My 1st 14'er planned for late June early July

[SoloHiker10]

Hello to everyone and hope all is doing well. Me and a friend of mine are looking to do our 1st 14'er in late June or early July. We are flying into Denver for a week, from our hometown of Cleveland, Tennessee to tackle a couple of 14’ers and hopefully put a summit under our belts. Like I said this is going to be a 1st for the both of us. I’m 56 years old and consider myself to be very fit. I do a lot of weight training and cardio. I also do a lot of hiking, backpacking, and mountain biking, although I have not done any backpacking in a few months due to a knee injury, which has since healed. My questions are as follows 1. Are there any places to backpack in and set up base camp and hike to the summits from basecamp? 2. Are permits required as I think they are? We are looking at doing possibly Mt. Bierstadt and Mt. Blue Sky as I’m reading these are good starters. Are there any other suggestions out there that someone is willing to suggest? 3. Altitude concerns me a little bit, as it should. We are from Cleveland, Tn. and our elevation is around 855’. Now we are going to be at potentially 14,000’ elevation. I have studied altitude sickness and how to prevent or help with the symptoms. Is there any advice on this subject someone would like to share? 4. We are not planning on renting a car. Are there any transit systems that can get us from the airport to the trailhead and back and is Denver a good choice to fly into or Aspen? I would like to get a Hostel for a night or two before hitting the trail and get on the day before we leave out. So, what are some good reasonable Hostels? 5. Do we have to worry about snow at this time of year? Thanks in advance for any responses and Happy Mountaineering!

[mtree]

That's alot of questions. You're going to get a million responses with a jillion points of view. First, take all the advice with a grain of salt. Some of the folks - although very experienced - also have pretty strong opinions. No one knows you more than you. To your questions...

1) Plenty of backpacking options, but most won't be accessible unless you have a vehicle. Those closer to town fill up fast and can be crappy with so many other campers. But, if you're willing there are plenty of places too numerous to list. You'll want to be prepared for all kinds of weather and conditions. Mt Blue Sky is a great backpacking option using Chicago Lakes trail!
2) Not usually. I can only think of Maroon Peaks area, but all my camping is backpacking and nothing's required. Camping near Bierstadt is further down the road unless you "sneak" in, but leaving any vehicle parked overnight can be an issue. I'm not sure if the sites down the road are by reservation or not. I've never camped there. There are many other peaks to consider besides these. Anything within a few hours of Denver rated class 1 or 2. They're all day trips except maybe Holy Cross depending on your fitness level. Remove Longs Peak from your list. Front range, Mosquito range, Ten Mile range and Sawatch range all doable.
3) A hornet's nest of opinions. Basically, you're not going to acclimate to the elevation, but you can make the transition easier. STAY HYDRATED! Lots of water and/or electrolytes. Take an easy hike above 11,000 ft to test out your muscles and lungs. It allows you (and your body) to adjust to the new environment. Don't overdo it early. Maybe climb Mt Snitkau or at least reach the ridgeline to see how it all feels. You'll know what to expect next time around. If you don't get altitude symptoms it doesn't mean you won't next time up. Just be aware of that.
4) No transit except a shuttle for Quandary in Breck. Maybe you can convince a Uber to take you, but it'll cost you. I suggest renting a vehicle. You'll have much more options and freedom. Yes. Fly into Denver. Aspen is expensive and hiking out there is beyond your experience level. Hostels? I have no clue. I've never heard of them for hiking 14ers.
5) Worry about thunderstorms. Hail and lightning, specifically! Start early as in 5am or earlier! Most storms hit early afternoons so back to the car by noon is a good idea, but not a guarantee. Probably won't encounter much snow so don't worry about it. If you do encounter storms its your call. I've heard lightning can kill. Most folks will retreat if storms are approaching. It can get nasty above treeline. Will you die if caught in one? Probably not. But you might.

There are lots of options beyond the 3 hour drive from Denver, but that requires more driving and planning. If that's something of interest you'll need to inquire and zero in on a target. Then you can get better advice. Enjoy your adventure!

[the_hare]

If you insist on not renting a car the most accessible peaks via public transit would probably be Pikes Peak by taking the Bustang South line, then the shuttle to Manitou springs, and then walking to the Barr Trail trailhead. You can hike up to the Barr camp and stay there as well for backpacking then continue to the summit the next day. The other peak is Quandary using the Bustang West line to Frisco, then shuttle to Breckenridge, then shuttle to Quandary TH. More info in comments here: https://www.reddit.com/r/14ers/comments ... portation/

With all that said you can get to most THs fine with a regular sedan and I'd recommend reconsidering renting a cheap car. Way more options available, freedom of movement, and no need to worry about camping an extra night if you miss the bus.

Altitude affects everyone differently, but one common piece of advice for avoiding more severe altitude illness is sleeping at lower elevations the night before attempting higher elevation objectives. I might suggest staying at campsites in lower elevation valleys as opposed to trying to hike up higher and camp. There's plenty of camping options at state & private sites around the Arkansas river which you can attempt Sawatch peaks from, camping would be much cheaper than a hostel or hotel too.

[Scott P]

Are there any transit systems that can get us from the airport to the trailhead and back and is Denver a good choice to fly into or Aspen? I would like to get a Hostel for a night or two before hitting the trail and get on the day before we leave out.

If there are train tickets left, perhaps the best option is to fly into Durango and take the train to Needleton. It makes a nice backpacking trip and no rental car will be needed.

Eolus and requires more routefinding skills than an "average" 14er and Sunlight does have a short exposed move at the top, but Windom is straight forward and I brought my four year old up that one. If you can't safely make it up the others, Windom is a good option and Jupiter (13er) would be good too.

Yes, there will be some snow on most 14ers, but it will vary by route.

[Monte Meals]

Hi - I'm from Knoxville but live in Colorado now.

Altitude problems - Consider Diamox (you will need a script from your Doctor) many people find it very helpful

Rent a car - (2 wheel sedan is sufficient)

Alma has a hostel then drive up to Kite Lake campground for DeCaLBaron
https://www.14ers.com/route.php?route=bros6

or
Leadville has a hostel (really interesting mining district) with several 13ers & 14ers in the area.

Update: The Hostel in Alma is closed - but the campground at Kite Lake is a great place to hang
and socialize with other campers.

[nyker]

I think the two big things that will give you the most flexibility will be 1. renting a car and 2. easing into it and not rushing and acclimatizing properly.

And as others mentioned, focus on pace, hydrating, resting and watching what you eat ahead of those early alpine starts. Also building in a backup day is a good idea for weather or health related issues which may thwart your well-laid plans. If for whatever reason you can't rent a car or drive, your options will be more limited.

Bierstadt and Blue Sky (fka Mt Evans) are good choices for starters. Look on this site for the peak rating; any of the class 1 or even class 2 peaks it should be fine.

Good luck.

[mtnkub]

How much time do you have? In either case, especially for your first trip to higher elevation, i second the "climb high, sleep low" suggestion. (In this case, "sleeping low" would still be ~9000ft).

And for a good first intro into high altitude, i always recommend Mt Sniktau from Loveland pass (or hiking up there as far as you get, depending on how much time you have). I think it is a good test to see how you react to exercise at altitude. And for me, some moderate exercise at altitude makes the next days at altitude better.

Bierstadt is a great choice for a 1st 14er. Blue Sky also, but the trail from Summit lake -while short for a 14er- might be hard for beginners. More importantly, i believe the road to summit lake will remain closed this year. The alternate routes are all much longer, making Quandary or Sherman better options for 1st 14ers. All of these will likely be crowded, so avoid weekends if you can.

As for snow, check the "peak conditions" on this site closer to your trip.

[HokieTom]

Welcome to the 14K club! Back in my 40's, I took each son to the Grand Canyon when they turned 16. The Grand Canyon is at 7K and it would take me a day in a half to get over the headaches and shortness of breath. I caught the 14K bug almost 5 years ago at age 62 and I have hit a total of 32 peaks over 14K. Here are a few things that I do and have done during this time and I can honestly report that I am in better shape now, than I was in my 40's:

1. I live in Eastern Virginia, 155' above sea level. My normal routine before getting into elevation mode is lift twice a week, and 3 or 4 cardio days per week (60 minutes per day). My elevation routine is even more zone 2 cardio (pulse no more than 120) and road miles, as well as lifting twice a week. I am heading out to Colorado next weekend. I have done 16 days of cardio in May (8 miles each day, takes me around 90 minutes). I have also done 64 miles of road hiking the last 2 weeks, so far. This weekend I will do at least 10-12 miles a day, plus my normal cardio, so 18-20 miles per day this weekend. Then I begin to taper my cardio and road miles down to 6 per day by next Saturday.

2. I fly into Denver as early as possible, and drive to the nearest road mountain pass to get the acclimation started. Due to #1, I can get up to 12K without any shortness of breath or headaches. I will also hike a little around the pass and eat lunch. The next day, I hike a low 13'er in the area I am starting. Day 2, hike a 14'er without any problems. I am by no means a fast hiker. I get an early start, hydrate with electrolytes, eat fruit, trail mix, ham and cheese roll-ups, and energy bars. Depending on the miles and elevation gain, I can do another 14'er the next day or take a day off.

Enjoy your adventures!

[seannunn]

Not a lot of reasonable options without a vehicle. Rent something cheap for a few days. I know that's more money, but save by not sleeping in a hotel. Either camp somewhere, car camp somewhere, etc.
Bierstadt or Grays Peak can be done in one day from high trailheads. I would opt for one of those as opposed to trying to go halfway up something and then sleeping (not well) near treeline.
Short version; fly to Denver, rent a cheap vehicle, sleep somewhere cheap/free, drive to Bierstadt or Gray's EARLY in the morning (think 4am), and give it your best shot from there. Descend and reverse the process.
Since you won't have time to acclimate: drink a ton of water, don't overpack for a day hike, start early, and start slow.
Just my opinion.

Sean Nunn
Peculiar, MO

[peter303]

Lack of vehicle will be a serious problem. Due to parking issues at Quandary, Breckenridge runs a bus to its trailhead in the summer. Quandary is good relatively easy first 14er to judge your fitness and equipment. You can also get to Breckenridge from Denver via Bustang and Summit Country free busses.

Sleeping a might irbtwo in Summit County before a 14er attempt will help greatly with acclimitization.

[nyker]

On these bus / public transportation options, thinking for the OP in the event they cannot get a car at all, should they assume they'd need to take the bus at best the day before and not be able to take a bus the same day to enable an alpine start?

[boudreaux]

I met a guy like you coming from North Carolina last year on Bierstadt. He was coming from 800' above sea level. He did Quandary the day before, but was having a little trouble getting going just after crossing the creek and just starting the climb. He was having serious doubts, I could see it plainly on his face. He didn't think he could do it.

Ok, the point I'm making here is you're going to need to be mentally tough and grind through it. It's not easy to do 14ers, plain and simple, they're hard. I like to say some are less hard than others, but you get the point. You have someone with you to share the suffering and misery of climbing a big mountain. That is a major part of the battle won for you. You will be able to help and encourage each other. Here's something you might want to consider though if the situation arises. If you happen to meet a couple of hikers roughly your age, you might want to ask if they mind a little extra company on the trail. Tell them what your plan is. You could call them Mountain Angels or whatever. I bet they would have no problem with you joining their party. Bonus points are you would make new friends.

I held out my hand and introduced myself and asked him if he would like to join me on the way to the top. We got to know each other well on the 3 hour climb. Not bad for a guy from NC. He did all the things you did in his training for this trip. I thought he was very strong. Once he got going he was fine. Just needed a little help that's all.

I'm sure you will experience some of this. It's just part of the program. I guess some could call it the doldrums, malaise, or mild altitude sickness. Water is the key! Day 2 is probably going to be that day for you maybe. Who knows?

I'm 63, it took quite a few years to fight through this crap. A lot to ask to try to do it in a few short days. Not impossible, but well worth the effort.

Good Luck on your climbs. Just get a rental car.