This has become one of the busiest summer 14er routes so the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (CFI) has recently made some major trail improvements to support the increased traffic. Taken from Guanella Pass,
1 shows the route. Locate the Bierstadt Trail and begin descending east toward Scott Gomer Creek -
2. Weave through willows on wooden bridges and trail sections for nearly a mile (
3 and
4) to reach the creek
, near 11,500' -
5. Cross the creek and continue through willows as you approach Bierstadt's west slopes. Near 11,800', switch back up a steep slope as you exit the willows -
6. Reach flatter terrain, near 12,300' on the north end of a shoulder
.
With the remaining route in view, hike southeast up the shoulder -
7. Pass an overlook at 12,600' and continue higher -
8 and
9. Near 13,000' the terrain starts to get a bit steeper -
10. Following the obvious trail (
11 and
12), zigzag up to a ridge
crest, near 13,750' -
13. Walk northeast to reach the base of the final pitch -
14. The summit isn't visible but only 250 feet of elevation gain remains. This is the crux of the route and the reason it's rated Class 2. Without a trail, work your way up through the boulders, staying on or just left of the ridge crest -
15. When the pitch eases, walk a bit further to reach the summit
-
16 and
17.
GPX Track
NOTICE
