First 14ers Advice

[HikerT]

I've looked around the site, and was hoping to get some additional info from people with experience in the area. I'm heading out to a conference in Snowmass the last week in June. After the conference is over on the 27th I'm renting a car from the Aspen airport, and driving to Denver for my flight out on the afternoon of the 30th. I was hoping to hit up a couple of 14ers on the 28th and 29th, and wanted some advice.

1) Acclimation: I'm coming in from Boston, and want to avoid any complications from elevation. I'll have about 4 hours in the early afternoon each day during the week, are there any hikes accessible by foot from the Snowmass Base Village that I can use to gain some elevation? Can I just walk up some of the ski slopes?

2) Hikes: Any recommendations for Class 1-2 or easier Class 3 hikes that are generally not out of the way for an Aspen to Denver drive? I'm only renting a sedan, so preferably trailheads with roads that don't require a 4X4. The wife has requested popular/crowded trails since I'll be going alone. I've gotten some recommendations elsewhere, but everyone's ignored the trailhead accessibility issue.

3) Gear: What are the snow conditions generally like at this time of year? Should I pack crampons/microspikes/ice axe?

4) Lodging, logistics. I haven't made any reservations for lodging, and was hoping to get recommendations for cheap lodging, hostels etc? I was considering sleeping in the car at the trailheads, but that's not allowed in the Whites in NH, and I'm not sure if it's kosher in CO. I was hoping to avoid carrying my tent and sleeping bag out.

Thanks!

[Tornadoman]

Here are thoughts to a couple of your questions.

2. Bierstadt is a great choice, it is a very busy mountain so there will be tons of people there. It is on a paved road just a few miles off of I-70. If you return to Denver via the Independence Pass route there are several class 1/2 14ers in the Sawatch range in the area. Belford/Oxford and Huron come to mind and they are accessed by a road which is easily driven by a 2WD car.

3. People are already climbing some peaks without special gear (Belford included in that). Although there may be some snow patches, most of the 14ers I mentioned will *probably* be doable without special gear.


Go RED SOX!

[cory1223oh]

I would definitely second taking independence pass back and hiking Huron. It's not a difficult hike as far as 14ers go, but will be less crowded that Bierstadt and the views are much better (the hike for Bierstadt starts above treeline and your car is never out of sight). The drive over independence pass is shorter in distance than I-70, maybe similar in time, but is definitely much more scenic.

[Tornadoman]

One other note with Huron that I wasn't clear on before is that you can't reach the upper trailhead in a 2wd. This isn't a real issue though as the road is a relatively easy walk. It will add somewhere between 1.5 and 2 miles each way, but the hike is still under 10 miles roundtrip and less than 4,000 vertical feet from the 2wd parking.

[cory1223oh]

One other note with Huron that I wasn't clear on before is that you can't reach the upper trailhead in a 2wd. This isn't a real issue though as the road is a relatively easy walk. It will add somewhere between 1.5 and 2 miles each way, but the hike is still under 10 miles roundtrip and less than 4,000 vertical feet from the 2wd parking.

I'll add this this additional distance is almost flat so it really isn't a big deal at all.

[Pops921]

In addition to others mentioned. Based on your criteria Quandary Peak is a good fit. It is ~30 minutes from I-70, just outside of Breckenridge. It is a popular straightforward hike. Paved road almost all the way to the trailhead parking. Most places are clear of snow by that time of year, but it was a big snow year so check conditions when it gets closer.

[HikerT]

Thanks for the advice guys. I'll take a look at those peaks.

[pw]

You can sleep at the trailhead at Missouri/Belford/Oxford/Huron if you do one of those peaks. I'm not as sure about Quandary, some houses in the area. Expect a cool night (40's probably, possibly 30's). I would toss in Elbert as another potential climb. Class 1 I think, and trailhead accessible by car.

You could definitely scramble up a ski slope if one is nearby in Snowmass. (that is, I don't think anyone would object, just don't know how close the ski slopes are to where you will be)

[TakeMeToYourSummit]

Curiosity - where is your conference at? Anyway... I'll agree with the above ideas on 14ers; Huron is one of the prettiest 14er hikes in the Sawatch, Indy pass is a must see if you are in the Aspen area, Quandary, Elbert, Bierstadt (or others of similar difficulties) would make a lovely 2nd 14er for your trip. As far as hikes in Snowmass Village goes - The Rim Trail (the portion up to the "Yin-Yang") switchbacks up 700 feet with wonderful views of Capitol and surrounding 13ers (1 - 1.5 hours, including time taking in the views at the top). The full version (8 miles) might be a little tight on your 4 hour budget. Other trails in the area worth looking into include: The Smuggler Trail, portions of The Lost Man Loop (again timely for the whole loop), hiking around Crater Lake up by the Maroon Bells is like being in a postcard, and yes even hiking on the resorts should be very doable with easy access. Have fun & let us know if you need more info!

[HikerT]

You can sleep at the trailhead at Missouri/Belford/Oxford/Huron if you do one of those peaks. I'm not as sure about Quandary, some houses in the area. Expect a cool night (40's probably, possibly 30's). I would toss in Elbert as another potential climb. Class 1 I think, and trailhead accessible by car.

You could definitely scramble up a ski slope if one is nearby in Snowmass. (that is, I don't think anyone would object, just don't know how close the ski slopes are to where you will be)

Thanks for the tip. I'll be sure to pack some warm stuff for sleeping.

Curiosity - where is your conference at? Anyway... I'll agree with the above ideas on 14ers; Huron is one of the prettiest 14er hikes in the Sawatch, Indy pass is a must see if you are in the Aspen area, Quandary, Elbert, Bierstadt (or others of similar difficulties) would make a lovely 2nd 14er for your trip. As far as hikes in Snowmass Village goes - The Rim Trail (the portion up to the "Yin-Yang") switchbacks up 700 feet with wonderful views of Capitol and surrounding 13ers (1 - 1.5 hours, including time taking in the views at the top). The full version (8 miles) might be a little tight on your 4 hour budget. Other trails in the area worth looking into include: The Smuggler Trail, portions of The Lost Man Loop (again timely for the whole loop), hiking around Crater Lake up by the Maroon Bells is like being in a postcard, and yes even hiking on the resorts should be very doable with easy access. Have fun & let us know if you need more info!

Thanks, Huron seems to be getting lots of praise, so I think I'll definitely do that one. The conference is at the Snowmass Base Village Conference Center, and it looks like I'm staying in the Stonebridge Inn. I'll have an extra hour on Thursday so I might be able to do the whole Rim Trail. The conference is over on Friday at 11:15, so I'll hike around Crater Lake then.

Any recommendations for start times? I've read about 3AM start times for Longs, not sure if that's overkill or not, or if all peaks are subject to the same afternoon storms. I tend to be a fast hiker, but I'm not sure how I'll find the elevation. 10K is the highest elevation I've hiked to.

[Trotter]

Actually, I've found sleeping at high elevation, such as the trailhead, helps with the hike the next morning. I think the body gets some more red blood cells pumped out.


And I'll second Huron as an excellent starter hike. Beautiful and very easy. But the road to the upper trailhead is probably not for 2WD vehicles, even if they are rentals lol

But doing Longs peak as one of your first 14ers?!?!?! I'd rethink that. That's not a beginner hike

[Urban Snowshoer]

But doing Longs peak as one of your first 14ers?!?!?! I'd rethink that. That's not a beginner hike

It's difficult online to accurately assess someone's qualifications and experience: i.e. is it a good idea to attempt a given peak? For this reason I'm hesistent to make a blanket statement that someone should or shouldn't do a peak. With that said, I concur that Long's Peak isn't a beginner hike. Even the easiest route, the Keyhole Route, is a pretty serious undertaking to attempt in one day--you're talking about over 14 miles round-trip and a vertical gain of over 6,000 feet.

It's also important to emphasize that the final stretch between the Keyhole and the summit is not something to treat lightly. This stretch involves crossing some pretty significant drop-offs and some scrambling to get to the summit; there isn't a good way to bail out if the weather changes.