Hike Mt Shavano in July with family

[two lunches]

I would take some kind of hard look at Mt Ouray

the east ridge route for mt ouray is the nicest 13er route i've been on- and probably in better shape than the shav trail until CFI finishes the reconstruction project in a couple years. this is an awesome substitution if you're trying to stay in the same area. the approach through the aspens is beautiful, the little grove around 12K in the seat of the devils armchair is really unique, and it's a centennial, so hardly different than a 14er anyway. when i climbed it last year, i got a little confused because some super intelligent folks parked two campers and some sxs in the parking lot in front of the trailhead (a lot of people walked through their campsite while they were still sleeping), however parking was available along the road.

after your hike, o'haver lake (can be accessed off marshall pass road) makes a great spot for a lunch break. iirc, there was a small fee to pay to park by the lake for a few hours, and it was definitely worth it.

solid recommendation, jibby!!

[KState14er]

If you decide on Huron you'll need a high clearance vehicle to reach the start of the trailhead. Otherwise, you'll be adding a few more miles to your trek. Although Huron has less elevation gain and is shorter, it is not much easier. It starts out pretty steep by going right up through the forest! I guess you'll know quickly enough how everyone is handling the jaunt. As already mentioned, it is a prettier hike.

+1. It's not that Huron is technically challenging, but it is a really steep walkup. Man, is it pretty out there though. Good luck.

No 14er is easy, of course especially for the little ones. I started my 14er list with Massive and Pikes as a 12 year old.

I think Huron just has a little more going on to keep the kids engaged — start in the forest with some flora and fauna, nice views all around above the trees, switchbacks make for easier hiking and easy stopping points for intermediate goals (“we can rest at the next turn”), beautiful views, nice tundra (with marmots probably). Just my two cents!

Shavano tends tends to be just a bunch of rocks without much of a view until the top. And I’d say the southern mountains of the Sawatch are much less scenic than the northern ones.

[mtnkub]

Ouray east ridge may be shorter than Shavano, but is much harder. Ouray west ridge may not be harder than Shavano, but is longer. Both Ouray routes would have less crowds and be more of an adventure, but that doesn't seem like what the group of the OP is looking for exactly. So, imho, Ouray does NOT make for a good first 14er for children (aside from the fact that it is not a 14er).

[jibler]

I would take some kind of hard look at Mt Ouray



solid recommendation, jibby!!

i only just now saw this - i do get the vibe that ouray is a solid option despite not doing it myself yet.


but you know - you could take your entire crew up cottonwood pass and just bust up either side of the pass as high as the team will allow? That seems like the best fallback for this quest.