Gray’s vs. Quandary vs. Mt. Elbert?

[SusieMid]

My husband and I want to hike our first 14er in September 2019 — 6 months from now. We are late 50s, fairly out of shape now (though both within recommended BMI range), but have done mild hiking, biking, and back country backpacking in the past. We will work hard to get in shape over the next 6 months. We want a do-able trail for first-timers, not totally remote but not packed with people if possible. Ease of getting to a trailhead is also a concern, possibly — unless we rent a 4WD vehicle (which I guess we could do). Any suggestions are welcome — I’ve seen Gray’s, Quandary, and Mt. Elbert listed as Class 1, “easy” hikes, so would be interested in thoughts on these or any others. Thanks!

[Alpine Guy]

Been a while since I did Elbert, but I remember trailhead access was good. Quandary also has easy trailhead access - no 4WD required. I don't think Grays trailhead is too hard to reach but others call it high clearance 4WD only. You're going to have to haul your #ss up 3000ft regardless of which one and that may or may not be "hard". Weekday hikes on these peaks can actually be fun - summer weekend hikes unfortunately are almost always a zoo. Remember that summer high country hikes require a very early alpine start (or you'll never get a parking place on these peaks).

[Owen Puffenberger]

I’d recommend Sherman—it’s easier than any of Gray’s, Elbert, or Quandary and probably a little less crowded. It’s definitley easier to access than Gray’s.

[glenmiz]

Bierstadt is a good option as well but will be crowded on a weekend. It also is under 3000' gain. It and Quandary are basically paved road access. The other noted options are good but have a little more vehicle effort.

As far as picturesque ranking, I would say Elbert might be the best with views southwest to the Elks which you won't get from the other Mosquito/Tenmile/Front ranges. I would put Sherman at the bottom of this ranking.

Conditioning-wise, you can do it if you are consistent and get to a better level of fitness, but if you've never been at this elevation, be careful about altitude sickness. Fitness is not, necessarily, prevention but it helps a lot. Give yourself some time getting used to 5000' and 10000' before going for 14,000'. The last 4,000' is much more challenging than the first 10,000' and is where you can get into trouble.

Good luck, and enjoy!

[boudreaux]

Go do your peak on a Monday or a Tuesday and you will have a good chance of summitting with few other hikers. While most are recovering from their weekend warrior adventures, you will have the trail mostly to yourselves. September will thin out the crowd even more as most don't like the cooler temps or the chance of snow. Been doing this for years and it's worked pretty well for me, but sometimes you will stumble on a crowded trail. I think the odds are in favor of a less crowded trail.

[Ptglhs]

I think almost any class 1 or non difficult class 2 hike is well within the range of doable for first timers. Getting to the trailhead can be the hardest part of a hike for people who don't have a four-wheel drive vehicle. I would say that something like Sherman is several times easier than Elbert, half the elevation gain, half the distance. Sherman is probably the second easiest 14er in my opinion, a close second to Handies in the San Juan range.

I would suggest Bierstadt or Quandary on a weekday in early Sept, followed by Sherman. I've driven to both Sherman THs 3x in an Elantra, in as late as Oct, so it's a manageable drive. Elbert is a longer hike, and it's a dirt road to the TH (albeit an easy one). Other Sawatch peaks, such as Huron, Yale, Shavano/Tabagauche, Missouri, Belford/Oxford, are, in my opinion, harder than Grays, Quandary, Bierstadt, or Sherman, but easier than Elbert.

[huffy13]

My husband and I want to hike our first 14er in September 2019 — 6 months from now. We are late 50s, fairly out of shape now (though both within recommended BMI range), but have done mild hiking, biking, and back country backpacking in the past. We will work hard to get in shape over the next 6 months. We want a do-able trail for first-timers, not totally remote but not packed with people if possible. Ease of getting to a trailhead is also a concern, possibly — unless we rent a 4WD vehicle (which I guess we could do). Any suggestions are welcome — I’ve seen Gray’s, Quandary, and Mt. Elbert listed as Class 1, “easy” hikes, so would be interested in thoughts on these or any others. Thanks!

My recommendation for a first timer would be either Quandary or, though you don't have it listed, Mt. Sherman. Both have trailheads that are easy to get to (no 4WD necessary), neither is too long of a round trip and both are close enough to really cool mountain towns to enjoy also. Mt. Elbert was my first 14er and it is definetly doable, but it is a longer slog than others, it's trailhead is easily accessible too. I would recommend possibly looking at Mt. Yale. I felt that it was no more difficult than Elbert and the views were great, plus it's TH is on a paved highway. Huron Peak is a good one, not difficult, but getting to the actual TH is rough on a vehicle. Grays and Torreys were my son's first 14ers when he was 10, and they are fun, but super crowded due to the proximity to Denver, but the drive to the TH is pretty rough last time I checked.


Now, as far as not wanting crowds....you are not going to be able to avoid them anymore. The 14ers are popular, especially the Sawatch, Front Range, and Tenmile/Mosquito peaks. However, they will be slightly less crowded in September as long as you try to do it on a weekday.

[Ptglhs]

Now, as far as not wanting crowds....you are not going to be able to avoid them anymore. The 14ers are popular, especially the Sawatch, Front Range, and Tenmile/Mosquito peaks. However, they will be slightly less crowded in September as long as you try to do it on a weekday.

I disagree. If you do a 14er in the Front or Tensquito ranges on a regular weekday crowds will be maybe 10% of a July or Aug weekend. Furthermore, going after Labor Day will noticeably lessen crowds. I view crowds as a function of time of week, time of year, promiximty to Denver, ease of access to TH, ease of hike. Something in the San Juans or Sangres that time of year will have less than a dozen people on it during a hike. If you go during the week you may only see one or 2 other parties during a hike. Alternatively, going up a non standard route can lead to a lot of solitude.

Don't wish to digress or derail the thread, just pointing out it is possible to avoid crowds, even on Front Range peaks.

[CaptainSuburbia]

You can find solitude on Sherman from Iowa Gulch. I took my daughter and 8 year old nephew up this route on a Saturday last August, and didn't see another person until we merged with the standard trail at the saddle. I don't know why everyone climbs Sherman from fourmile creek?

[username72]

You can find solitude on Sherman from Iowa Gulch. I took my daughter and 8 year old nephew up this route on a Saturday last August, and didn't see another person until we merged with the standard trail at the saddle. I don't know why everyone climbs Sherman from fourmile creek?

Yeah Iowa Gulch is easy and isolated, be careful of the avalanche zones in the winter though!

[Ptglhs]

You can find solitude on Sherman from Iowa Gulch. I took my daughter and 8 year old nephew up this route on a Saturday last August, and didn't see another person until we merged with the standard trail at the saddle. I don't know why everyone climbs Sherman from fourmile creek?

I would assume they climb from that side because it's a shorter drive from the front range to that TH.

[CaptainSuburbia]

You can find solitude on Sherman from Iowa Gulch. I took my daughter and 8 year old nephew up this route on a Saturday last August, and didn't see another person until we merged with the standard trail at the saddle. I don't know why everyone climbs Sherman from fourmile creek?

I would assume they climb from that side because it's a shorter drive from the front range to that TH.

That's what I thought, maybe? But, at least from Fort Collins and according to google maps, the difference is like 2 minutes. Must just be people read standard route and assume fourmile creek is the best way and go without further research.