New Technology: Colorado 14ers Not as Tall as We Thought

It's no secret that Colorado is home to a plethora of amazing natural wonders, including more mountains that sit higher than 14,000 feet in elevation than any other state. Affectionately known as 14ers, these peaks attract hikers and climbers from all over, and reaching the summit is quite an accomplishment in these circles.

Read More: Hike to Lesser-Known 14er is One of the Most Magical in Colorado |

However, as time goes on and technology improves, we tend to discover that some figures end up being less accurate than we once thought and recently, it was found that these massive peaks aren't quite as tall as we'd thought.

New Technology is Being Used to Measure Colorado's 14ers

A physicist known as Derek van Westrum was given the task of using new, modern technology to measure these high peaks in accordance with the National Geodetic Survey and made a surprising discovery.

On average, each of Colorado's 14ers measured about a meter, or 3.28 feet, lower in elevation than previously thought. Initially, van Westrum was concerned that he would be responsible for sharing that one of these mountains wasn't actually a 14er but luckily, all 53 of the state's 14ers still carry the title.

However, one major discovery that came as a result of the project determined that a 14er that was previously thought to be the smallest in Colorado is actually the second-smallest.

The research found that Sunshine Peak, which was thought to be the smallest of the state's 14ers, is actually taller than Huron Peak, making the latter the newest holder of the title.

Check out the full story here.

[NOAA]