Advice for my 2 week Sawatch hiking trip in mid-late June...............................................................

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HokieTom
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Advice for my 2 week Sawatch hiking trip in mid-late June...............................................................

Post by HokieTom »

Greetings from Virginia, this is my first post! I have enjoyed reading and viewing all of the info on this site. Thanks for this great site and the info all of you provide.

I am looking for advice on which peaks to avoid due to crowding during the weekends in June.

First, June 19 and 20. I plan to hike the following peaks the week before and during this weekend: Princeton, Yale, Antero, Shav/Tab, Columbia, and Harvard. Which of these peaks should I avoid on the weekend?

Second, June 26-27. I plan to hike the following peaks the week before and during this weekend: Huron, La Plata, Belford/Oxford, Missouri, and Massive.
Which of these peaks should I avoid on the weekend?

And finally, when I hike Massive, I plan to do a loop using the southwest and east routes. I think the Southwest route would be best to start first while I am fresh and finish on the East route. Do you agree?

Thanks for the imput!
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Re: Advice for my 2 week Sawatch hiking trip in mid-late June...........................................................

Post by NatDog »

I think Princeton & Yale would be the most crowded peaks during your first week.

All of your peaks during the second week will be pretty crowded, but I would think Huron and Massive would be most crowded.

Good plan on Massive, you would catch a variety of views by doing the loop. But it sounds like you are trying to limit crowd sizes. If you start early it may be good to ascend the East Slopes (standard route) before it gets too crowded and then descend the Southwest Slopes later in the day since there are less people on that side. Plus the Southwest Slopes are much steeper so you should be able to descend quickly. One thing to consider though is that the TH for the two routes is not the same. So you will either need to hike the Halfmoon Creek road at the end of the day or catch a ride with someone/shuttle two cars.
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Re: Advice for my 2 week Sawatch hiking trip in mid-late June...........................................................

Post by Alpinefroggy »

That time in june is going to have snow coverage for sure and definitely some patchy stuff on the trails. I would make sure to bring poles and microspikes for that. Otherwise, I dont't really foresee any issue with these peaks. They aren't technical.

One question I have is whether you plan to hike the Harvard/Columbia traverse. While I haven't hiked it, it is long and hard even on a day when the weather is perfect and there is no snow. With snow lingering and the monsoon kicking into gear it would be a tricky one to pull off.

Also, do you plan to hike these day after day after day? Unless you are very well trained aerobically and are ok with assloads of elevation gain, that is going to be a big ask. Toning down what you plan to hike by a 1/3rd might be in order if you are not sure. If you can do it. Go for it. If not, then you can always rest in between days with patchier weather.

Peaks to hike on the weekend in the sawatch. Like Massive? Idk, I've never had an issue with parking on the weekends. If you arrive for a predawn start, which is recommended unless you are pretty fast, you shouldn't have an issue snagging a spot somehwere. These peaks are pretty much always filling up on the weekends when the weather is good in Colorado.
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Re: Advice for my 2 week Sawatch hiking trip in mid-late June...........................................................

Post by CaptainSuburbia »

Those peaks will be crowded no matter the day. Most have good non standard routes though that would be more enjoyable if you want less crowds.
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Re: Advice for my 2 week Sawatch hiking trip in mid-late June...........................................................

Post by HokieTom »

NatDog wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 12:46 pm I think Princeton & Yale would be the most crowded peaks during your first week.

All of your peaks during the second week will be pretty crowded, but I would think Huron and Massive would be most crowded.

Good plan on Massive, you would catch a variety of views by doing the loop. But it sounds like you are trying to limit crowd sizes. If you start early it may be good to ascend the East Slopes (standard route) before it gets too crowded and then descend the Southwest Slopes later in the day since there are less people on that side. Plus the Southwest Slopes are much steeper so you should be able to descend quickly. One thing to consider though is that the TH for the two routes is not the same. So you will either need to hike the Halfmoon Creek road at the end of the day or catch a ride with someone/shuttle two cars.
Thanks for the info. I am aware that I will have to hike the road to get back to the trailhead.
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Re: Advice for my 2 week Sawatch hiking trip in mid-late June...........................................................

Post by DaveLanders »

I don't think it matters very much which of these peaks you do on weekends versus weekdays. They're all going to be busy in June. If you are planning on driving part way up the Princeton 4wd road, I would avoid that on weekends because it's a narrow road and it's hard to pass traffic going the opposite way.

I would go up the southwest route on Massive and down the east side because I prefer ascending steeper terrain and descending gentler terrain. Mostly that's because it's easier on my knees; other people will have varying opinions about this.
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Re: Advice for my 2 week Sawatch hiking trip in mid-late June...........................................................

Post by 9patrickmurphy »

Echoing others in this thread, everything's crowded on a weekend. If you're doing an entire two-week stretch, might as well take the weekends as rest days.
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Re: Advice for my 2 week Sawatch hiking trip in mid-late June...........................................................

Post by Ptglhs »

9patrickmurphy wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 1:10 pm Echoing others in this thread, everything's crowded on a weekend. If you're doing an entire two-week stretch, might as well take the weekends as rest days.
Or do a 13er on Sat, and, if backpacking, hike up and set up camp on a 14er route on Sunday afternoon/evening and then summiting on Mon.
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Re: Advice for my 2 week Sawatch hiking trip in mid-late June...........................................................

Post by ltlFish99 »

My hike on massive was most likely a rare, rare experience.
It was on a summer weekend and I encountered less than 10 people all day.
Just myself and 2 others on the summit.
I thought harvard and Columbia in a day felt like a full day. Not super long, or difficult just a complete day.
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Re: Advice for my 2 week Sawatch hiking trip in mid-late June...........................................................

Post by mtnkub »

DaveLanders wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 1:04 pm I don't think it matters very much which of these peaks you do on weekends versus weekdays. They're all going to be busy in June. If you are planning on driving part way up the Princeton 4wd road, I would avoid that on weekends because it's a narrow road and it's hard to pass traffic going the opposite way.
Regarding narrow 4wd road, i would add Antero and Huron to this advice for Princeton. (And special considerations in case you are planning on camping at the trailheads; would not want to drive up on a weekend afternoon when everyone else is coming back from their hike).
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Re: Advice for my 2 week Sawatch hiking trip in mid-late June...........................................................

Post by OldTrad »

Another alternative to avoid crowds is to take non-standard routes, e.g., East Ridge of Yale, Huron via Browns, Massive SE Ridge , etc.
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Re: Advice for my 2 week Sawatch hiking trip in mid-late June...........................................................

Post by Gene913 »

HokieTom wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 12:35 pm

First, June 19 and 20. I plan to hike the following peaks the week before and during this weekend: Princeton, Yale, Antero, Shav/Tab, Columbia, and Harvard. Which of these peaks should I avoid on the weekend?

Second, June 26-27. I plan to hike the following peaks the week before and during this weekend: Huron, La Plata, Belford/Oxford, Missouri, and Massive.
Which of these peaks should I avoid on the weekend?
My 2 cents - first weekend, avoid Antero because the jeep traffic likely will be greater on the weekend. similarly, the narrow road to the radio towers on Princeton is no fun with oncoming traffic, which likely will be higher on the weekend.
second weekend - avoid LaPlata because it is the only peak among the ones listed where the standard route trailhead is accessible by a paved road (CO Hwy 82), which again likely will draw greater traffic volume on the weekend.
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