If you haven't done much hiking in winter or pretty cold conditions, I recommend easing into it. Hit stuff like Twin Sisters in RMNP or Chief-Squaw-Papoose up by Echo Mountain first. You can spend the time working on your layering system and your water storage system (extremely important), and also gauge how your body reacts to the elements.
For water, I have a 0.5 L nalgene bottle that I hang around my neck with a lanyard and tuck into my jacket. I have never had my water freeze. I carry the rest of my water wrapped up in gatorade bottle(s) in my pack.
I usually keep my food on me (in jacket and pants pockets) to keep it at a palatable temp.
You do not need $500 himalayan boots unless you think they might get you laid in summit county. I have $130 merrell boots with 400g thinsulate. It would be better to save the $370 here and put it toward a subzero western mountaineering bag or a hilley.
Try to keep your packweight light (most people don't). You'll figure out pretty quick what you need and don't need.
These will go in the snowy season:
Twin Sisters
Estes Cone
Flattop-Hallett
Chief-Squaw-Papoose
Grizzly-Sniktau-Cupid
Lady W
Mines-Eva-Flora-Parry
Bald
Boreas
Peak 10
Peak 9
Northstar
Tweto
Mosquito-Treasurevault-London-Repeater
Evans B (13,577)
Quandary
Sherman
Decalibron from Moose Creek
Elbert
Pikes from Crags
Bierstadt
Evans
Square Top
Gray Wolf
Grays and Torreys (assess the slopes of Kelso)
Rogers and Warren (assess the slopes near Goliath)
La Plata (winter variation)
Fitzpatrick/12780
Tincup Peak and the adjacent unnamed 13er
Yale
Whale
Horseshoe
Buckskin via Loveland Mountain
Prepare for longer approaches. They can vary year to year.
Good luck.
Are you related to lordhelmut?
best place for a first winter summit?
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Re: best place for a first winter summit?
The look in his eyes when it hit - Kid, it was tasty... - William Seward Burroughs
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Dark Helmet
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Re: best place for a first winter summit?
thanks again... and no, not related to lordhelmut... but find our competing presences to be highly entertaining.
Re: best place for a first winter summit?
quandary was my first...the fact that you can drive to the th is a big plus imo, plus it gets a ton of traffic so there should be a somewhat packed trail to follow.
Vincit Qui Patitur
