The Next Summit (Alex Derr)
@thenextsummit.bsky.social
Hiking, camping, and bagging peaks across the Colorado Rockies while sharing Leave No Trace and safety tips and advocating for public lands, conservation, and recreation access.
Follow me on the trail and discover your next summit! 🥾🏔
Follow me on the trail and discover your next summit! 🥾🏔
Sunrise on the road to Missouri Gulch.
Looks quiet. But further up, the road eats low-clearance cars for breakfast. 😬
Before heading to any trailhead: check the road, know your clearance, and don’t wing it. The hike starts after the road ends. Plan ahead.
#Colorado14ers #MissouriGulch #TrailTips
Looks quiet. But further up, the road eats low-clearance cars for breakfast. 😬
Before heading to any trailhead: check the road, know your clearance, and don’t wing it. The hike starts after the road ends. Plan ahead.
#Colorado14ers #MissouriGulch #TrailTips
October 19, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Sunrise on the road to Missouri Gulch.
Looks quiet. But further up, the road eats low-clearance cars for breakfast. 😬
Before heading to any trailhead: check the road, know your clearance, and don’t wing it. The hike starts after the road ends. Plan ahead.
#Colorado14ers #MissouriGulch #TrailTips
Looks quiet. But further up, the road eats low-clearance cars for breakfast. 😬
Before heading to any trailhead: check the road, know your clearance, and don’t wing it. The hike starts after the road ends. Plan ahead.
#Colorado14ers #MissouriGulch #TrailTips
Summit crushed Grays Peak this month—on leash the whole way. 🐶⛰️
The myth that dogs need to be off-leash to enjoy the mountains? Yeah… no. Every sniff, every breeze, every muddy paw was joy on a string.
Leash = love + safety + LNT.
#DogsOn14ers #LeaveNoTrace #ColoradoDogs #GraysPeak #AdventureDog
The myth that dogs need to be off-leash to enjoy the mountains? Yeah… no. Every sniff, every breeze, every muddy paw was joy on a string.
Leash = love + safety + LNT.
#DogsOn14ers #LeaveNoTrace #ColoradoDogs #GraysPeak #AdventureDog
October 18, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Summit crushed Grays Peak this month—on leash the whole way. 🐶⛰️
The myth that dogs need to be off-leash to enjoy the mountains? Yeah… no. Every sniff, every breeze, every muddy paw was joy on a string.
Leash = love + safety + LNT.
#DogsOn14ers #LeaveNoTrace #ColoradoDogs #GraysPeak #AdventureDog
The myth that dogs need to be off-leash to enjoy the mountains? Yeah… no. Every sniff, every breeze, every muddy paw was joy on a string.
Leash = love + safety + LNT.
#DogsOn14ers #LeaveNoTrace #ColoradoDogs #GraysPeak #AdventureDog
🍂 Fall in Colorado means sunshine one minute, icy wind the next. The secret? Layering.
Base = wick sweat
Mid = stay warm
Outer = block wind/rain
Pack smart, swap layers as you go, and don’t forget an extra puffy for when the sun dips. 🥾🌄
#HikeSmart
Base = wick sweat
Mid = stay warm
Outer = block wind/rain
Pack smart, swap layers as you go, and don’t forget an extra puffy for when the sun dips. 🥾🌄
#HikeSmart
October 4, 2025 at 5:00 PM
🍂 Fall in Colorado means sunshine one minute, icy wind the next. The secret? Layering.
Base = wick sweat
Mid = stay warm
Outer = block wind/rain
Pack smart, swap layers as you go, and don’t forget an extra puffy for when the sun dips. 🥾🌄
#HikeSmart
Base = wick sweat
Mid = stay warm
Outer = block wind/rain
Pack smart, swap layers as you go, and don’t forget an extra puffy for when the sun dips. 🥾🌄
#HikeSmart
Happy Friday, friends! ☀️⛰️
The weekend is almost here! Where are you heading to get outside? Hitting a 14er? Chasing fall colors? Or just soaking in some fresh air close to home?
#Colorado14ers #OptOutside #TheNextSummit #WeekendWarriors
The weekend is almost here! Where are you heading to get outside? Hitting a 14er? Chasing fall colors? Or just soaking in some fresh air close to home?
#Colorado14ers #OptOutside #TheNextSummit #WeekendWarriors
October 3, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Happy Friday, friends! ☀️⛰️
The weekend is almost here! Where are you heading to get outside? Hitting a 14er? Chasing fall colors? Or just soaking in some fresh air close to home?
#Colorado14ers #OptOutside #TheNextSummit #WeekendWarriors
The weekend is almost here! Where are you heading to get outside? Hitting a 14er? Chasing fall colors? Or just soaking in some fresh air close to home?
#Colorado14ers #OptOutside #TheNextSummit #WeekendWarriors
🌲 Why should hikers care about the Roadless Rule? It protects 60M acres of National Forest from roads and logging—including 1.6M in Colorado.
No roads = more wildlife, cleaner water, peaceful trails, and true wilderness experiences. When we keep these areas roadless, we keep them wild. 🥾
No roads = more wildlife, cleaner water, peaceful trails, and true wilderness experiences. When we keep these areas roadless, we keep them wild. 🥾
October 2, 2025 at 4:00 PM
🌲 Why should hikers care about the Roadless Rule? It protects 60M acres of National Forest from roads and logging—including 1.6M in Colorado.
No roads = more wildlife, cleaner water, peaceful trails, and true wilderness experiences. When we keep these areas roadless, we keep them wild. 🥾
No roads = more wildlife, cleaner water, peaceful trails, and true wilderness experiences. When we keep these areas roadless, we keep them wild. 🥾
❄️ When should you start packing microspikes? Right about now. Early-season ice patches make Colorado trails treacherous fast.
🧊 Even without deep snow, microspikes can prevent dangerous falls. Trekking poles help too.
✅ Don't wait for winter - fall conditions can be just as dangerous!
🧊 Even without deep snow, microspikes can prevent dangerous falls. Trekking poles help too.
✅ Don't wait for winter - fall conditions can be just as dangerous!
October 1, 2025 at 4:00 PM
❄️ When should you start packing microspikes? Right about now. Early-season ice patches make Colorado trails treacherous fast.
🧊 Even without deep snow, microspikes can prevent dangerous falls. Trekking poles help too.
✅ Don't wait for winter - fall conditions can be just as dangerous!
🧊 Even without deep snow, microspikes can prevent dangerous falls. Trekking poles help too.
✅ Don't wait for winter - fall conditions can be just as dangerous!
Most lightning “tips” hikers know are wrong. ⚡
Forget the crouch. Forget tents. Forget the myths.
✅ Start early
✅ Watch storms up to 10 mi away
✅ Get to lower ground + even tree cover
Stay smart, stay safe.
Forget the crouch. Forget tents. Forget the myths.
✅ Start early
✅ Watch storms up to 10 mi away
✅ Get to lower ground + even tree cover
Stay smart, stay safe.
September 24, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Most lightning “tips” hikers know are wrong. ⚡
Forget the crouch. Forget tents. Forget the myths.
✅ Start early
✅ Watch storms up to 10 mi away
✅ Get to lower ground + even tree cover
Stay smart, stay safe.
Forget the crouch. Forget tents. Forget the myths.
✅ Start early
✅ Watch storms up to 10 mi away
✅ Get to lower ground + even tree cover
Stay smart, stay safe.
"Success in the mountains isn’t luck; it’s preparation." 🏔️
Next Summit Members get exclusive content, skill-building courses, & coaching to help you #HikeSmart and stay safe on Colorado’s 14ers. Plus, you support outdoor education & public land advocacy!
Join today: thenextsummit.org/membership
Next Summit Members get exclusive content, skill-building courses, & coaching to help you #HikeSmart and stay safe on Colorado’s 14ers. Plus, you support outdoor education & public land advocacy!
Join today: thenextsummit.org/membership
September 23, 2025 at 5:00 PM
"Success in the mountains isn’t luck; it’s preparation." 🏔️
Next Summit Members get exclusive content, skill-building courses, & coaching to help you #HikeSmart and stay safe on Colorado’s 14ers. Plus, you support outdoor education & public land advocacy!
Join today: thenextsummit.org/membership
Next Summit Members get exclusive content, skill-building courses, & coaching to help you #HikeSmart and stay safe on Colorado’s 14ers. Plus, you support outdoor education & public land advocacy!
Join today: thenextsummit.org/membership
🏔️ Wilderness First Aid Tip: Scene Safety & Patient Assessment
Before you treat, make sure YOU are safe. ⚡Then check the basics:
✅ Airway
✅ Breathing
✅ Circulation
✅ Disability
✅ Environment
Stay calm. Stay systematic. Save lives.
#WildernessFirstAid #HikeSmart
Before you treat, make sure YOU are safe. ⚡Then check the basics:
✅ Airway
✅ Breathing
✅ Circulation
✅ Disability
✅ Environment
Stay calm. Stay systematic. Save lives.
#WildernessFirstAid #HikeSmart
September 21, 2025 at 5:00 PM
🏔️ Wilderness First Aid Tip: Scene Safety & Patient Assessment
Before you treat, make sure YOU are safe. ⚡Then check the basics:
✅ Airway
✅ Breathing
✅ Circulation
✅ Disability
✅ Environment
Stay calm. Stay systematic. Save lives.
#WildernessFirstAid #HikeSmart
Before you treat, make sure YOU are safe. ⚡Then check the basics:
✅ Airway
✅ Breathing
✅ Circulation
✅ Disability
✅ Environment
Stay calm. Stay systematic. Save lives.
#WildernessFirstAid #HikeSmart
Half the Forest Service budget now goes to wildfire suppression. 🔥
That leaves fewer staff & funding for trails, wildlife, research, and conservation work.
We need proactive management + smarter policy. It starts with us recreating responsibly.
🌲 Keep it safe out there. #PublicLands #Wildfires
That leaves fewer staff & funding for trails, wildlife, research, and conservation work.
We need proactive management + smarter policy. It starts with us recreating responsibly.
🌲 Keep it safe out there. #PublicLands #Wildfires
September 20, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Half the Forest Service budget now goes to wildfire suppression. 🔥
That leaves fewer staff & funding for trails, wildlife, research, and conservation work.
We need proactive management + smarter policy. It starts with us recreating responsibly.
🌲 Keep it safe out there. #PublicLands #Wildfires
That leaves fewer staff & funding for trails, wildlife, research, and conservation work.
We need proactive management + smarter policy. It starts with us recreating responsibly.
🌲 Keep it safe out there. #PublicLands #Wildfires
Blisters end more Colorado hikes than altitude sickness.
Hack: Pre-tape your hotspots (heels/toes), wear a thin liner sock under your hiking sock, & use heel-lock lacing on descents.
Friction happens fabric-to-fabric, not skin-to-boot.
#ColoradoHiking #BePrepared
Hack: Pre-tape your hotspots (heels/toes), wear a thin liner sock under your hiking sock, & use heel-lock lacing on descents.
Friction happens fabric-to-fabric, not skin-to-boot.
#ColoradoHiking #BePrepared
September 19, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Blisters end more Colorado hikes than altitude sickness.
Hack: Pre-tape your hotspots (heels/toes), wear a thin liner sock under your hiking sock, & use heel-lock lacing on descents.
Friction happens fabric-to-fabric, not skin-to-boot.
#ColoradoHiking #BePrepared
Hack: Pre-tape your hotspots (heels/toes), wear a thin liner sock under your hiking sock, & use heel-lock lacing on descents.
Friction happens fabric-to-fabric, not skin-to-boot.
#ColoradoHiking #BePrepared
September 19, 2025 at 2:56 PM
September 18, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Elk rut season = extra wildlife on Colorado trails & roads! Bulls are bold & unpredictable right now. Stay safe:
- Don’t get close for pics — use zoom!
- Give them 100 yards of space
- Leash your dog (elk may charge if provoked)
- Stay quiet, avoid stressing them out
#ElkRut #Colorado
- Don’t get close for pics — use zoom!
- Give them 100 yards of space
- Leash your dog (elk may charge if provoked)
- Stay quiet, avoid stressing them out
#ElkRut #Colorado
September 18, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Have you ever been caught in a lightning storm above treeline? What was it like?
#Colorado14ers #Thunderstorms
#Colorado14ers #Thunderstorms
September 18, 2025 at 12:54 AM
Have you ever been caught in a lightning storm above treeline? What was it like?
#Colorado14ers #Thunderstorms
#Colorado14ers #Thunderstorms
In 1963, Harvard alumni hauled a 14-foot pole to the summit of Mount Harvard to jokingly claim it taller than Mt. Elbert. The pole stood for almost 20 years: One of Colorado’s tallest college pranks!
Note: This is an AI-generated image (no known photos of the pole exist).
#14ers #ColoradoHistory
Note: This is an AI-generated image (no known photos of the pole exist).
#14ers #ColoradoHistory
September 17, 2025 at 4:00 PM
In 1963, Harvard alumni hauled a 14-foot pole to the summit of Mount Harvard to jokingly claim it taller than Mt. Elbert. The pole stood for almost 20 years: One of Colorado’s tallest college pranks!
Note: This is an AI-generated image (no known photos of the pole exist).
#14ers #ColoradoHistory
Note: This is an AI-generated image (no known photos of the pole exist).
#14ers #ColoradoHistory
What’s the one piece of advice you’d give to someone climbing their first 14er?
#Colorado14ers #HikingTips
#Colorado14ers #HikingTips
September 16, 2025 at 9:52 PM
What’s the one piece of advice you’d give to someone climbing their first 14er?
#Colorado14ers #HikingTips
#Colorado14ers #HikingTips
Join The Next Summit Membership and help:
✅ Explore Colorado’s mountains safely
✅ Protect wilderness with Leave No Trace
✅ Support education + conservation
🌄 Make your adventures safer & more sustainable.
➡️ Join today: thenextsummit.org/membership/
#HikeColorado #14ers #LeaveNoTrace
✅ Explore Colorado’s mountains safely
✅ Protect wilderness with Leave No Trace
✅ Support education + conservation
🌄 Make your adventures safer & more sustainable.
➡️ Join today: thenextsummit.org/membership/
#HikeColorado #14ers #LeaveNoTrace
September 16, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Join The Next Summit Membership and help:
✅ Explore Colorado’s mountains safely
✅ Protect wilderness with Leave No Trace
✅ Support education + conservation
🌄 Make your adventures safer & more sustainable.
➡️ Join today: thenextsummit.org/membership/
#HikeColorado #14ers #LeaveNoTrace
✅ Explore Colorado’s mountains safely
✅ Protect wilderness with Leave No Trace
✅ Support education + conservation
🌄 Make your adventures safer & more sustainable.
➡️ Join today: thenextsummit.org/membership/
#HikeColorado #14ers #LeaveNoTrace
September 15, 2025 at 8:50 PM
🍂 Leave the trail, lose the view. Every step off-trail damages fragile alpine plants for years.
Snap your fall colors from the path & help keep Colorado’s autumn colors golden.
Stay the Trail, Colorado!
#LeaveNoTrace #AspenSeason
Snap your fall colors from the path & help keep Colorado’s autumn colors golden.
Stay the Trail, Colorado!
#LeaveNoTrace #AspenSeason
September 15, 2025 at 4:00 PM
🍂 Leave the trail, lose the view. Every step off-trail damages fragile alpine plants for years.
Snap your fall colors from the path & help keep Colorado’s autumn colors golden.
Stay the Trail, Colorado!
#LeaveNoTrace #AspenSeason
Snap your fall colors from the path & help keep Colorado’s autumn colors golden.
Stay the Trail, Colorado!
#LeaveNoTrace #AspenSeason
September 14, 2025 at 9:48 PM
🥵 Out of breath on steep trails? Try the rest step: a mountaineer's secret:
1️⃣ Step forward & lock your back leg.
2️⃣ Pause briefly, let your other foot swing forward.
3️⃣ Step, pause, repeat!
It feels slow, but you’ll hike farther with less fatigue. Next time you’re climbing a 14er, give it a shot. ⛰️
1️⃣ Step forward & lock your back leg.
2️⃣ Pause briefly, let your other foot swing forward.
3️⃣ Step, pause, repeat!
It feels slow, but you’ll hike farther with less fatigue. Next time you’re climbing a 14er, give it a shot. ⛰️
September 14, 2025 at 5:00 PM
🥵 Out of breath on steep trails? Try the rest step: a mountaineer's secret:
1️⃣ Step forward & lock your back leg.
2️⃣ Pause briefly, let your other foot swing forward.
3️⃣ Step, pause, repeat!
It feels slow, but you’ll hike farther with less fatigue. Next time you’re climbing a 14er, give it a shot. ⛰️
1️⃣ Step forward & lock your back leg.
2️⃣ Pause briefly, let your other foot swing forward.
3️⃣ Step, pause, repeat!
It feels slow, but you’ll hike farther with less fatigue. Next time you’re climbing a 14er, give it a shot. ⛰️
⛰️ Storm clouds.
🥵 Shaky legs.
⌛ Running late.
Do you keep climbing—or turn back?
Most 14er accidents happen when hikers ignore the signs. Learn how to spot red flags and make the safe call.
📅 Sept 30 | 7 PM MT
🎟️ Register here: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
#14ers #HikingSafety #Colorado
🥵 Shaky legs.
⌛ Running late.
Do you keep climbing—or turn back?
Most 14er accidents happen when hikers ignore the signs. Learn how to spot red flags and make the safe call.
📅 Sept 30 | 7 PM MT
🎟️ Register here: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
#14ers #HikingSafety #Colorado
September 13, 2025 at 5:00 PM
⛰️ Storm clouds.
🥵 Shaky legs.
⌛ Running late.
Do you keep climbing—or turn back?
Most 14er accidents happen when hikers ignore the signs. Learn how to spot red flags and make the safe call.
📅 Sept 30 | 7 PM MT
🎟️ Register here: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
#14ers #HikingSafety #Colorado
🥵 Shaky legs.
⌛ Running late.
Do you keep climbing—or turn back?
Most 14er accidents happen when hikers ignore the signs. Learn how to spot red flags and make the safe call.
📅 Sept 30 | 7 PM MT
🎟️ Register here: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
#14ers #HikingSafety #Colorado
September 13, 2025 at 3:47 PM
September 12, 2025 at 9:45 PM