looking for 13er or 14er to do without gear..tomorrow!

[irishsailsman]

A friend and I are new to 14ers, but we are in great shape. We are both ultra-runners training for Western States and Leadville 100. We are looking to get some nice hiking in tomorrow, any suggestions?

We live in Boulder/ Denver area but willing to drive.

[tmathews]

Go run up to Barr Camp via Barr Trail and have a nice discussion with Neal and Teresa. Both are ultramarathon runners. Neal has run the Leadville 100 a few times and has done the Hardrock 100 (I think he's doing it again this summer). They can definitely give you some pointers.

[randalmartin]

Excellent suggestion. That will get you a 13mile RT with close to 4000ft elevation gain. The only thought is that there is quite a bit of moisture all along the front range tonight. Not sure how much snow that will be up on that trail. Probably fine below 10k ft.

[irishsailsman]

Can I get to the top of Pikes Peak?

[hollamby]

There is a lot of snow up on pikes peak right now. How far do you want to run?

[irishsailsman]

There is a lot of snow up on pikes peak right now. How far do you want to run?

I dont care really. We re looking at making it a hike/ adventure. I would like to summit if reasonable..Dont have to start at bottom.

[irishsailsman]

Could we go to top and take train down, this time of year? Is it about 5 hours to top?

[irishsailsman]

Mt. Bierstadt...better choice?

[randalmartin]

Mt. Bierstadt...better choice?

You definitely won't be trail running to the summit of a 14er this time of year. The original suggestion of Barr Camp was a good one from the perspective of actually being able to trail run the whole way. At some point beyond the Barr Camp you would encounter deep soft snow, likewise on Bierstadt. So not really sure what your expecting or prepared for in terms of conditions.

[irishsailsman]

Mt. Bierstadt...better choice?

You definitely won't be trail running to the summit of a 14er this time of year. The original suggestion of Barr Camp was a good one from the perspective of actually being able to trail run the whole way. At some point beyond the Barr Camp you would encounter deep soft snow, likewise on Bierstadt. So not really sure what your expecting or prepared for in terms of conditions.

HIKE/ ADVENTURE is what we are looking for..we are runners, but we are only looking to be able to gt up a 14er and work on hiking skills....

Thanks man. So, with that in mind, can we get up without boots, axes, and snowshoes?

[Jim Davies]

Any 14er you try right now will definitely be an "adventure" without boots. How are you at wading through knee- to waist-deep snow?

The friendliest 14er route this time of year is probably Quandary's east ridge, but even there you could be sinking in pretty deep in the woods below timberline. Of course, if you're really looking for a distance workout you might be able to run the Mount Evans Road from the closure gate. It's very long, probably drifted over in places, and could have some avalanche exposure.