Favorite Leadville Area Hikes?

[SuperiorTrailHiker]

Howdy - coming back for my third trip into the Leadville area in a couple weeks. We're camping for a week at Twin Lakes.

We've done Mts. Elbert, Massive and LaPlata in the area. (For context, we thought LaPlata was fun and really beautiful; Massive was kinda fun and beautiful, and Elbert wasn't fun but sorta required to do).

I'm doing plenty of reading and trip report checking as well, but I figure it never hurts to ask this crowd:

What are folks' favorite hikes / climbs in the area that aren't one of the three above?

I have a small group with mixed experience this time around, including a couple guys who've hike but have never hiked a 14er, and I'm looking to have it be a fun trip with options.

I was thinking DeCaLiBron as a first pick, for the couple of guys who have done the three hikes above, and any others who want to join in. We're all flatlanders, but your bog-standard multiday-backpacker type dooders in reasonable shape and have hiked in Colorado several times before, and will have spent a few days acclimating in the area before we hike.

I was looking at Belford-Oxford and Harvard-Columbia as maybe some other fun options, but it's hard to tell exactly which is "better".

For the one or two guys who want to get a good morning hike, but maybe not hike a 14er, it looks like the Timberline Lake Trail and the Windsor Lake trail might be fun.

On target? Missing something obvious?

Open to any thoughts or suggestions - we don't get to CO super often, so I like to try and maximize the fun when we do.

[constipated_pete]

Howdy - coming back for my third trip into the Leadville area in a couple weeks. We're camping for a week at Twin Lakes.

We've done Mts. Elbert, Massive and LaPlata in the area. (For context, we thought LaPlata was fun and really beautiful; Massive was kinda fun and beautiful, and Elbert wasn't fun but sorta required to do).

I'm doing plenty of reading and trip report checking as well, but I figure it never hurts to ask this crowd:

What are folks' favorite hikes / climbs in the area that aren't one of the three above?

I have a small group with mixed experience this time around, including a couple guys who've hike but have never hiked a 14er, and I'm looking to have it be a fun trip with options.

I was thinking DeCaLiBron as a first pick, for the couple of guys who have done the three hikes above, and any others who want to join in. We're all flatlanders, but your bog-standard multiday-backpacker type dooders in reasonable shape and have hiked in Colorado several times before, and will have spent a few days acclimating in the area before we hike.

I was looking at Belford-Oxford and Harvard-Columbia as maybe some other fun options, but it's hard to tell exactly which is "better".

For the one or two guys who want to get a good morning hike, but maybe not hike a 14er, it looks like the Timberline Lake Trail and the Windsor Lake trail might be fun.

On target? Missing something obvious?

Open to any thoughts or suggestions - we don't get to CO super often, so I like to try and maximize the fun when we do.

In terms of the 14ers around, Belford-Oxford is a bigger day than the three you've climbed so far, and Harvard-Columbia is a much, much bigger day than Belford-Oxford. Huron is a really beautiful hike and it's much easier 14er than the ones you've done and checking out Winfield and hanging out at Clear Creek reservoir on the way down is always awesome.

[SuperiorTrailHiker]

Right on, duly noted - the Belford-Oxford and Harvard-Columbia hikes do look burly, but Bel-Ox at least looks within the window of stuff the guys who would head up can do. I appreciate the correlation between the two.

Huron was not on my list yet, thank you. I am checking that out now.

[desertdog]

If you're not set on 14ers there are a bunch of 13ers in that area. Check Rinker/Twin Peaks and Deer Mountain from the North Fork Lake Creek TH. There will be a lot less people.

[SuperiorTrailHiker]

If you're not set on 14ers there are a bunch of 13ers in that area. Check Rinker/Twin Peaks and Deer Mountain from the North Fork Lake Creek TH. There will be a lot less people.

Not dead set on 14ers - all about the options this time around. Thank you!

[madbuck]

Hagerman Tunnel loop is another good "easy" option, on par with those others you mentioned. Ghost town ruins, tunnel with snow and ice, and small alpine lakes.

For 14ers, Huron from Winfield (as mentioned) is a prettier and closer option.
Less pretty (but still pretty overall!) and even easier, and also closer than some of those other options, would be Sherman from Leadville side.

[Gulf_Coast_Hiker]

Missouri is another good option and not quite as difficult as Belford/Oxford and is accessed from the same trailhead (Missouri Gulch).

The views from Huron are wonderful. The Lulu Gulch route is a fun option versus the standard route, much less people and awesome views but note some extended scree/talus hopping is required.

[wineguy]

Two other 13er suggestions if you want to avoid 14er traffic: Mount Hope & Arkansas Mountain.

[madbuck]

Howdy - coming back for my third trip into the Leadville area in a couple weeks. We're camping for a week at Twin Lakes.
....

On target? Missing something obvious?
Open to any thoughts or suggestions - we don't get to CO super often, so I like to try and maximize the fun when we do.

Also, be sure to consider the Leadville 100 races in that timeframe.
Good news/bad news is that you actually have a spectacular spot for those events, but both weekends (especially the latter one, with the run) will be heavily impacted with traffic.

[SuperiorTrailHiker]

As flatlanders, we only come to CO in August, so we're familiar with Leadville during the 100 by now. Festive!

Great suggestions here, folks, and they are much appreciated. Huron is definitely going to get a look, I think, and the Hagerman Tunnel looks interesting too.

The 13er suggestions are great to have in my pocket as well - one of our guys is an avid hiker, but has not dealt well with altitude in the past. The tallest CO pile he's been up so far is Estes Cone, and he smiled through a headache there. But he just got back from a week in Yosemite, felt pretty good on some hikes there, and might want to try something out.

[summitrunner]

Timberline Lake is neat. I just did the Fancy Pass to Missouri Lakes Loop and think it is quite possibly one of the prettiest run/hikes I've ever done.

[headsizeburrito]

I just did the Fancy Pass to Missouri Lakes Loop and think it is quite possibly one of the prettiest run/hikes I've ever done.

I'll second this one if you like lakes and nice terrain and aren't set on peakbagging, especially with a crowd of more mixed abilities and some issues with altitude in the past. When I did it I recorded 10.3mi/3,300ft vert. You also have the option of tagging some of the 13ers you pass if some members of your group want to do a little more, I added on a short class 2 (maybe a couple easy 3 moves) detour to Fancy Peak from one of the passes. Below is a pic looking towards Savage Peak.

I wouldn't recommend Mt Hope for your group, it's a pretty demanding (and kind of shitty) rocky class 2 after a long climb up to Hope Pass. Hope Pass itself has great views in both directions and is cool if you are interested in experiencing that bit of trail due to it's role in the Leadville 100 course. If you wanted to do the pass and include a peak, you'd have an easier time doing Quail Mountain right next to it with a much easier climb and still excellent views.

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