“The day for making striking discoveries in the Rocky Mountains is past,” wrote Mr. Frederick H. Chapin in his delightful book Mountaineering in Colorado—The Peaks About Estes Park. This phrase jumps out at me while scanning the CMC volumes in the American Alpine Club Library.

I disagree with Mr. Chapin’s words from over a hundred years ago. I have made several striking discoveries already this week—whitewater rafting on the Arkansas, breathtaking views at Guanella Pass, and a refreshing Saturday browsing the stacks at the American Alpine Club Library in Golden. Chapin’s third edition, published in 1893 and shelved in the regular stacks at the library, is a discovery itself—a small, well-preserved tribute to Colorado with eloquent prose and vivid black-and-white photographs. Admittedly, none of my discoveries are completely new, but they do offer me new insights about the Rocky Mountains.

Today I focused my attention on the CMC volumes kept within the library and integrated into the complete AAC library collection. I am pulled toward many different threads of interest. One moment I find myself in the ghost towns and mining camps of the late 1800s, where I learn what early settlers ate while trying to make their fortunes. Times were hard, but many succeeded in getting rich. One can still discover relics from those days by poking around mine tailings and reading about them in Ghosts of Clear Creek County. There are so many other colorful stories and pictures waiting to be rediscovered. Then I explore Colorado wildflowers through the eyes of Pamela and David Irwin, in their two-volume set of Colorado’s Best Wildflower Hikes. This set is a delightful guide for excellent family hikes.

Next, I’m ready for adventure, so I begin researching some familiar rock climbs outside of Boulder. There are many outstanding guidebooks from which to choose, written by famous climbers such as Pat Ament, Gerry Roach, and Richard Rossiter. Each of these climbing authors has made his discoveries about the Rocky Mountains during numerous first ascents. From the Flatirons and Eldorado Canyon to the Garden of the Gods, Colorado is one of the premier climbing spots in the country. William Bueler’s Roof of the Rockies is a classic and one of my all-time favorites. With all three editions in the library, it’s interesting to note the changes between 1974 and 2000. I finally decide to end my day with a series of 5.10+ and aid climbs in Rossiter’s “The Diamond of Long’s Peak—climbs that Mr. Chapin would have considered impossible, and which were clearly undiscovered back in 1893.

The CMC collection in the AAC Library is a unique treasure. Only the public-supported libraries such as the Western History section of the Denver Public Library and the Colorado Historical Society offer an in-depth information dedicated to the Rocky Mountain region that compare to this collection. Come to the library and make your own striking discovery about the Rocky Mountains! There is still so much to explore.

Baker is a member of the AAC library committee.