New board member seeking 14er advice

Colorado peak questions, condition requests and other info.
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gandolfo
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New board member seeking 14er advice

Post by gandolfo »

First time poster here so I look forward to all the tips, advice and learning from the board regulars. Thank you in advance for all the help!!

I recently (Monday) hiked my first 14er (Pikes Peak) when I came to visit my sister and her family in Colorado Springs. I did the Crags northwest route and let me just say I LOVED IT. I'm absolutely hooked. I was stunned at how beautiful and peaceful it was. I can't stop thinking about it.

I just booked another plane ticket to come out Saturday, October 1st. I'm now looking for my next 14er. Pikes was awesome and not very difficult. I'm in pretty good shape as I mountain bike alot where I live (Raleigh, NC), but the altitude is tough. My legs held up fine but my lungs hurt going up the ascent.

A few questions:
What should my next 14er be that is somewhat close to Colorado Springs? I'm looking for something a little tougher than PP, but not where I have to do a lot of scrambling. I'm still new to this.

Is there a good way to prepare for the altitude here at home/in NC in the next two weeks that could potentially help me?

Based on the time of year, is there any special equipment I should bring? I have a 3L Camelback day pack and some pretty good Goretex hiking boots, and plenty of layers, a water proof rainjacket. No good pants or any other actual equipment (spikes, hiking poles, ropes, etc).
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jenkscolin
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Re: New board member seeking 14er advice

Post by jenkscolin »

How far are you willing to drive from the Springs?

I would invest in a good pair of pants as that time of year can get a little chilly.
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jeffth5
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Re: New board member seeking 14er advice

Post by jeffth5 »

Close to Colorado Springs, Huron (Sawatch, near Buena Vista), Elbert (Sawatch, near Leadville) or Humboldt (Sangre de Cristos, near Westcliffe) could all be good options. What kind of vehicle do you have access to?

Weather in October often varies wildly - from nearly summer conditions (highs in the 50s, sunny) to nearly winter conditions (highs below freezing, heavy and blowing snow). Unfortunately, there is no real way to know what you will encounter this far out. I would recommend having a couple of backup plans in other areas of the state and at lower elevations just in case the weather is bad.

If there is significant snow before your hike, spikes and poles could be helpful. That being said, there is almost always something snow free that time of year, even if it's just the foothills <9,000.
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Re: New board member seeking 14er advice

Post by Scott P »

What should my next 14er be that is somewhat close to Colorado Springs? I'm looking for something a little tougher than PP, but not where I have to do a lot of scrambling. I'm still new to this.
How close is somewhat close? Humbolt might be a good one. It's not really tougher than Pikes, but is more scenic.
Is there a good way to prepare for the altitude here at home/in NC in the next two weeks that could potentially help me?
No, not really, unless you want to buy an expensive altitude simulator chamber. They don't make sense to me. If you want to acclimatize, spend some time at altitude.
Based on the time of year, is there any special equipment I should bring?
It depends. In October, expect anything from warm sunshine to full on blizzard conditions, sometimes within a 24 hour (or less) time period. The autumn colors should be nice in many areas.
I'm old, slow and fat. Unfortunately, those are my good qualities.
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gandolfo
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Re: New board member seeking 14er advice

Post by gandolfo »

I'm going to rent an SUV at the airport.

I'm willing to drive at least 2-3 hours from Colorado Springs.

I was looking at maybe Mt. Harvard or Mt. Elbert. Something near Buena Vista where I could get a room on either Saturday night or Sunday night depending on what day I am able to hike.

Tell me more about Humbolt.
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Re: New board member seeking 14er advice

Post by Ptglhs »

There are over a dozen peaks near Buena Vista, none of which are particularly difficult (Class 2). Elbert is straitforward, Massive is a bit longer, Belford/Oxford is a good combo, between Buena Vista and CO Springs there's a town called Fairplay which has Sherman, Quandry, and the Democrat/Lincoln/Bross combo close to it. You might also consider some of the other peaks in the front range just west of Denver: Bierstadt, Evans, Grays/Torreys.

Only real way to get used to altitude is to be at altitude. Hikes that gain at least 3k are preferable. If you need to take a day or two to acclimatize in the Springs I'd recommend doing a hike near 9k (lovell gulch comes to mind), spending the night in the springs after, then going for a mountain. If you don't have the time given your plans there's not much you can do. Drink a lot of water and take Excedrin with you.

Gear: get trekkers. If it's snowy/icy you'll need them. You won't need ropes for any of the mountains listed in my post. I would bring Iodine tablets or some other way of purifying water (on that note see what kinds of water sources the trails have on them; Elbert is a dry trail). I would strongly recommend investing in a layering system for your legs: merino wool leggings and hiking pants. Something wind/water resistant on the outer layer would be good but the weight and expense starts to add up. Make sure you bring gloves and something for your head and wool socks.

Weather in the mountains is capricious. If we have a cold snap it can get brutal. Whatever the temp is in the Springs, subtract 30 for a summit temp. The average low for the summit of Pikes in Oct is 14 and the record low is -17. I use Pikes because it has a permanent weather station on its summit. So think about what it would take for you to survive a night out (if you get lost/injured/weather goes to hell) in 0 degree temps.
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gandolfo
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Re: New board member seeking 14er advice

Post by gandolfo »

Ptglhs wrote:There are over a dozen peaks near Buena Vista, none of which are particularly difficult (Class 2). Elbert is straitforward, Massive is a bit longer, Belford/Oxford is a good combo, between Buena Vista and CO Springs there's a town called Fairplay which has Sherman, Quandry, and the Democrat/Lincoln/Bross combo close to it. You might also consider some of the other peaks in the front range just west of Denver: Bierstadt, Evans, Grays/Torreys.

Only real way to get used to altitude is to be at altitude. Hikes that gain at least 3k are preferable. If you need to take a day or two to acclimatize in the Springs I'd recommend doing a hike near 9k (lovell gulch comes to mind), spending the night in the springs after, then going for a mountain. If you don't have the time given your plans there's not much you can do. Drink a lot of water and take Excedrin with you.

Gear: get trekkers. If it's snowy/icy you'll need them. You won't need ropes for any of the mountains listed in my post. I would bring Iodine tablets or some other way of purifying water (on that note see what kinds of water sources the trails have on them; Elbert is a dry trail). I would strongly recommend investing in a layering system for your legs: merino wool leggings and hiking pants. Something wind/water resistant on the outer layer would be good but the weight and expense starts to add up. Make sure you bring gloves and something for your head and wool socks.

Weather in the mountains is capricious. If we have a cold snap it can get brutal. Whatever the temp is in the Springs, subtract 30 for a summit temp. The average low for the summit of Pikes in Oct is 14 and the record low is -17. I use Pikes because it has a permanent weather station on its summit. So think about what it would take for you to survive a night out (if you get lost/injured/weather goes to hell) in 0 degree temps.
Great info, thanks.

I'll get a water pump and pants/wool liners for sure. Any recs on good hiking gloves? I have a pair but they are thin neoprene-esque and made more for hunting.

So for Sunday Oct 2 or Monday Oct 3rd, is there a 14er that has the best chance of having good weather? I know I am taking a risk flying out for such a short amount of time in early October, but it's totally worth it to feed this new addiction.
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Re: New board member seeking 14er advice

Post by fahixson »

gandolfo wrote:Tell me more about Humbolt.
Humboldt is great. I think it's more scenic than the Salida/BV/Leadville area 14ers. It was my brother's first 14er. We did it as an overnight camping at South Colony Lakes, but you could do it as a day hike as well ...
http://www.14ers.com/route.php?route=hu ... boldt+Peak" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

By Oct 1, I would plan for some snow accumulation on the upper portions of any 14er.
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Re: New board member seeking 14er advice

Post by Ptglhs »

gandolfo wrote: Great info, thanks.

I'll get a water pump and pants/wool liners for sure. Any recs on good hiking gloves? I have a pair but they are thin neoprene-esque and made more for hunting.

So for Sunday Oct 2 or Monday Oct 3rd, is there a 14er that has the best chance of having good weather? I know I am taking a risk flying out for such a short amount of time in early October, but it's totally worth it to feed this new addiction.
The mountains in the SW of Colorado are more arid so there's less of a chance of rain/snow. They are also a lot longer of a drive and usually more difficult. I'd check the forecast in the days before you leave and just pick based on that.

Since you won't be doing any scrambling I doubt you'll need anything that crazy, the point will be to keep your hands warm/dry. For that kind of outdoor activity I honesty just use a pair of cheap fleece mittens when I'm hiking in the cold and leather gloves for scrambling.
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Re: New board member seeking 14er advice

Post by tjmartn1 »

One thing about Humboldt, if you do it as an overnight, is that the hike from the tent sites to the summit is really short. I'm probably slower than the average person on this site but I think I summitted in like 1.5 hours and it took even less time to get back to the tent on the way down.

For me, I wish I had just done it as a day hike instead of spending the night at the lake, but then again I was solo and the mosquitos were horrible so it wasn't a super enjoyable night of camping. The views from the summit were some of the best I've ever seen though. I would camp at S. Colony Lake again if I was trying a harder mountain in the area, or if I was with a group. But if I ever do Humboldt again I'll just do it as a day hike.

Also, there is no scrambling (class 3), but after the saddle there's a few hundred feet through jumbled talus where there's barely any trail. There are some cairns and traces of climbers trails, but don't expect a clear trail the entire time. That section is short though. Definitely do-able even for someone new to that kind of thing. Just test the rocks you're stepping on carefully, especially if you suspect you've gotten off the "correct" route.

The road up to the trailhead is also pretty rough. An SUV would make it, but make sure you are covered on unpaved roads. There are plenty of pullouts if you are uncomfortable, but the first mile plus is on private property so you at least have to get past that section.
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Re: New board member seeking 14er advice

Post by gandolfo »

I won't have the time or the equipment to hike it overnight.

How much more difficult are the crestones? Is Kit Carson too advanced?
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Re: New board member seeking 14er advice

Post by AnnaG22 »

gandolfo wrote:I won't have the time or the equipment to hike it overnight.

How much more difficult are the crestones? Is Kit Carson too advanced?
Humboldt is BY FAR the easiest of the Sangres. Kit Carson and Challenger have been done by newbies many times, I'm sure, but they're a solid step up from Humboldt in terms of difficulty, and the Crestones are another step up from there. I personally thought Crestone Needle was harder (and more fun) than each of the Maroon Bells.
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