Elbert is the highest point in colorado, and the second highest mountain in the lower 48, the hike via the northeast ridge is relatively easy, and relatively safe. Trail counters used by the us forest service on mount bierstadt and at three trailheads serving 14ers. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. Most mountaineering enthusiasts recommend starting with mt. It was named for albert bierstadt, a popular painter of.
Mount bierstadt is one of colorados easier and more trafficked 14ers. In winter this makes a great multiday winter ascent. Feb 08, 2017 mount bierstadt, colorados friendliest fourteener, is now less demanding than ever. While absolutely packed on any summer weekend with beginning hikers, experts, and trailrunners alike, mt. Bierstadt is stunning and its really cool to see the crowd of people on bierstadt from another 14er. Mount bierstadt is a high mountain summit of the colorado peaks in the front range of the rocky mountains of north america. This is a popular mountain being relatively easy and closes to denver so start early to beat the. An introduction to hiking colorados 14ers denverdavis.
The locals guide to the 12 easiest colorado 14ers for beginners. Be able to tell your friends that you conquered the sawtooth. Mount evans featured on 14ers maps 1 of 16 is the 14er peak most prominently visible from denver and one of only a handful where one can drive almost to the summit. Bierstadt west slopes trail is classified by 14ers. Bierstadt georgetown 2020 all you need to know before. This popular mountain is an easy drive from denver.
They say this is the easiest of the 14ers but a mountain is still a mountain. Bierstadt west slopes trail is a great one to get you started, but it is still not without its challenges. Mount bierstadt, west slopes route outdoor project. Mount bierstadt hike colorado 14er full guide and gps. Mount bierstadt is one of colorados most popular, and easiest fourteeners. The above information does not replace the need to consult additional maps and colorado fourteener guidebooks for more detailed route descriptions. Protrails mt bierstadt, guanella pass mount bierstadt. Formed in 2000 by breckenridge, colorado resident bill middlebrook, 14ers. Thanks to an expansive valley floor, views of the surrounding peaks including other front range 14ers torreys peak, grays peak, mt. Download the 2018 colorado 14er hiking use report in pdf. Mount bierstadt is considered one of the most accessible 14ers in colorado, nearby denver and well maintained, but that doesnt mean its a stroll in the park. This route is named in gerry roachs 14er book as combo 3. A beginners guide to hiking a 14er get ready to hike your first colorado 14er with these tips hiking one of colorado s 14ers is a quintessential summer activity for many outdoor enthusiasts, and tackling these 14,000plus foot giants is a fulfilling challenge. Apr 28, 2019 colorados famed 14,000plus foot peaks draw a crowd of hiking and mountain climbing enthusiasts.
Or maybe it was a library book my husband brought home, called the colorado 14ers. The oncefearsome or at least highly annoying willow swamps at its base have been tamed with boardwalks, and a newly rebuilt road to 11,669foot guanella pass makes it a snap to drive to the trailhead, an hour from denver. We suggest checking multiple resources before departing on any. Colorado 14ers for those coloradoans on here, what 14ers have you hiked that would give a relative beginner ive hiked only one 14er a nice taste of colorado s 14ers.
Bierstadt west slopes hiking trail, georgetown, colorado. This is one of the easiest 14er routes in colorado depending on how far into the trailhead your vehicle will get you. In addition to the peaks i listed, there are plenty of other good starter peaks out there. Jul 24, 2014 mount bierstadt 14,065 ft is a mountain in the front range region of the rocky mountains. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. The 14,065foot 4,287 m fourteener is located in the mount evans wilderness of pike national forest, 9. Colorado s 14ers are among the most soughtafter mountain peaks in the country. Colorados 14ers ranked by popularity outthere colorado.
Evans wilderness area, which requires dogs to be on leash. Bierstadt or grays peak but we opted to hike 14,036 mount sherman, a rounded peak that looms above the western edge of south park. One of the keys to a successful summit is to make sure that youre properly acclimated. 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. The view from the top is wonderful because you can see all the tourists on mt. Aug 04, 2014 the sawtooth is a great traverse that connects mt. This day was another hiking day with a challenging loop of two 14ers on the agenda. Give them as commemorative gifts to your climbing partners. Individual peak stickers are available for each fourteener. Colorados fourteeners, 3rd ed from hikes to climbs. Evans road near,000 and make the high traverse up bierstadt s east ridge, across the sawtooth, up mt. Often referred to as mt bierstadt, this mountain is a member of the colorado 14ers club. Evans and you get a great view of the sawtooth ridge and abyss lake.
The ultimate guide to hiking colorado s fourteeners. Below is a list of the their most important tips for hiking a 14er in colorado during the summer. Besides the joy of the hike itself, bierstadt is a stunning wildflower hike in july and august. I went with a large group of people and we got started early before 5am from guanella pass trailhead. If youre interested in climbing a 14er, read the route description to make sure its within your ability and then print a version for the trail. While mount elbert, the highest point in colorado, was regarded as the mostclimbed fourteener, the nonprofit believes that more are flocking to mount bierstadt. The plan was to camp a couple miles up trail in missouri gulch, and meet a guy from 14ers at 4am to attempt to summit mt belford, mt oxford and though it seemed unlikely to me mt missouri. The hike features stunning views from the trailhead, and is one of the better 14ers for those looking to start trying the bigger mountains in colorado. I would not suggest attempting this mountain solo in the winter but it is a perfect solo hike in the summer. If you are hiking in the early or late part of the season be sure to be ready for some snow and ice as you hike this spectacular colorado peak. This guest post was written by ben and jenna thomas colorado natives, photographers, and authors of international travel blog wild imagining. Evans west ridge, and return to the car down the road.
Five of the easiest 14ers in colorado for beginner hikers. Hiking colorado fourteeners is on many bucket lists, here is your ultimate guide. We took our fourlegged friend, who managed the route better than we did. Bierstadt trail on guanella pass day hikes near denver. Bierstadt provides some excellent views, including but not limited to one of the denver skyline on clear days.
Bierstadt offers a nice climb a bit closer to denver. Aug 23, 20 coming down off mount bierstadt, i crossed paths with one of the most obnoxious dog owners ive ever seen on a mountain. Along with mount evans, bierstadt is the closest 14er to denver. All mountain excursions require planning, and adequate gear. Starting the hike at the guanella pass trailhead, the most popular route up the mountain is via the west slopes. Sunday afternoon i headed down towards buena vista, co. Today i bring you on a hike to the summit of mt bierstadt, co.
This is perhaps colorados easiest and most accessible 14er, just an hour and change from denver over georgetowns guanella pass. Allinclusive transportation from your denvers union station enables you to skip the hassle of navigating mountain roads and enjoy the stunning natural scenery. Soon after leaving the trailhead hikers will reach the colorado trail ct. Immerse yourself in the natural beauty of the colorado rockies on an 8hour tour to breckenridge. With high clearance 4wd its fairly straightforward hiking from the trailhead. This book is particularly affordable for the quality of content and print quality, very impressed. Summit a fourteener, mount bierstadt, or go for an easy hike with your family high in colorado s rocky mountains. There are no easy 14ers with the exception of driving to the top of mount evans and pikes peak in your airconditioned car. Though widely considered the most attainable of all colorado 14ers, considerable effort is still required. Besides the joy of the hike itself, bierstadt is a stunning wildflower hike in july and. Colorado s famed 14,000plus foot peaks draw a crowd of hiking and mountain climbing enthusiasts. Because it is generally considered an easy climb, along with its accessibility from nearby denver, mount bierstadt is one of the most popular mountains to climb in colorado.
Lincoln and grays peak are good to start with but i wanted to get some firsthand knowledge to help me out. As experienced colorado hikers, they share with us their favorite beginner fourteeners so. Bierstadt is already at 12,000 ft, which makes this peak one of the easiest 14ers to hike in colorado. There are a variety of routes to the summit of varying difficulty, but expect this to be one of the busiest 14ers in colorado in the summer due to. In short, youve got options on this trail near the top of guanella pass.
The mount bierstadt hike might be the best introduction to a colorado 14er. The trail is wellmarked with steady switchbacks to the top. There are a variety of routes to the summit of varying difficulty, but expect this to be one of the busiest 14ers in colorado in the summer due to the ease of access and proximity to denver and the front range cities. This hike makes for a great introduction to hiking 14ers and one of the best bangforyourbuck hikes in the front range. If youre willing and able to drive even further, there are countless other options.
The boulderites guide to hiking your first 14er your. Considering the moderate difficulty of the hike and the easy driving distance from denver, mount bierstadt is allaround the most accessible 14er in colorado. Colorados 14ers ranked by difficulty outthere colorado. Also, make xref the names in the index list bierstadt, see mt bierstadt, p47 e. Explore the trail snapshot and profile below for hiking, camping, and trail map info. This is a great first 14er if youre new to tackling colorado s highest summits. If you are looking for a hike that wont take all day but still offer a incredible view, mt. The trail is primarily used for hiking, nature trips, and snowboarding and is best used from june until september.
The locals guide to the 12 easiest colorado 14ers for. The colorado mountain club has an unwritten rule saying a summit of a fourteener is only valid if it has at least a 3,000foot elevation gain. Its not much more than an hour outside of denver and the easiest route, the west slopes, only requires a 3 mile, 2391 foot ascent up a class 1 trail to reach its summit. A man and his yellow lab were beginning the climb from bierstadts shoulder up the gnarly boulder field to the summit and the dog was lunging at the end of the leash, pulling. Beginners guide to hiking a 14er rocky mountain health plans. Another 14er i summited in the winter, mount bierstadt is one of the easiest mountains to climb. Situated within the front range and a little over an hours drive west of denver, it is one of the easiest and most accessible ascents to reach this states magic number 14,000 ft 4,267 m. Mount bierstadt is one of colorado s easier and more trafficked 14ers. Parking is about 11,000ft but as you leave the parking the trail goes down to 10,500ft. Evans road near,000 and make the high traverse up bierstadts east ridge, across the sawtooth, up mt. Bierstadt is a bit steeper in spots than grays or quandary, but that just means you get to the top all that much faster. The trail gets quite exposed at times, make no mistake you are climbing a 14er on this hike, take all the same precautions that you would on any other 14er.
Later in the summer i would expect this to be true however at the end of june i encountered a different fate. Hiking bierstadt, evans, and the sawtooth, guanella pass. Bierstadt trail on guanella pass summit a fourteener, mount bierstadt, or go for an easy hike with your family high in colorados rocky mountains. The ease of access, extremely beautiful views and close proximity to denver make it so popular. Hiking mount bierstadt one of colorados most popular 14ers. With new numbers from the forest service, the nonprofit projects the 14,065footer off interstate 70 attracts between 35,000 and 40,000 hikers during the busiest months. Of course, experienced climbers will enjoy this relatively speaking easy mountain as well. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. Locate the bierstadt trail and begin descending east toward scott gomer creek 2.
Vagabonding 101 and tagged 14ers, colorado, dogs, hiking, mount bierstadt. The mount bierstadt hike is a popular trail and a great introduction to hiking a colorado 14er. With a list of over 50 colorado 14ers, there is a lot of hiking, scrambling, mountaineering to be had. Mount evans is unlike almost every other 14er in colorado. According to the guide books, mount bierstadt is supposed to be one of the easier 14ers. If youre ready to lose your 14er virginity, mount bierstadt holds a reputation for a great starter 14er. Two more after that and i started to hike the 0014000 foot category. This is perhaps colorado s easiest and most accessible 14er, just an hour and change from denver over georgetowns guanella pass. In response to seven hiking related deaths on the 14ers of the elk mountain range in 2017, mountain rescue aspen created a mountain safety class that they put on, free of charge, around the state. This site includes directions, trailhead access, elevation, gps points, maps, photography and other links and resources useful for hiking mount bierstadt.
For those looking to get into beginner 14ers, there is a wide range of beautiful peaks to choose from. Evans and lush valley are a constant source of eye candy as well. An introduction to hiking colorado s 14ers over the past few years, ive dragged a number of friends up 14ers with me, answering a lot of questions about. The ultimate guide to hiking colorados fourteeners 5280. It gets its name from several aretes jagged knifelike rock formations that line up to look like the teeth of a saw. Nice ride up guenella pas to the parking for mt bierstadt.
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