Peak bagging for me is a fun number to track as I enjoy the outdoors and the different places I visit. I’m not serious about trying to knock off every single peak in a certain list but I may change my mind and make that a goal eventually. For now, here’s a list of the mountains I’ve successfully hiked that are on common peak bagging lists.
Peak bagging as a goal in and of itself is a somewhat controversial way of enjoying the outdoors. It does seem somewhat arbitrary that a mountain that is 14,004 feet above sea level should get nearly 10 times the traffic of a mountain that is 13,997 feet above sea level. There are also enviromental concerns with high traffic and irresponsible trips to delicate ecosystems. When I hike, I pay any required fees, especially if I’m driving a car to the trailhead and I follow Leave No Trace Principles. This alone is often not enough so I advocate for and support local trail clubs, state parks, national forest and bureau of land management funding, etc when I can. I also have no interest in ever attempting to hike Mt. Everest or similar mountains and contributing to the massive trash and tourism problem there.