesquisemiquincentennial.

To mark this extraordinary moment, the America 250 – Colorado 150 Commission, in partnership with the Colorado Office of Outdoor Recreation Industry, is launching Summit 2026 — an organized, statewide effort to summit all of Colorado's fourteeners during the summer of 2026. And they've called on Colorado's most experienced mountain organization to help make it happen.

A Campaign Built for This Moment

Summit 2026 is one of twelve signature initiatives developed by the America 250 – Colorado 150 Commission to honor Colorado's shared history and look toward its future. The campaign reimagines the spirit of the 1976 Bicentennial — when Coloradans also climbed their high peaks in celebration — for a new generation of outdoor enthusiasts.

The vision is both ambitious and inclusive. Aspiring climbing teams from across Colorado and the country will apply for the chance to summit a fourteener as part of this historic event, with peak assignments matched to experience levels. The Commission's goal is that every Coloradan finds their own fourteener — whether that means roping up for a technical route, joining an organized group ascent, or simply embracing the spirit of outdoor adventure in their own way.

The initiative is being conducted in close collaboration with local nonprofits and outdoor recreation organizations, with a serious commitment to Leave No Trace principles, community well-being, and the capacity of search and rescue teams. Educational and safety messaging will be woven throughout — a priority that aligns perfectly with CMC's century-plus of responsible mountain stewardship.

The CMC's Role

The Colorado Mountain Club is uniquely positioned for this moment. With over a century of experience leading groups safely into Colorado's high country, a deep bench of trained and certified trip leaders, and a membership that spans every corner of the state, we are the natural partner for an effort of this scale.

CMC is helping to coordinate organized ascents as part of Summit 2026, contributing our expertise in safety protocols, group logistics, wilderness education, and peak stewardship. Our leaders bring not just technical skill but the kind of institutional knowledge — knowing when to turn around, how to read weather, how to move a group efficiently above treeline — that makes the difference between a meaningful summit and a serious incident.

This is also a profound opportunity to showcase what the CMC has always stood for: that the mountains belong to everyone, that the skills to climb them safely can be learned and shared, and that there is something irreplaceable about standing on a Colorado summit in community with others.

We Need Your Leadership

Here is where you come in.

Summit 2026 will only succeed with CMC leaders willing to step up and guide a team to the top of one of Colorado's 58 fourteeners this summer. Whether you've led dozens of trips on the classics like Quandary and Grays, or you have specific expertise on a more remote or technical peak, your experience is exactly what this campaign needs.

The Commission is currently gauging leader interest and availability for peak assignments. Assignments will be tailored to leader experience, and CMC leaders will be among the first considered for this historic roster.

If you are a CMC-trained or certified trip leader and feel called to be part of Colorado's sesquisemiquincentennial — yes, we're going to keep saying it — we encourage you to fill out the Peak Interest Form below. Express your interest, note the peaks you're qualified to lead, and indicate your summer availability. From there, the Summit 2026 coordination team will be in touch as the program takes shape.

A Once-in-a-Lifetime Ascent

Some summits you reach because the mountain is there. This one you'll reach because history is there — 250 years of a nation built on the idea that people could govern themselves, 150 years of a state carved from wild terrain, and the long, proud legacy of a mountain club that has helped generations of Coloradans find their footing on the peaks they love.

The CMC has been part of Colorado's high country story for over a hundred years. This summer, we have the chance to be part of a chapter that will be remembered for another hundred more.