Mt. Bierstadt (14,060')

The Only Mountain in Colorado!

Date:  July 21, 2012

Climbing Party:  Aaron Dover, Amanda Harnden, Sue Harnden, Andrea Bielecki, Brian Bielecki
Elevation Gain: 2,850'
Distance: 7mi Roundtrip

RT Time: 7:00 (3hrs up, 4hrs down)
Difficulty:  Easy, trail was crowded like a mall

We had a super early start from Denver leaving at about 4:30 am and driving to the Guanella Pass trailhead. This road is now paved 100% and serves as a super highway between I70 and 285. Even after arriving at the trailhead at 6:00am, parking was at a premium and the masses were descending onto the trail.

In our party, we had 3 first timers! Amanda's mom,Sue, was visiting from NY, and her aunt and uncle Andrea and Brian, made the drive from Albuquerque! Our goal was to summit, and starting early is a GREAT way to overcome crowds, weather, and when hiking with new climbing partners, it's always good to leave yourself extra time to account for any issues that might come up. So without much ado, we threw on our packs and headed out.

Brian and Andrea all geared up and ready to roll out!

The first part of the trail is considered the Willows. This used to be the crux of the entire hike if you could ever believe it! Trudging through a massive swamp on the approach (and on the return) had sucked energy out of people for years! They have since built the boardwalk to assist in the hike. Believe me, it has made the hike 10 times more approachable. The walk through the willows is my favorite part. Full of energy, the terrain is flat, air is cool...a great warmup! The bushes up to your chin make it fun to walk through. There are so many little game trails under the brush too. I can imagine tons of little critters running through the scrub. So the hike in on the willows is definitely my favorite!

In the middle of the Willows is the stream crossing, which got its' hands on one of the members in our party (and her cellphone). Thankfully, she was a-ok and made it without another hitch! The cell phone however, is no longer functional, but that's ok, it was getting replaced anyways.

After the stream crossing, the trail begins to gently switch back and forth until you reach the shoulder where the Sawtooth Ridge and Bierstadt stare you right in the face. That ridge is awe inspiring, and when you get an early start, you get to see the sun come up over it! Pure beauty.

Sawtooth Ridge, Bierstadt on right


Once on top of the shoulder it's the section I like to refer to as the "Sound of Music" section of the climb. It's just a beautiful rolling hill where wildflowers, mountains and blue sky assault all of your senses at once...truly amazing. If you start running and singing on this mountainside, it may be the early onset of altitude sickness, or just happiness :)

Amanda took this awesome shot of the wildflowers in "Sound of Music" section

The crew headed up the 'Sound of Music' section, Sawtooth looking on in background...

I used to think getting onto the shoulder was the tough part, but I will ammend this thought, and say that the section from the shoulder to the summit is far more difficult.  The trail kind of disappears and the boulders are bigger.  Every step is a little more work.  We don't have too many photos through this section because we were working (and breathing) HARD.  Once on the shoulder though, the views are amazing, and the summit is steps away...we had one problem at the top with one in our party getting a foot caught in the boulders and wrenching it.  Painful to see, but must have been worse in person... Sue, Andrea, Brian and Random McGee at the summit! AAA summit shot! Ellie summititng! Scarlito summit shot/guarding water Sue summit shot, Saratoga represent Brian & Andrea Summit Ellie Summit shot It was a great summit, gorgeous day, and a wonderful experience to share with people who have not been on a 14er! Brian, Andrea, and Sue thanks for visiting, it was great to see you and get a hike in together! On the way down we stopped for a nap in the sun in the field with the 49ers Made it down as a team!  What a day.  Bierstadt directly behind.