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Combination Route

 Bierstadt, Sawtooth, Blue Sky
Difficulty Class 3 
Risk FactorsExposure: Considerable
Rockfall Potential: Considerable  
Route-Finding: Considerable  
Commitment: High  
 
TrailheadGuanella Pass
Start11,669 feet
Summit14,066 feet
Total Gain3,900 feet
RT Length10.5 miles
AuthorBillMiddlebrook
Last UpdatedOct 2023
DownloadsgpxGPX Track
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Trailhead

From the north: Take the Georgetown exit off of Interstate 70. Drive through Georgetown and follow the signs for the Guanella Pass Scenic Byway. Drive 12 miles to the top of Guanella Pass (11,700') and park in one of the two large, paved parking areas on either side of the road. The Bierstadt trail starts near the parking area on the east side of the road. The upper parking area (on the west side of the pass) has restrooms.From the south: Take US 285 west from Denver or east from Fairplay. Drive to the town of Grant which is about 12 miles west of Bailey. In Grant, turn north on the Guanella Pass Scenic Byway and drive approx. 13 miles to Guanella Pass.

Route

HOLD ON! This route is long, requires Class 3 climbing skills and is not recommended for hikers who are new to the high peaks.

Hike to the summit of Mt. Bierstadt by following the Mt. Bierstadt - West Slopes Route. Taken from Mt. Blue Sky, 1 is a view of Bierstadt and portions of the Sawtooth ridge. From the summit of Bierstadt, look north to see the Sawtooth and the rugged connecting ridge - 2. Leave the Bierstadt summit and begin your descent toward the Sawtooth by staying right of the ridge crest - 3. As you descend, study the remaining route carefully - 4. Near the low point of the ridge, pass a couple of ridge points on the right side to see a large gendarme ahead - 5. Reach a notch, walk up to the gendarme and choose your line - 6, 7 and 8. Climb a direct line over the top or go around to the right. Any way you go will require Class 3 moves.

After passing the gendarme, reach a gully before another rock outcropping - 9. Turn left and ascend to a notch in the ridge - 10. Pass through the notch, turn right, and follow a ledge along the west side of the Sawtooth - 11. The ledge starts off narrow but soon becomes easier and more obvious. To cross the final ledges, turn right and climb slightly before traversing below rock slabs and climbing a dirt ramp - 12, 13, and 14. Exit the ledges near 13,600' - 15. Once you hit easy terrain, turn right and hike up through talus to reach the top of the Sawtooth - 16.

From the Sawtooth, look east to see the west ridge on Mt. Blue Sky - 17. Descend east and Walk up to the hump at the ridge - 18. Drop to the right slightly and follow a cairned route below the ridge crest - 19. The remaining mile to the summit consists mostly of boulders but you'll find plenty of cairns and trail segments. Continue along the ridge to a point where you can finally see the summit - 20. Hike to the corner of the Mt. Blue Sky road and up 100 feet to the summit - 21 and 22.

The descent: You do not have to return over the Sawtooth and Bierstadt to reach Guanella Pass. Hike back to the west end of Blue Sky's west ridge where you can see the Sawtooth to your left - 23. Instead of heading toward the Sawtooth, hike northwest through an open area between the Sawtooth and Mt. Spalding (right). Continue down through this open area to reach the top of a gully which drops into Scott Gomer Creek - 24. The narrowing terrain will lead you into the gully. It quickly gets steeper but there is a trail down most of the gully - 25. It holds some loose rock and scree so be careful. Near 12,300', exit the gully on the left and find a trail that descends through ledges to reach a clearing near the creek - 26 and 27. Cross the clearing and try to stay on the trail as it enters the willows. From here, route finding through the willows can be unpleasant. There's a narrow trail almost all the way back to the Mt. Bierstadt trail but it's easy to lose. Stay left of the creek and continue west through the willows - 28. Through mid-summer, this area will be wet and you may be forced to bushwhack through the willows. Hike approximately 1 mile along the left side of the creek to reach the Mt. Bierstadt Trail and follow it back up to the trailhead - 29.

Notes

The Bierstadt-Sawtooth ridge requires some Class 3 scrambling, but the ledges across the west face of The Sawtooth are much easier than they appear from the trailhead. IMPORTANT: This route enters the Mount Evans Wilderness area. Wilderness areas have special regulations and restrictions for party size, dispersed camping, campfires, etc. Also, dog owners should read the wilderness information carefully because some wilderness areas prohibit dogs to be off-leash and/or limit how close dogs can be to lakes and streams. If you have questions about the wilderness area, please contact a U.S. Forest Service office for the National Forest(s) listed above.
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