Summit Lake (Mt. Evans)

Distance: 300ft to 0.25 mile
Elevation: 12,830 ft
Elevation Gain: Negligible


Summit Lake on Mt. Evans
Two years ago, my hiking buddy twisted her ankle and we were moping about wishing we could get into the high country. Alas, we live in Colorado and it dawned us that we could get there the easy way, by driving. I would have much rather have hiked to Summit Lake but what’s a girl to do with her foot in a boot?


View on the drive up to the lake
The road up Mt. Evans is scenic at every turn. Be prepared, however, to pay the $10 fee that the forest service has initiated. I have a friend who is a Ranger on Mt. Evans and he has told me that people are rebelling against this fee and are refusing to pay, saying that they won’t get out of the car. Don’t bother playing this game. You are going to want to get out of the car and a $10 fee is a small price to pay for the extraordinary views that await you.


View of Chicago Basin from the far end of the lake
The lake is only a few hundred feet from the parking lot…easily doable in a boot. We even ventured to the far end of the lake (0.25 miles) to the Chicago Lakes Basin. This view is worth strolling to and if my friend the Iron Maiden can make it, then you certainly have no excuse.


Rocks and peaks from the lake
Be sure to admire the summit of Mt. Evans and Mt. Spaulding that surround the lake and imagine yourself slogging to the summit the old fashioned way.

Quandary Peak

Distance: 6.75 miles RT
Elevation: 10,850-14,265 ft
Elevation Gain: 3,450 ft

Quandary Peak (14,265 ft) viewed from the East Ridge
Technically, Quandary Peak is one of the easier 14ers. There is no large scree dome at the top to navigate and minimal exposure. There are also large rock steps placed frequently along the route so that at times I felt like I was on a Stairmaster instead of a mountain. I have long legs and was able to easily navigate these steps. My two companions were shorter and these step-ups were more difficult. Still, since they have redone the trail and laid gravel down, I would say Quandary Peak is actually harder than Mt. Bierstadt, which is several peaks higher on the difficulty scale. This is all subjective of course. Which is harder, navigating a large boulder-like scree pile or descending for 2 hours on loose gravel? While I was happy for my ankle high boots, there were many hikers wearing running shoes. The slip potential was so high, I am not sure that is the best choice but that again is subjective. I know folk who prefer running shoes saying they are more limber, maneuverable, and more padded.

The lower part of the trail is in the trees.

The elevation gain on Quandary is nothing to laugh at, but given a nice day without pressure from the weather, anyone who has either exercised regularly or who is very determined can achieve the summit. As it was, two flatlanders who had just flow in the night before, zoomed up the trail ahead of us. As I stopped to take pictures, they grew steadily smaller as the distance between us grew. If these folks can hike this “hill”, what is your excuse? Climbing a 14er is the quintessential Colorado experience. Everyone should try it at least once in their life.

Northstar Mountain viewed from the left side of Quandary's ridge

The trail for Quandary begins in the trees. It takes you to the right of the ridge, close to the McCullough Gulch side but then winds back towards the Blue Lakes side. At one point the trees open up with a great view of the summit in the distance. On a closer slope you can see a trail cut into the hillside. This is actually the old trail. The new trail goes around the left side of this hill and steeply ascends the far side to the top of the ridge rather than traversing the broad flat top of the ridge itself. I am not sure why they rerouted the trail this way. It may have been concerns over erosion control.

Monte Cristo Gulch and Blue Lakes
The views of Blue Lakes are very dramatic as you near 12,000 ft. Monte Cristo Gulch is bordered to the south by a jagged ridgeline that joins North Star Mountain to the east and Wheeler Mountain to the west. The damn at the end of the Gulch is the starting point for the West Ridge route up Quandary. This route is much more exposed and should only attempted by more experienced climbers. Just last week a renowned chef from Missouri died on Quandary on this route. Earlier in June another climber nearly died after a horrible tumble down the Monte Cristo couloir.

Quandary summit viewed from the left

If you can take you eyes off the view and look upwards, you can see the top of the East Ridge above you. This ridge sits at 13,150 ft, so by the time you reach it, pat yourself on the back and be aware that oxygen deprivation is going to increase significantly.

Heading up to the ridge at 13,150 ft

From Hwy 9, you can see this ridge and the summit beyond. From that angle, you can see that there is a large drop and rise between them. I was afraid we were going to have to descend a significant distance before rising again but the ridge continues on the narrow left side without a loss of elevation. From there the summit is one mile and 1,100 ft of elevation gain away. It looks worse than it is. The trail, still filled with gravel, but occasionally dirt, winds its way up and over small piles of scree. Only on the lower, and first pile, did I need to pull myself up occasionally with my hands. This is the zone of walk 30 yards, breathe, breathe, breathe…repeat. This area is not technically difficult but is frustratingly slow. I was not able to find a pace at which I could just keep going without stopping. Elevation does make a difference. At 9,000 ft this sort of grade would not wind me.

On the East Ridge, a little farther up

On the narrow portion of the ridge

I have had friends tell me that they dislike Quandary Peak because of this ridge. Each succeeding pile of scree blocks the upper portions of the ridge and gives the illusion that it will be the last. Alas, you will be able to see the last pile and the summit just off to the left so until you do, don’t be fooled and just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

First large scree pile on the upper 1,000 ft

The last false summit

As I mentioned before, there is no large boulder field at the top of Quandary. You can stroll across its top with ease. The views to the west are by far the most dramatic. You can clearly see Mount of the Holy Cross and Notch Top in the distance. Closer in, just across the West Ridge is the Fletcher Mountain and the backside of Mayflower Gulch. To the north is the cone-shaped Crystal Peak. To the south you can clearly view Mt. Democrat, Lincoln, and Bross, and can even see some of the trails that connect these three. On that massif, there is a sharp decent from Democrat up to Lincoln that looks unappealing. The route from Lincoln to Bross looks much more smooth. That will probably be next summers trip.

The summit is in sight.

The journey down from the summit was an exercise in drudgery. This is not unique to Quandary but I do think the level of focus required to survive the gravel made it worse. I had forgotten how much rock there was on the route until I had to descend through it. When ascending you tend to ignore this sort of detail while consumed with summit fever. I was almost joyous to see dirt again.

View from the summit looking northwest towards Crystal Peak

View from the summit looking at a hiker coming up the West Ridge

The trip through the trees was different on the way down. The sun was high in the sky, and the grasses both on the slope and down the neighboring valleys were verdant green. We had been blessed by excellent weather, and could have slept in a little if we had wanted to. Unfortunately, you just can’t trust Colorado’s weather so it is better to start early regardless of the forecast. As it was, by the time we were down in Breckenridge feeding on a well-deserved burger, large storm clouds had begun to form over the summit.

Back down, looking at the green hills of Summit County

I would not recommend Quandary as your first 14er, but if you plan to do a few, it should be on your list. It has a more mountaineering feel to it than Bierstadt, Grays, or Torreys without being technical. It will give you a fantastic sense of accomplishment and a great calf workout. It is still a mountain, and every mountain has its dangers however. We saw people in cut off tops with no sunscreen. We saw babies in backpacks with no sunscreen or glasses. Take Quandary seriously folks. Safety, fitness, and standard preventive measures are essential on Quandary and on any Colorado trail. There is no Starbucks up here nor is there a five minute paramedic response. As always, treat the Wilderness with the respect it deserves.

Note: Jan 2008, I have a nice broad view of Quandary Peak on my Baker's Tank Snowshoe

Discover your Inner Julie Andrews on Mt. Bierstadt

Trail Length: 7 miles round trip
Elevation: 11,669-14,060 ft
Elevation gain: 2,850 ft
Difficulty: Strenuous
Critters: Big Horn Sheep, peak baggers galore


Left to right, Mt. Evans (14,264 ft) and Mt. Bierstadt (14,060 ft) as seen from the Square Top trail. This photo is mine. The rest in this post are courtesy of Lynn Johnson.
Mt. Bierstadt is one of Colorado's 53 14ers. Technically it is one of the easiest and the views of lush Guanella Pass make it doubly appealing. There was a time when slogging across the willow infested valley before beginning the climb used to be a soggy mess. Now, with the addition of a boardwalk, this part of the hike is a walk in the park.

Things get serious after the willows when the trail climbs up to a broad shoulder. The views from this place make it a worthy destination in itself for those interested in a shorter hike. It still has some elevation gain to provide sufficient bragging rights and a wide area for picnicking and people watching. You can hold up Olympic score cards measuring lung capacity as folks crest over the shoulder. You'll see everything from small children to trail runners using Beirstadt to train for the Leadville 100. When no one is looking, do your best Julie Andrews imitation and twirl around. At high altitude motion sickness takes on a whole new meaning.


Big Horn Sheep on the road
The more able bodied will want to continue up the trail which rises steeply into the distance. It is rocky but the use of poles quickly adds needed stability. Stop as often as necessary and tell everyone you need a view break. Turn around, face down trail, suck wind, and admire the increasingly expansive views of Guanella Pass. I found that I was able to zip up the trail with no quad burn whatsoever but that the inevitable effects of high altitude did have me breathing heavily. Perhaps I should have slowed down a bit because near the upper ridge the trail started getting a bit blurry. We wouldn't want it to be TOO easy, now would we.


Looking down on the shoulder
Hikers get a nice break on the upper ridge which is flat but full of scree. Take your time crossing. A twisted ankle at this point would make getting down a challenge. The final cone of scree is a jumble and hikers just find their way from rock to rock with little coherence.


Another view from higher up
We were lucky and the weather was beautiful. We stayed on the summit for over an hour just gawking at the rolling green hills below us. I have been chased off of Guanella so many times by lightening that I have developed a neurotic paranoia about the place but this day there was barely a wisp of a cloud. I still eyed them carefully because Guanella is notorious for brewing storms at explosive rates.


Lynn snacks before tackling the final skree pile.
From the summit, Mt. Evans feels like it is within spitting distance and you can see all the tourists who drove up to that summit. "Look Vern there are mountain climbers over there!" With more time and a car shuttle, you can cross the sawtooth that connects the two peaks and bag two in one day. I have several friends who have done this and say it is easier than it looks and well worth doing.


View from the summit looking west.
So, for those of you who have never climbed a 14er, give Mt. Bierstadt a try. It is an easy walk up but will require you to have gotten off the couch in the last year. Some scrambling is required in the scree field so bring your gloves as well. Do it like I did and take the day off of work to avoid the crowds and meditate on why we love living in Colorado.