by Johnathan Vredeveld

Created on: January 05, 2009

The Rocky Mountains have among them some of the greatest landmarks and tourist attractions in the United States. While the mountains in this range are not the tallest in the world, they certainly are breathtaking. When the sun sets or rises on the other side of them, the great masses of the earth become a grand sillhouette against the background of vivid orange and purple. It can be descibed quite well as a living painting.

Cheesy descriptions aside, let us look deeper into the history and information of this mountain range.

There are many mountains in the Rockies, but four specific ones truly stand out. First, and likely the most widely known, is Pikes Peak. It is the third highest of the four, standing at 14,110 feet tall. Pikes Peak became American territory in the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. In 1806, Zebulon Montgomery Pike was sent to scout out the southwestern areas of the land acquired. He attempted to scale the mountain, but was unable to because of a blizzard. It was finally climbed in 1820 by Dr. Edwin James and two others in an expedition led by Major Stephen H. Long. Long named the mountain after the doctor, but the name did not stick. It steadily changed to Pikes Peak instead.

During the 1849 Gold Rush, this great mountain was a major landmark for most travellers. Many of those headed to California used the slogan of "Pikes Peak or Bust".

A bit northwest of Pikes Peak is Mt. Elbert. This mountain is the tallest in the range, measuring 14,431 feet tall. It is a bit less known, likely for the reason that most believe it to be easier to hike than the rest. The three trails leading up do not pass by any impressive sights such as dropoffs or large clear lakes. On average, trips to the summit take roughly 8 hours without getting lost. However, four false summits have been known to fool people into taking more time to reach the top. Mostly, the mountain is used by beginning hikers for a bit of practice before moving on to bigger mountains.

Northeast of Elbert is Longs Peak. When hiking this mountain, the most commonly used trail will seem quite easy at the beginning. However, past the tree line, the going gets quite rough. Alot of the trail is over piles of rocks, and keeping your footing is particularly difficult due to the frequent high winds. However, the difficulty makes it a somewhat popular climb for more experienced hikers.

Lastly, quite far northwest from the other three mountains, is Grand Teton Peak. It is the shortest of the four, not even passing 14,000 feet, but is known for its great sights. Overlooking the very large Jackson Lake and the winding Snake River, the sights from this mountain's peak are just as the name states. Grand.

Of course, these 4 mountains are not the only ones in the Rockies. With 55 mountains over 14,000 feet and many more below that, the Rocky Mountains are nothing to ignore. And considering its gigantic length of more than 3000 miles, many people can behold its majesty.

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