About Us

About Ryan

Ryan Byers is an Idaho-based mountaineer, hiker, author, and outdoor enthusiast with a deep love for the rugged peaks of the Gem State. Whether he is scrambling through the Lost River Range, exploring trails around Pocatello, or researching the next route, Ryan’s work is built around one goal: helping more people experience Idaho’s wild places safely and responsibly.

That passion led him to write Idaho Twelvers: A Hiking Guide for Idaho’s Nine Peaks Over 12,000 Feet, a practical guidebook for anyone hoping to stand on top of Idaho’s highest summits. The book includes detailed route descriptions, elevation profiles, maps, and GPX files to help hikers navigate some of the most remote and challenging terrain in the state.

About the Twelvers

If you enjoy hiking Idaho summits, at some point Borah Peak will probably appear on your radar. As the state highpoint, it attracts a wide range of hikers, which also means a wide range of information, opinions, warnings, and legends have built up around it. In many ways, Borah Peak has reached an almost mythical status in Idaho.

For some hikers who reach the summit, that is enough. They are completely fine never hiking a big mountain again, and that is perfectly okay. For others, though, something new gets unlocked. Suddenly, another set of peaks appears on the horizon: the Idaho Twelvers.

Idaho’s 12,000-foot peaks do not get the same attention as Colorado’s fourteeners or Washington’s volcanoes, and that is part of what makes them special. They are wild, remote, rugged, and genuinely challenging. These are not mountains where good information should be treated like a secret.

I set out to write the guidebook I wish had existed when I first started exploring these peaks. Instead of piecing together scattered reports from multiple books, websites, maps, and firsthand accounts, I wanted to create a single resource that helps hikers plan these climbs in the most straightforward way possible.

I hope the book and this site help you on your own climbing journey.

Beyond the Book

Ryan also shares hiking videos, trip reports, and route information through his YouTube channel and online resources. He has been featured on The Nature of Idaho podcast on KISU, where he discussed the Idaho Twelvers and what it takes to explore Idaho’s highest terrain.

Whether you are an experienced mountaineer or just beginning to explore Idaho’s backcountry, the goal of Idaho Twelvers is simple: help you get out there safely, confidently, and ready for the next summit.