Quandary Peak Trip Report 07/14/2014

Peak(s):	Quandary Peak - 14,272 feet
Date Posted:	07/14/2014
Date Climbed:	07/13/2014
Author:	Beekman

Quandary East Ridge
This barely constitutes a trip report: The wife and I got a babysitter for the kids, woke up at 4am and got ready to head out the door. I didn't sleep well thinking about the high possibility of thunder storms and the I-70 traffic coming back, to avoid both of these we got an early(ish) start. On the way out the door there was a news story running of the 21 people hospitalized and two killed this weekend from lighting in RMNP. The drive up was great, no traffic, also saw a mountain lion as road kill on I-70. Arrived at the trail head just before 7am, lots of cars there but still plenty of spaces open. I jumped out and started at a good clip up the mountain. I was so impressed with what a good job CFI and CMC has done making and maintaining this trail. They have turned difficult terrain into an easy path. There is one newly fallen log about a half mile up the trail that they have not cleared yet. There were lots of goats, chipmunks, camp robbers, etc. on the trail. All of the wildlife was nice. There was no wind and the hike was amazing. Started with a few layers on and ended up in shorts and a tee-shirt (a first for me on any 14er). Back at the car around 11:30, I was amazed people were still just showing up to hike. I am usually happy with what a good job people do of leaving no trace on the 14er trails. For the amount of traffic they draw they are usually in great shape. Not the case on Quandary. There was more then a dozen bags lining the trail filled with what I hope to be dog feces. I really liked the ones that were hung at eye level. I thought they might be people going up with dogs that were going to pick them up on the way down, but I only saw a couple dogs. There was also toilet paper all over in the trees just feet off of the trail, not to mention at least 20 places at the trail head right next to the stream. There were also many wrappers that I picked up on the way down (sorry I left the dog feces behind). They have cool backpacks for dogs I have seen some people use, you you don't even have to pack out your dogs waste, they can do it for you. I always bring a few zip lock bags to pack out my waste and TP, I know it's disgusting, but it's a little less disgusting then sitting down to eat lunch next to someone's toilet. When you use the bathroom in the woods, try to be at least 200 ft from water sources and the trail. The little creek at the trail head likely runs into the Blue River, that then becomes part of the Denver water supply. I realize most of the people on here reading these are not guilty, but please help educate people on the trail, I have great faith in people and hope that it is just due to lack of knowledge (i have heard people say they leave TP behind because it breaks down in a day.... not the case, a couple weeks at best). I would just like my kids to be able to enjoy the trails I have and my Dad has over the past 40 years. Then I had the car ride home down I-70 what a disaster that has become on Sunday's. Leaving the trail-head at 11:30 I arrived back home in Morrison about 4.

Quandary East Ridge

This barely constitutes a trip report:

The wife and I got a babysitter for the kids, woke up at 4am and got ready to head out the door. I didn't sleep well thinking about the high possibility of thunder storms and the I-70 traffic coming back, to avoid both of these we got an early(ish) start. On the way out the door there was a news story running of the 21 people hospitalized and two killed this weekend from lighting in RMNP.

The drive up was great, no traffic, also saw a mountain lion as road kill on I-70.

Arrived at the trail head just before 7am, lots of cars there but still plenty of spaces open.

I jumped out and started at a good clip up the mountain. I was so impressed with what a good job CFI and CMC has done making and maintaining this trail. They have turned difficult terrain into an easy path. There is one newly fallen log about a half mile up the trail that they have not cleared yet. There were lots of goats, chipmunks, camp robbers, etc. on the trail. All of the wildlife was nice. There was no wind and the hike was amazing. Started with a few layers on and ended up in shorts and a tee-shirt (a first for me on any 14er).

Back at the car around 11:30, I was amazed people were still just showing up to hike.

I am usually happy with what a good job people do of leaving no trace on the 14er trails. For the amount of traffic they draw they are usually in great shape. Not the case on Quandary. There was more then a dozen bags lining the trail filled with what I hope to be dog feces. I really liked the ones that were hung at eye level. I thought they might be people going up with dogs that were going to pick them up on the way down, but I only saw a couple dogs. There was also toilet paper all over in the trees just feet off of the trail, not to mention at least 20 places at the trail head right next to the stream.

There were also many wrappers that I picked up on the way down (sorry I left the dog feces behind).

They have cool backpacks for dogs I have seen some people use, you you don't even have to pack out your dogs waste, they can do it for you.

I always bring a few zip lock bags to pack out my waste and TP, I know it's disgusting, but it's a little less disgusting then sitting down to eat lunch next to someone's toilet.

When you use the bathroom in the woods, try to be at least 200 ft from water sources and the trail. The little creek at the trail head likely runs into the Blue River, that then becomes part of the Denver water supply.

I realize most of the people on here reading these are not guilty, but please help educate people on the trail, I have great faith in people and hope that it is just due to lack of knowledge (i have heard people say they leave TP behind because it breaks down in a day.... not the case, a couple weeks at best).

I would just like my kids to be able to enjoy the trails I have and my Dad has over the past 40 years.

Then I had the car ride home down I-70 what a disaster that has become on Sunday's. Leaving the trail-head at 11:30 I arrived back home in Morrison about 4.

Comments or Questions

Moflatlander81

AMEN
7/27/2014 1:07pm

For real.. All of the trails we hiked in Breckenridge this summer had dog feces in bags left to never decompose. If you aren't going to carry the bags out, wouldn't it be better to not bag the poop at all? Then, at least, it will break down quickly. Why take the time. I don't get it. And put your dogs on a leash. Maybe it freaks out some people's kids when a big dog runs up and gets in their face when they are just trying to hike.

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