Hi there!
I'm looking for an easy 14er near Telluride for my first ever 14er. I'm planning on attempting Handies June 21st 2016, but there are a few things I'm concerned about. First, I don't have a 4wd car. Will it be possible for me to get to American Basin TH without 4wd or will I need to hike for a ways? Secondly, I've heard that it's a bad idea to attempt this alone. I'm a 28yr old female from Georgia with rock climbing skills, but have never been to elevation. I'm going to acclimate in Telluride for 4 days prior to hiking. Are there groups who hike together that I can join?
Any advice would be much appreciated!
Handies and American Basin
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alwise
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logan14er
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Re: Handies and American Basin
Handies certainly would be a good, low vertical peak, if you have a 4wd. If you don't, you'll have to use Grizzly Gulch, which is 3500 vert or something.
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Old Hickory
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Re: Handies and American Basin
I hiked Handies from American Basin as my first 14er but you definitely can't get there without 4wd. Grizzly Gulch can be reached from Lake City with 2wd as long as you go slow in some places. The route (East Slopes) is steeper and longer than American Basin (Southwest Slopes) but there's a well-defined trail.logan14er wrote:Handies certainly would be a good, low vertical peak, if you have a 4wd. If you don't, you'll have to use Grizzly Gulch, which is 3500 vert or something.
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mr_Chris
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Re: Handies and American Basin
Were you planning to stay in Lake City the night before you hike? Without 4wd, Lake City is a decent drive from Telluride (maybe 3 hours?), and from there the drive to the Grizzly Gulch TH will be another 45 mins to an hour (and American Basin is a ways past there even). Handies is a beautiful and one of the "easiest" 14er hikes (at least from American Basin), but it is still going to take you some time to get there from Telluride. It would make for a very long day to drive from Telluride to Grizzly Gulch, hit the summit, descend and drive back to Telluride again.
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alwise
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Re: Handies and American Basin
Well, right now my plan is to try and make it to American Basin from Telluride. Taking 145, 62 and finally 550 to Ouray. From Ouray I'll take roads 18 and 2 to Animas Forks then over to Country Road 30. It looks like it'll take about 2.5 hours, but I'm concerned that the last 10 miles are not going to work with my little sedan. Does that make sense? If I do it I'll probably leave Telluride at 5am. Any experience on those roads?
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spiderman
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Re: Handies and American Basin
A tough passenger car (TPC) can make it very close to the American Basin TH. I drove my dinged up Civic with 0.9 miles of the TH without too many bumps and scrapes. If you have a rental car with extra insurance, you should have absolutely no problem. Lots of camping options along the road if you want to sleep there the night before.
Handies is a very popular peak and you will see many other people on the trail. My son and I climbed it exactly a year before your expected climb date and we saw about 40 other people including a couple of overweight guys from Georgia who turned around a half hour before the peak. You probably can find someone of about your hiking speed going up the trail and team up. This isn't Northern Georgia so you don't have to worry about too many deranged psychos on the mountain. There was still a large amount of snow on some portions of the trail. This year, that portion of Colorado has similar snowpack to last year so be prepared for mixed travel on snow and dirt.
Anybody else have thoughts on trail conditions and recommended gear (microspikes for sure, ice ax maybe)?
Handies is a very popular peak and you will see many other people on the trail. My son and I climbed it exactly a year before your expected climb date and we saw about 40 other people including a couple of overweight guys from Georgia who turned around a half hour before the peak. You probably can find someone of about your hiking speed going up the trail and team up. This isn't Northern Georgia so you don't have to worry about too many deranged psychos on the mountain. There was still a large amount of snow on some portions of the trail. This year, that portion of Colorado has similar snowpack to last year so be prepared for mixed travel on snow and dirt.
Anybody else have thoughts on trail conditions and recommended gear (microspikes for sure, ice ax maybe)?
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mr_Chris
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Re: Handies and American Basin
The route you are looking at is on the Alpine Loop. I've never driven on it, but it is a pretty intense 4wd road that I wouldn't count on to get you across to Lake City in your car. The best way (and probably quicker, actually, even though it is much longer) is to go north to Montrose, take 50 toward Gunnison, then south on 149 into Lake City. There really aren't any easy "through roads" across that pass unfortunately.
Everyone's tastes are a little different, but as a first timer, I think you'd be much better off heading somewhere the afternoon before you hike and stay the night closer to your destination then trying to get there (and back) in a day from Telluride. That may even open you up to really any hike in the state, if you want to try a more accessible one closer to Denver. depending on how far you want to drive.
Everyone's tastes are a little different, but as a first timer, I think you'd be much better off heading somewhere the afternoon before you hike and stay the night closer to your destination then trying to get there (and back) in a day from Telluride. That may even open you up to really any hike in the state, if you want to try a more accessible one closer to Denver. depending on how far you want to drive.
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mcmanusj
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Re: Handies and American Basin
There is a zero percent chance you will be able to drive that road in a sedan.alwise wrote:Well, right now my plan is to try and make it to American Basin from Telluride. Taking 145, 62 and finally 550 to Ouray. From Ouray I'll take roads 18 and 2 to Animas Forks then over to Country Road 30. It looks like it'll take about 2.5 hours, but I'm concerned that the last 10 miles are not going to work with my little sedan. Does that make sense? If I do it I'll probably leave Telluride at 5am. Any experience on those roads?
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LarryM
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Re: Handies and American Basin
I HAVE done that road in a Mercedes SUV, but (a) I wouldn't recommend it, it was stupid, (b) it was hairy, (c) absolutely no way that it could be done in a sedan.
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alwise
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Re: Handies and American Basin
HA! Well, that answers that question. Does anyone know of a 2wd accessible 14er near Telluride? I'm willing to drive a few hours if need be.
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mr_Chris
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Re: Handies and American Basin
Sneffels is outside of Ouray. The road up Yankee Boy Basin is a rough 2wd for most of it, and I'd recommend parking below the 4wd part and hiking or hitching a ride from there. The standard route is kind of a loose rocky mess, and the col above 13,500 and the notch at the top of it isn't exactly a walk up, but with your rock climbing abilities you may be ok. I wouldn't necessarily consider it a "beginner" peak, but it is also not overly technical, relatively short and probably the most accessible one from Telluride.alwise wrote:HA! Well, that answers that question. Does anyone know of a 2wd accessible 14er near Telluride? I'm willing to drive a few hours if need be.
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TomPierce
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Re: Handies and American Basin
I believe the closest drive to a 14er from Telluride would be Mt. Sneffels via the Blue Lakes Road/route. Easy drive, but a non-standard route up the peak. Good luck, be safe.alwise wrote:HA! Well, that answers that question. Does anyone know of a 2wd accessible 14er near Telluride? I'm willing to drive a few hours if need be.
-Tom
