Download Agreement, Release, and Acknowledgement of Risk:
You (the person requesting this file download) fully understand mountain climbing ("Activity") involves risks and dangers of serious bodily injury, including permanent disability, paralysis, and death ("Risks") and you fully accept and assume all such risks and all responsibility for losses, costs, and damages you incur as a result of your participation in this Activity.
You acknowledge that information in the file you have chosen to download may not be accurate and may contain errors. You agree to assume all risks when using this information and agree to release and discharge 14ers.com, 14ers Inc. and the author(s) of such information (collectively, the "Released Parties").
You hereby discharge the Released Parties from all damages, actions, claims and liabilities of any nature, specifically including, but not limited to, damages, actions, claims and liabilities arising from or related to the negligence of the Released Parties. You further agree to indemnify, hold harmless and defend 14ers.com, 14ers Inc. and each of the other Released Parties from and against any loss, damage, liability and expense, including costs and attorney fees, incurred by 14ers.com, 14ers Inc. or any of the other Released Parties as a result of you using information provided on the 14ers.com or 14ers Inc. websites.
You have read this agreement, fully understand its terms and intend it to be a complete and unconditional release of all liability to the greatest extent allowed by law and agree that if any portion of this agreement is held to be invalid the balance, notwithstanding, shall continue in full force and effect.
By clicking "OK" you agree to these terms. If you DO NOT agree, click "Cancel"...
Mt. Bierstadt is a great choice to start out your 14er season! I hiked it yesterday, which was Friday, and despite some unplanned delays, we had a great trip!
First off, be prepared and CHECK THE CDOT ROAD REPORTS for CLOSURES, because we were expecting that Guanella Pass would be open and unobstructed, but it wasn't and we had to wait 1.5hrs to go up the pass from Georgetown (we should have taken the south route up 285). I was told by the construction crew that on weekends the pass is open all day, but during the week it is not open all day and won't be ALL SUMMER. You can still access the pass from here, but only during certain hours of the day, which I BELIEVE were between 11am-3pm, but don't trust me on that.
Once we got to the trailhead though it was smooth sailing! The trail, except for some minor muddy spots and maybe 1 or 2 SMALL snow patches, is completely clear and ready to go! This is a popular trail and as a result there was quite a crowd on it when we arrived (lots of younger kids/teens, some dogs, even a lady with a cane!). Our delay in Georgetown kind of paid off though because by the time we made the summit around 2:30p the trail had all but emptied out, and we had the summit to ourselves for nearly an hour. Smooth sailing back down and an EXHAUSTED car ride home ended a fantastic day on Mt. Bierstadt!
Start Time: 11:45a
Summit: 2:30p
Spent ~45-60min at summit
Back to car @: 5:30pm
I was a slow hiker; apparently I need to get in better shape for HA hikes...but I just enjoyed my time and soaked in the views! We were lucky this day because the weather was clear all day long, so no threat of storms or anything, but you need to make sure to check the weather multiple times leading up to your hike, because storms at these altitudes can blow in literally in 2 minutes without warning, and can be very uncomfortable and/or dangerous for the unprepared.
Report filed: chrismjx - 11:23a - 6/25/2011
Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):
We climbed it today. Loads of people. 6:30 start, 8:30 summit. Lots of mud made it hard to stay on the trail in spots. The snow was totally manageable at that time of the morning.
Dirt road from George to the pass. Might have been better coming from Grant.
I also forgot to mention that the road crews told us that once they were done with the Georgetown side of the pass, they were going to start on the Grant side (285), so watch out for that!
Caution: The information contained in this report may not be accurate and should not be the only resource used in preparation for your climb. Failure to have the necessary experience, physical conditioning, supplies or equipment can result in injury or death. 14ers.com and the author(s) of this report provide no warranties, either express or implied, that the information provided is accurate or reliable. By using the information provided, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless 14ers.com and the report author(s) with respect to any claims and demands against them, including any attorney fees and expenses. Please read the 14ers.com Safety and Disclaimer pages for more information.
Please respect private property: 14ers.com supports the rights of private landowners to determine how and by whom their land will be used. In Colorado, it is your responsibility to determine if land is private and to obtain the appropriate permission before entering the property.
