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Here's the information I always look for: Drive time from Colorado Springs: 2 hours 40 min Start Time: 8:20am Peak Time: 11:08am Back to car: 1:25pm
I've been wanting to do another 14er since my last one 2 months ago but it just didn't work out until this weekend. I heard Bierstadt was pretty much the easiest 14er so I was able to get my flat lander friend to join me and my roommate on this hike. It wasn't as easy as I expected but still not bad. My friend made it to at least 13,000 feet but stopped after she was starting to get a headache. My roommate and I continued without her to the Peak (which was only another 20min ahead).
I didn't take any pictures until the way back so I'm doing these backwards. Here is the beginning. As you can see from the cars it was a busy day.
The first part was pretty and an easy hike.
Crossing the stream was fun until I lost my balance and got my shoe wet. Good thing it was a warm day though so I wasn't sloshing around too long.
This part is lovely but go quickly. There's a lot of bugs and it smells like cow dung.
It gradually starts to get steeper but still not too bad.
A little less than half way and you can see the peak.
Compared to other mountains this trail isn't that long.
As it gets steeper I am reminded that no 14er is "easy." This one is just less difficult. It was shortly after this that my flat lander friend called it a day.
My roommate telling me that we're almost there.
The last stretch through the boulder field is actually really fun. It's easy to lose the trail but it's also easy to find it again. You're just going up anyway. I wouldn't have minded if the whole mountain was these boulders (well maybe not )
We made it! This was my roommate's 5th 14er and my 3rd. It's such a great feeling to make it to the top. 3/4 of the way you feel pretty tired but once you reach to top you're like "when are we doing it again?"
Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):
It was a beautiful day. Coyotes were howling around 7am. When I summitted there were about 5 people on top. I must of past 75 or more on the way down. I was back at my car about the time you summitted.
I was one of those 75 people. I guess everyone thought 8:00-8:30 would be a good time to start climbing since I only remember a few people on their way down as we were going up and a zillion people at the summit. I‘m used to crowds though. Maybe my next peak will be a less popular one.
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