Mt. Bierstadt--14,060 Feet of Gorgeous!

Now that the school year's started, the wife and I felt a bit of the "Empty Nester" syndrome, and decided to take on a big hike during that new eight hour span of freedom. Reviewing the distance to summit this very close 14er, we assumed that we could drop the kids at the bus, do the hike, and be back in plenty of time to meet the bus in the afternoon, but sometimes assumptions and nature don't get along too well. . .

View of the Peak from the Trailhead

After getting everyone up, moving, and a variety of lunches packed, we jumped into the car and headed up to the trailhead at the top of Guanella Pass (which connects the 285 and 70 corridors from Grant to Georgetown). It's a beautiful drive, and you pass a good number of beautiful and free National Forest campgrounds along the way. The trailhead has a very nice, big parking lot (which was surprisingly full on this Thursday hike), and the views of the mountain are breathtaking.

High Mountain Stream

There had been a good deal of rain the evening before our hike, and we did get some sprinkles during the drive up, which made us momentarily reconsider the trip, but decided to push on. We arrived at the trailhead at 9:30, which is very late to start a big hike like this one, but we engaged in the hike, hoping to beat the weather. It sprinkled for much of the ascent, but the skies really never opened up. The really dense fauna, strewn with all different sizes of glacial boulders, in combination with the very low and soggy clouds, make the first 2/3 of the hike feel almost like what I'd imagine a stroll in the Scottish Highlands would. Before the real ascent begins, you meander through very thick bushes on a well marked trail, with nice bridges over the boggier sections. There's also a beautiful stream that cuts through the meadow. The first mile or so would make a great light family outing, and could serve as a fun introduction to Colorado's super high country for kids. But, I digress.

Bouldering to the Summit

Although Bierstadt is considered one of Colorado's "beginner" 14ers, the ascent is quite steep, even grueling at times. As this was my wife's first really big hike, we set a pretty mellow pace, and stopped frequently for water and rest. The initial part of the ascent climbs though dense alpine tundra plant life, and is comprised of pretty manageable switchbacks, but then heads straight up the hill when you begin to make the final transition to the boulder fields at the end of the hike. We made it to the summit at about 1:00, which was about an hour longer than we'd originally assumed, and made us nervous about getting back to meet the bus at 4:30. Luckily, though, the mobile reception was great at the top, and we were able to connect with family members to get them to meet the bus. This ended up being a great move for us later in the hike.

At the summit, we were met by some pretty stingy sleet, and even a bit of hail, and the view was completely consumed in clouds, so our celebration was pretty short lived, and consisted of really just snapping a few pictures. We stopped for a quick lunch at the flat just below the summit, but got moving quickly to get down to flat ground before any big weather might hit. The decent was pretty standard--the classic knee and thigh burner, but we were making pretty good time down the hill. Then, it happened--the skies opened up, and the downpour began. I've honestly never seen this much water fall from the sky, and it continued to come down for two straight hours. We both had good rain coats, but neither of us had packed rain pants; so, needless to say, we were drenched from the waist down, and cold! The trials all turned into little brown rivers at that point, and our decent was slowed to a crawl--in fact, probably doubled. Luckily, we both were able to just laugh through it together. We made it to the car right at about the time we were supposed to meet the bus, and so celebrated the call we'd made earlier. The day was a good lesson in respect for the real power that mother nature really does wield.

We made it, though, and here's our trophy-->

USGS Survey Marker--Mt. Bierstadt

To get there: From 285, Go South through Bailey and Shawnee, and take a right on Co RD 62 (Guanella Pass) in Grant. The trailhead is at the summit of the Pass. You really can't miss it.