One other thing, summit before 2:00PM and start down. If you don’t make it by 2:00, turn around and head down. T-Storms will show up in the afternoon and you do NOT want to be up high when they hit. This is not an option, set your turnaround time and stick with it.
I’ve done three, Evans (from Echo Lake, elev. 10,640), Bierstadt, and Long’s Peak. I live at a mile high (Boulder) and while I managed all three without too much difficulty, I can’t say that I really enjoyed any of them. It was more of a challenge and not wanting to wuss out when asked to join friends.
Some things to keep in mind - When I did my first one (Evans) it was on the fourth of July- it was snowing on the climb up (at 5AM). I was wearing shorts. On Evans, I was so tired and mentally impaired that instead of walking 20 feet around a rock outcrop, I decided to climb over it. I fell backwards, luckily onto ny backpack, but jammed my thumb on a rock and I still cannot fully extend it years later (and never will). I could have been seriously hurt.
If you don’t like what climbers euphemistically call “exposure”, you might want to really research what climbs to take. The west(?) route up Bierstadt is pretty tame, but the hogback between Bierstadt and Evans and also near the Keyhole on Long’s have places where you are literally feet from a 1000 ft+ vertical drop. I have seen climbers pass me at high speed halfway up only to find them sitting below the exposure waiting for friends to return from the top. That is some scary shit.
Caveat: I’ve done most of my hiking in New England. Mere hills by Western standards, but the trails are probably more rugged because the sadistic bastards who laid out the Appalachian trail and others didn’t have the word “switchback” in their vocabulary.
The “no hiking” experience worries me. Even for a “walk up”, you want comfortable hiking boots and maybe a walking stick to help with the steep parts and the descent. You will have to carry what will seem like an absurd amount of unnecessary gear – water, warm clothes (fleece), some food, rain gear – because you just never know what you’re going to run into at altitude. It’s surprising how much difference even 10 or 20 pounds of gear strapped to your back makes to your hiking speed.
Note: Buy a good day pack. Kelty makes some great packs with internal stays and hip belts that have many of the same features as the overnight packs. Much more comfortable than just a rucksack.
Acclimation is maybe a problem – altitude affects people differently. I’ve hiked at 11,000+ feet and felt great. The advice to drive up to a peak first and see how you feel is not bad.
If I were determined to do this then I’d go to the local gym and spend some time on the ellipticals and the stair climbers. Even a few days worth would help.
You might check to see if there are groups you can join on the hike – the AMC and Sierra Club might have various group hikes going on a weekend.
By the way, don’t wear cotton while hiking. It doesn’t dry easily and won’t keep you warm. At the very least, wear one of those newfangled hi-tech “wicking” skin layers.
I’ve summited Bierstadt, attempted a lesser-known trail up Evans (and ended up on the next peak over, which is 13800+), and done a lot of non-14er hiking here in Colorado. Here are my suggestions:
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Do Bierstadt if you’re staying in the Denver metro area and must do a 14er. It’s close, it’s the quickest, and it’s one of the easiest. I think it’s only 3 miles from the trailhead to the top (but there’s a 3000 foot gain in elevation, so it will take longer than you think).
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Start the trail EARLY. You want to be off the summit by noon. 2 PM is too late. When we climbed Bierstadt, we summited at 1 PM and almost got hit by lightning. I never want to experience anything like that again, EVER. It was NOT fun. I would suggest starting the trail no later than 8 AM, which means an early drive from Denver.
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The weather at this time of year is just as unpredictable as the weather any other time in CO. You might start with great weather and end up with storms or snow, especially in the mountains. Be smart about your hiking, and if the weather looks bad, it’s much better to turn around than to keep going just so you can say you summited. Cold will probably affect you much more than you expect because of the thin air and you not being used to altitude.
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Gear: I recommend, at minimum, a camelbak-type contraption with at least 2 liters of water (or bring 2 liters in bottles, though those are harder to carry), trail mix, energy bars, a rain poncho, a few layers of warm but light non-cotton clothing, a hat that won’t fall off easily, gloves or mittens, tylenol/advil/aleve, and sunglasses. And wear/bring lots of sunscreen. You will be 2 miles closer to the sun than you are used to. You want dried fruit and nuts for energy and something salty to help with electrolytes. Additional useful gear might include those breakable chemical hand warmer thingies, a walking stick or hiking pole, a camera, and extra socks.
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Even though the Bierstadt trail is probably the easiest, there is nothing EASY about climbing 14,000+ foot mountains. You live at sea level, and only have two days to acclimate. DO NOT drink any alcohol in the days before you climb (it will affect you a lot more than you think, and dehydrate you, which will make altitude effects worse during your hike).
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You might want to just go hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park. There are a lot of fun, challenging trails that would be not nearly as difficult as a 14er. There are also fun trails closer to Denver, including lots of day hikes in Douglas County and Jefferson County.
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Most importantly, DO NOT HIKE ALONE. People are lost every year and end up dying of injuries or exposure because they hike alone and/or don’t tell people where they are going. Plus, if you’re alone, there may not be anybody to help you if you get sick or get hurt.
If you’ll be in the Denver area, shoot me an email; it’s in my profile and I’d be up for a drink with a Doper!
I echo everything mlerose just said, including the getting a drink part! 
Although this time of year, I’m not even sure summitting by 1 pm is early enough. I’ve been on Bierstadt, coming down at 1 pm, in September, and it’s been snowing.
If you are going to do it, take someone with you, drink a TON of water, bring some chocolate (for the inevitable altitude sickness) and, more important than anything: Don’t be afraid to give up and head back down. Much better to make it halfway up a 14 and back down than all the way up and never make up back down because you died from exposure or got hit by lightning.
If you want an even shorter hike that isn’t a 14er, but has great views (including of the whole side of Long’s Peak and of a good deal of the Mummy Range), I really recommend Estes Cone in Rocky Mountain National Park. It’s probably three miles round trip, so it’s nowhere near as hard as a 14er, but will give you some great views.
If you insist on climbing a 14er, good luck, because I think you’re going to have a VERY difficult time.
I did Long’s Peak in 1980 or so, after I had been living in Colorado for years and when I was reasonably fit. It’s not hard per se, just a very long hike. But when I got back, for several days afterward I felt like I had been beaten all over my body with a big stick.
I recently did some hiking on Volcan Baru, Panama’s highest peak, at about 10,000-11,000 feet, after years of living at sea level. It was not comfortable. I would say trying a 14er without quite a bit of acclimation would definitely be a challenge.
My ex-roommate lives in Denver and hikes every weekend. He posts a lot of stuff about his hikes on his blog. You might want to check it out for some interesting tidbits from an active hiker.
No audacious? Have you ever seen a 14k foot mountain? :eek:
[Boromir] One does not simply just walk up a 14er! Their frozen caps are covered by more than just daisies. They are frozen wastes, covered with glaciers and rocks. The very air you breathe is a hypoxic fume. Not with two weeks of acclimation could you do this! It is folly!
Except. If you had a catapault…[/Boromir]
Aaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnd, something actually useful.
I think Evans from Echo Lake might be the best bet for a beginning climb–my husband, who’s a not-in-top-shape 58, managed that last summer, while I drove up and awaited him at the top. I think running 2 miles would be a challenge for him, to say the least, but he made it with no ill effects. A little redfaced. Although I don’t personally consider the hike from Echo Lake up all that interesting. Very rocky.
Now, see, I really enjoyed the trip between Bierstadt & Evans, because it felt like real mountaineering. Yes there’s an edge, but it’s not necessary to get that close to it. Of course it’s been awhile and I might be misremembering it because, you know, no oxygen up there …
The keyhole is a different story–that’s where I gave up the last time.
Necros, I’ve been on Bierstadt in July coming down at 1 p.m. and it was snowing. Actually it was snowing on the way up, too–but not at the summit.
Carnac, I’m thinking. When I dragged the NYer up Quandary after only 2 days in Colo. (for him), did I mention that he was in his 20s? Not in terribly good shape but he was still a college student and not at all sedentary. I’m thinking you might want to try one of the other hikes mentioned here, not quite as Rocky Mtn. high but still pretty and challenging.
I’d say you’re at best in a position to give yourself a very miserable day or so on vacation, and at worst get seriously hurt.
When I lived in Albuquerque, NM I walked up the La Luz trail several times.
http://internet.cybermesa.com/~swede/Lodge66/Trails/Veredas/laluz.html
It starts at about 6800 ft and climbs to 10,200 ft or so in a little over seven miles. The walk up and down takes me the better part of the day (start at 8 or 9, down by 2 or 3. I spend an hour or so on the top.) This for me is a leisurely pace that I am able to keep easily. I could likely do it in an hour less each way if I pushed it.
I also backpacked up the Santa Fe Baldy to lake Katharine a few times, once by my self (not the brightest thing to do). When I went alone I had a 50lb pack and it took me from 10am until damn near 4pm just to make it up.
http://www.localhikes.com/Hikes/Lake_Katherine_0000.asp
it goes up a little over 3000 feet in about 6.5 miles to a summit of 11,700. The Santa Fe baldy is 1K higher over the lake.
I’m in my mid 20’s, 6’0". 180, and in pretty good shape.
Things to take with you:
http://www.rei.com/online/store/LearnShareDetailArticlesList?categoryId=Camping&url=rei/learn/camp/hkdayf.jsp&vcat=REI_EXPERT_ADVICE_CAMPING
Heh, I believe it. I’ve been watching Fourth of July fireworks over Lake Dillon from Frisco in the snow before. 
I climbed to about 14K at Electric Pass, near Aspen, CO, in '97. It’s on a well-marked trail, and the path starts from a base of 9K, but it was still a grueling day’s hike, and at least one member of the group I was with suffered pretty bad effects from the thin air. And we had all been living at 9K for a month or two at that point.
I agree with other posters about several things:
-you are underestimating the potential effects of thinner air up high.
-you do NOT want to be up high when the afternoon T-storms roll in
-you should be acclimated before trying any ambitious hikes or climbs at altitude.
-you don’t want to do anything like this alone.
Dillon Reservoir, elevation 9017’. Nearly a mile lower than the top of a fourteener.
We had 7" of snow at our house June 10th.
When in my 20s and very fit I climbed Massive, Elbert (in freakin’ March), Blanca and Little Bear, plus a couple of trips up both the “near 14” Twin Spanish peaks. Even then it took preparation and a day or two to complete. Most Colorado 14’ers aren’t a simple hike. They’re bona fide climbs. I’d sure pay attention to some of the good advice above.
Also, several medications can exacerbate the effects of altitude sickness, Vicodin for one. You might check with your doctor first if you’re taking anything before climbing.
Have fun. Views from the top provide an experience no words can describe.
Reality check.
Altitude problems usually have no bearing on your fitness level. I have climbed a few of the 14’s above without much problem, my brother starts to fizzle at about 10. There is no real good way of finding out until you get there.
Acclimating is good. But still doable without.
Actually climbing has everything to do with your fitness level. Given your fitness, I would hike slow (lockstep), drink LOTS of water and rest frequently. Pacing is very important (the top will always seem closer than it is).
Be very careful on the way down. This is where most accidents happen. This cannot be overstated. You will be tired, have gravity against you and euphoric blindness from your achievement. Many Everest summiters have died coming down.
If this works for you, I suggest giving Shasta a try. Even in the summer, you can ski down Avalanche Gulch. Mmmm…
As an aside, "If you don’t like what climbers euphemistically call “exposure”…
“Exposure” might seem euphemistic, but I can tell you it strkes fear in most prudent climers I know!
Here’s a link with lots of good info on altitute sickness
Okay, I’ve decided: I will hire a team of Sherpa to drive me in a rented stretch Hummer up to the summit of Pike’s Peak.
After that, we’ll stop at the Waffle House on the way down–listening to Michael Bolton, Kenny G and Neil Diamond, all the way down.
I could lend you my daughter’s SpongeBob backpack to complete the package.
I also recommend bringing along a large can of beer (Fosters, eg) to open on top. Best if brought from sea level.
A friend of mine from Ohio Univeristy (this was back in the early 70’s) drove out to Colorado from Massahoweveryouspelltherestofit with another friend. They drove up to Longs Peak, got out and took off. According to Frank they chugged right along until after dark and got to about 13,000ish before pitching the tent. In the morning his buddy was either dead or close enough to make no difference.
As mentioned above altitude sickness can strike anyone with a wide range of effects from the merely uncomfortable to the life threatening.