Written for large concert band, the piece has recurring thematic material throughout but does not adhere to a set formal structure, just as the peaks of the Rocky Mountains are bound by no set pattern. The work, filled with gentle syncopation, simple chromaticism and timbral variety, is essentially based on two ideas: a crisp quarter-note pulse representative of hiking and the broad reach of the distant mountains first presented in the horns. There is also a tranquil section intended to be introspective, indicative of all such hiking journeys as metaphors for, and ultimately about, inward growth.

Regarding Colorado Peaks, the composer states: "Because this piece was commissioned by an ensemble in Colorado, I wanted the piece to make some reference to the awe-inspiring Colorado Rockies. The work is not, however, a depiction of their majesty. Instead it suggests a person’s relation to them via a rugged and persistent climb."