Good beginner 14er this time of year?

[hardc0r3y]

Hello! New here! So happy to have found this resource!

My wife and I are RVers. We come out west to snowboard through the winter while we work remotely. So we have been at elevation since probably January. Our home base is Charleston, SC, so at sea level. Our out-west trip is coming to a close, and we are about to head back east soon. Before we do, we thought it would be great if we could do a 14er while we are already acclimatized. We are both decently fit, 30s, and are outdoor types (we snowboard, rock climb, hike, camp, etc).

My question is, are there any 14ers that fall in the easy list (https://www.14ers.com/easiest-14ers) that are climbable this time of year (preferably without snow shoes unless we bought/rented)? We do have nanospikes and simple yaktrax. We are currently at Great Sand Dunes NP and I know we are surrounded by some 14ers in the Sangre de Cristo Range, but I don't think any of these fall in that list. We aren't averse to backtracking a bit to find a climb.

Thanks for any tips and really looking forward to being a part of this community and conquering some 14ers!

[Ptglhs]

Any 14er this time of year would be more like mountaineering than hiking. Snow shoes, micro spikes, maybe an axe. Even the "easier" ascents are going to have deep, consolidated snow, which you could post hole in up to your waist if you go in the afternoon. Avalanche risk is still a thing, especially with new snow coming next weekend. It's nothing like a summer hike currently. It's possible, but difficult and you need to know what you're signing up for.

Quandary is probably the easiest winter/spring 14er (though that's like saying you're the thinnest kid at fat camp). It sees plenty of traffic so there's usually a hard packed trench, minimal avy risk, and it's the same distance year round.

[hardc0r3y]

Any 14er this time of year would be more like mountaineering than hiking. Snow shoes, micro spikes, maybe an axe. Even the "easier" ascents are going to have deep, consolidated snow, which you could post hole in up to your waist if you go in the afternoon. Avalanche risk is still a thing, especially with new snow coming next weekend. It's nothing like a summer hike currently. It's possible, but difficult and you need to know what you're signing up for.

Quandary is probably the easiest winter/spring 14er (though that's like saying you're the thinnest kid at fat camp). It sees plenty of traffic so there's usually a hard packed trench, minimal avy risk, and it's the same distance year round.

Thanks! I just joined the FB group, and saw a handful of people that just did Quandary in the last few days. Was good to get some beta! It sounds like Quandary would be the choice for now.

[Dan_Suitor]

Agreed that Quandary would be a good one to start on. Plenty of use means a good packed down path. Go with spikes as it may be slick, especially earlier in the day. If you want to get a sense of what it would be like doing a snow climb without a packed path nor sufficient floatation, mid-day and while in the woods, walk off trail for a bit. Then imagine doing that for hours. It’s not easy, nor fun.

[Camden7]

Mt. Sherman via Iowa gulch is a great one for this time of year. The road is plowed up to the fork at 11,000 ft and might even be melting out a little above that. No crampons or axe is needed but snowshoes would be absolutely necessary for 10+ mi day on snow. I have done this twice and love it for early season. I have never seen someone else up there this time of year. The gulley is north facing and maxes at 30° so it would be hard to trigger a slide this time of year. Definitely one of the first 14er routes to transition from climbing to hiking territory.

Would definitely be a step up from Quandary in terms of effort and solitude. The class 1+ ridge is pretty trivial but if you have little experience on snow it could be daunting depending on conditions

Have fun and be safe.