Peak of the week No. 1: Mount Antero (14,276 feet)

Mount Antero, named after a Ute Indian chief, is one of the dramatic peaks seen from U.S. Highway 285 as it follows the Arkansas River Valley from Buena Vista to Salida. It is a popular mountain for peak-baggers, ATV enthusiasts and treasure hunters.

On a ridge half a mile to the south of the summit is a pocket of rock rich in gems such as aquamarine, quartz, fluorite and topaz. At one time, an effort was made to determine if this area was worth mining. Fortunately, it was not, so we are left with a road that provides access to an elevation of 13,750 feet.

While it does require a pretty good four-wheel-drive vehicle to reach this point, the road gives hikers the option of making this trek as hard as they want it to be.

This was my youngest son Kenny’s first fourteener at age 5. Because it was his first, we drove to 13,150 feet, leaving him a little more than 1,000 vertical feet of hiking to reach the top.

The road also makes hiking very easy until the final 300 vertical feet, and even then the route stays quite tame.

While the vehicle traffic can take away from the hiking experience, it easily can be avoided by going early in the season. The road opens to foot traffic well before vehicles.

You’ll love the way the road approaches the summit, circling the peak while offering panoramic views as you ascend through aspen groves, cross beautiful Baldwin Creek and hike a series of switchbacks to reach the southern ridge before the final push to the top.

The mineral content of the area adds dramatic oranges and reds to the surrounding peaks, making the vistas splendid year-round.

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Friesema is a Colorado native who’s scaled each of the state’s 14,000-foot peaks. He has been a member of Teller County Search and Rescue since 2003 and you can read more about his high-country adventures at hikingintherockies.com.