Mt. Bierstadt

Route: West Slopes
Posted On: 5/11/2025, By: Nashoba
Info: The road to the pass was closed at the winter trailhead still but was plowed. We started at 4:30am and the snow got soft fast after sunrise. In the dark we were able to mostly stay on top of the ice without snowshoes but the main face of the peak got too soft by the time we reached it and we had to turn around. A few people made it up without snowshoes but it was a huge energy expenditure the last few hundred feet. My cell phone fell out of my pocket, so if you see a Google Pixel 7 in a dark blue case please PM me. 

Route: West Slopes
Posted On: 5/5/2025, By: grofovad
Info: The road is still closed, adding about 1.8 miles each way to the hike. While there’s no snow on the road itself, there are plenty of icy patches—mostly black ice. We often walked along the snow-covered shoulder when the road became too slick. On the return, the ice had started melting, so walking back down was much easier. We started around 3:30 AM, and the snow was frozen solid—no postholing at all. We didn’t need snowshoes or even spikes. I highly recommend an early start to avoid postholing later in the day. Once the sun is up, the reflection off the snow can make it feel surprisingly warm. Enjoy and stay safe out there! 

Route: West Slopes
Posted On: 4/27/2025, By: bmcqueen
Info: I started about 5:30 am, and never had to put on my snowshoes today. I’m sure later in the day, there is some wallowing in the willows, but the snow bridges were all still intact on my descent (back to car 11:30). Creek crossing is still non-existent, but that won’t last much longer. Spikes were nice for the firm snow on the summit ridge. 

Route: West Slopes
Posted On: 4/11/2025, By: olivernoyes
Info: Began our ascent from the road closure at around 8:00PM and summited just before midnight. The road closure added 3-ish miles round-trip. Conditions were ideal; low wind, clear skies, and a near full moon—no headlamp required. Flotation was nice to have through the meadow; the road and ridge were hard-packed and could be traveled without snowshoes. Did not use flotation on descent. Got back to the road closure at 2:00AM. 10.5 miles round trip, and took about 6 hours. Fantastic evening! 

Route: West Slopes
Posted On: 4/8/2025, By: Danger_D
Info: Photo for the skiers wondering about if it’s skiable…it’s definitely not. Taken form Argentine 

Route: West Slopes
Posted On: 4/8/2025, By: 4danil
Info: Road to summer parking is closed and packed solid. Flotation is a must for the first mile after the summer parking, and can be useful up to ~13k, especially in the afternoon. Brought spikes but never used them. Very windy between 12.5k and 13.7k but calm on the summit. 8 people total on the slopes that day. 

Route: West Slopes
Posted On: 3/28/2025, By: mtn14
Info: It's springtime - which means flotation time on Guenella Pass. Snow was firm in the trench in the morning, but even at 6a on the road walk, the snow just outside the trench was already post-holing. We tagged the summit around 10:30a, and did fine with just micro-spikes all the way up. We finally switched to snow shoes on the way back after post holing several times as we neared the willows. Maybe these next systems will bring a good freeze to firm up the snow, but I can't imagine having any fun in the willows after noon without flotation under today's conditions. Also: mosquitos already beginning to buzz around the trailhead. Beyond that, it was a georgeous day, as always, on Bierstadt! 

Route: West Slopes
Posted On: 3/9/2025, By: shaines90
Info: Road is super well trenched out: skin tracks, snowshoe tracks, boot tracks all aplenty. After the summer trailhead, the main trail is super chewed out from people postholing into it in days prior. Continuous mostly-firm snow coverage from summer trailhead to the summit, but had softened significantly by early afternoon. I didn't use traction or flotation all the way to the summit, and actually stashed my snowshoes at about 12500', but did grab them and wear them all the way back to the car on the way back. With more softening due to the warm temps in the days to come, flotation will be more valuable in the days to come before the next storm rolls through. 

Route: West Slopes
Posted On: 3/3/2025, By: hberry
Info: Not much to update since the report on 2/28. I skinned to about 13.5kish feet taking the skis off several times because it was continuous dirt or rocks. There is no reasonable way to ski from the summit unless you want to go down the South facing bowl which is certainly an avalanche death trap at this point. On the ski down the snow is extremely thin and awful turns. Saw 5 other people who all hiked/snowshoed to the summit. If I was not training for a multi day hut trip this would not have been on my list to skin right now. All may chance tomorrow with the new snow though... 

Route: West Slopes
Posted On: 2/28/2025, By: HikesInGeologicTime
Info: Perfect day to pick up a February grid slot or a first fourteener, as were the motives of those who summited. Plenty of Choose Your Own Adventure for snowshoe tracks to follow from two switchbacks below Guanella Pass, many crossing the lake, which made my partner and me nervous enough due to how hot it has been and got in the afternoon that we went to elaborate lengths to avoid it on the way out, though I did hear that it was perfectly solid this afternoon. Refreshed remnants of existing trench along the trail that I imagine had gotten blown in during the week up to around 12.4k, then shortcut directly up snow more or less to the ridge. Given how rapidly a lot of the snow had melted by afternoon, I would recommend filling in the rest of the trench along the entirety of the summer trail, which had been pretty well packed down the steepest slope by the time we descended in the afternoon. Enough rocks/grass/dirt poking through above the willows that made me stand behind my decision to stick to slowshoes instead of skis today, though those willing to portage skis for varying distances until back in the willows (or justify buying a new pair by trashing their old ones) might still find it worthwhile. There is enough snow in enough places going high enough up the mountain with warm enough temps, especially in the afternoon, that I found flotation extremely useful. 

Route: West Slopes
Posted On: 2/23/2025, By: deepdarkseas
Info: Beautiful day on the mountain. Well established trench on the road but flotation mandatory above treeline, windblown snow quickly covers any tracks. One party who had gone without snowshoes was forced to turn around and I would have too had I not brought them. Generously filled-in lines on the west slope would allow for a continuous ski descent almost from the summit to the winter closure. 

Route: West Slopes
Posted On: 2/17/2025, By: jace_reber
Info: Almost the same as summer, snow coverage very patchy at the time of hiking it. Micro spikes/crampons not needed but could be used. 

Route: West Slopes
Posted On: 2/10/2025, By: sheller
Info: Road is closed from the winter trailhead, so plan on an extra 3 miles. Conditions were great. Snowshoes not needed. Spikes were helpful. Mostly frozen snow on the trail and not very deep. 

Route: West Slopes
Posted On: 1/5/2025, By: rmlee29
Info: Super high winds so there was lots of windswept snow. Used snowshoes until ~12.2k. Didn't bother with microspikes after that; they could've helped but weren't necessary. Trail was mostly visible until 12.5-13k. As for the road, don't bother trying to cut the switchbacks. Tried the last one, but after the latest storm + wind, I was sinking well over knee deep (with snowshoes on). Staying on the road was much quicker. Took 8.5 hours total, but I was also dealing with high winds (-20 windchill @ 13k). 

Route: West Slopes
Posted On: 12/22/2024, By: connorhoak
Info: Great day out, wind wasnt a factor at all until the afternoon. Packed snow most of the way up, spikes were nice to have. The peak was mostly exposed rock and dirt but there was a trail through some snow too, so a couple of options to make the summit.