Mt Blue Sky(formally Mt. Evans)Bronze Summit Markers to commemorate your hike!
On March 3, 2023, Colorado Governor, Jared Polis formally asked theUnited States Board on Geographic Namesto rename the mountain to Mount Blue Sky. The board delayed any decision after theNorthern Cheyenne Tribe requested a consultation, with tribal administrator William F. Walks Along saying the proposed name "conflicted with his nation’s use of the term in their confidential sacred ceremonies." On September 15, 2023, the BGN voted to change the name, effective immediately.Despite the peak's name change, the efforts to make a corresponding name change for the Mount Evans Wilderness Area still requires congressional approval.
Mount Blue Sky is a 14,265 feet (4,348 m) mountain in the Front Range region of the Rocky Mountains, in Clear Creek County, Colorado. It is one of 58 fourteeners (mountains with peaks over 14,000 feet (4,300 m)) in Colorado, and the closest fourteener to Denver. It is often compared to Pikes Peak - another Front Range fourteener - which it exceeds in elevation by 154 ft. (50 m). It ranks as the 14th Highest 14er in Colorado.
The peak is one of the characteristic Front Range peaks, dominating the western skyline of the Great Plains along with Pikes Peak, Longs Peak, and nearby Mount Bierstadt. The mountain can be seen from over 100 miles away to the east, and many miles in other directions. Mount Blue Sky dominates the Denver Metropolitan Area skyline, rising over 9,000 feet above the area. Mount Blue Sky can be seen from points south of Castle Rock, up to (65 miles (105 km) south) and as far north as Fort Collins (95 miles (153 km) north), and from areas near Limon (105 miles (169 km) east). In the early days of Colorado tourism, Mount Blue Sky and Denver were often in competition with Pikes Peak and Colorado Springs. After a toll road was built to the summit of Pikes Peak, Robert Speer, mayor of Denver, asked for funds to build a road to the summit of Mount Blue Sky. Construction began in 1917 and concluded on October 4, 1927. As of 2009, the Mount Evans(Blue Sky) Scenic Byway, leading to the summit overlook, is the highest paved road in North America. This road has made Mount Blue Sky a very accessible peak to all varieties of tourists, mountaineers and scientists. The road remains free, but in the late 20th century, the U.S. Forest Service began collecting a user fee for use of forest service facilities along the road, including scenic overlooks. The ruins of the Crest House (1941–1942) sit nearby. Once containing both a restaurant and a gift shop, it burned down on September 1, 1979 and was not rebuilt, but remains as a place of contemplation today. The rock foundation and walls remain as a windbreak for mountain travelers, and the viewing platform is one of Colorado's premier scenic overlooks. Mt. Blue Sky also hosts the annual Hill Climb, a 27.4 miles (44.1 km) bicycle race with a total of 6,915 feet (2,108 m) of climbing.