Questions on a new 14er hiking solo

FAQ and threads for those just starting to hike the Colorado 14ers.
Forum rules
  • This is a mountaineering forum, so please keep your posts on-topic. Posts do not all have to be related to the 14ers but should at least be mountaineering-related.
  • Personal attacks and confrontational behavior will result in removal from the forum at the discretion of the administrators.
  • Do not use this forum to advertise, sell photos or other products or promote a commercial website.
  • Posts will be removed at the discretion of the site administrator or moderator(s), including: Troll posts, posts pushing political views or religious beliefs, and posts with the purpose of instigating conflict within the forum.
For more details, please see the Terms of Use you agreed to when joining the forum.
User avatar
Trotter
Posts: 1409
Joined: 6/5/2013
14ers: 58  5 
13ers: 220 2 8
Trip Reports (10)
 

Re: Questions on a new 14er hiking solo

Post by Trotter »

Snyderman1966 wrote: Tue May 30, 2023 8:52 pm Thank you for all your input. I'm going to do this now I just need to schedule it. I wanted to come out on August 27th and hike up to Barr Camp on the 28th and stay over but I just found out they aren't open on Mondays and Tuesdays. I like the idea of breaking up my 1st 14er 1/2 way up at a place like Barr Camp. If there isn't a viable solution then I'll either fly out on the 29th or wait until after labor day. I don't think I want to be out there over the holiday weekend. what's your thought on this?

This is my tentative schedule. I still have to make reservations, flights, etc.

Fly to Colorado springs early on Aug 29th stay at hotel
Morning of Aug 30th hike up to Barr Camp, stay over night.
Morning of Aug 31st hike to Pikes Peak Summit and back down to Barr Camp, stay over night.
Morning of Friday September 1st hike back down to base and drive to campground near Mt Elbert trailhead, set up camp.
Morning of Saturday September 2nd hike to summit of Mt Elbert and back to camp
Morning of Sunday September 3rd hike to summit of Mt Massive and back to camp
Labor day Monday September 4th fly home.

Too optimistic.
After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. -Nelson Mandela
Whenever I climb I am followed by a dog called Ego. -Nietzsche
User avatar
cardgenius
Posts: 108
Joined: 1/21/2015
14ers: 40  8  4 
13ers: 77 8 3
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Questions on a new 14er hiking solo

Post by cardgenius »

I’d plan for a full rest day after doing Pikes Peak. It’ll make Mt. Elbert less of a suffer fest and increase your chance of summiting.

Hiking out from Barr Camp, driving over to Mt. Elbert and setting up camp all in the same day won’t give you much time to recover.
User avatar
terribletigzy
Posts: 87
Joined: 5/28/2020
14ers: 32 
13ers: 26
Trip Reports (1)
 

Re: Questions on a new 14er hiking solo

Post by terribletigzy »

I concur with both above comments. If it were me, I would ditch one of the hikes in favor of adding more rest time between hikes. If you are wanting to get in multiple peaks, you could look into hiking Grays and Torreys in a single day.
Live a Fuller Life
User avatar
interloper
Posts: 54
Joined: 4/28/2017
14ers: 36 
13ers: 101
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Questions on a new 14er hiking solo

Post by interloper »

I agree with many others that OP should skip Pike's entirely. It's a beautiful mountain, but in my opinion is an awful hike (at least from the Northwest Slopes approach, can't speak to Barr Trail). There's nothing more demoralizing than reaching a summit and finding the equivalent of an interstate truck stop filled with screaming kids, tired parents, and tourist shuttles. I honestly feel like unless you live in CO and can hike it anytime, it's not worth the effort.

If OP is going to be around the Leadville area, why not grab La Plata instead?
"May the good lord shine a light on you, warm like the evening sun." - Jagger-Richards, 1972
Ptglhs
Posts: 1478
Joined: 1/6/2016
14ers: 58  8 
13ers: 86 3
Trip Reports (4)
 

Re: Questions on a new 14er hiking solo

Post by Ptglhs »

Snyderman1966 wrote: Tue May 30, 2023 8:52 pm Thank you for all your input. I'm going to do this now I just need to schedule it. I wanted to come out on August 27th and hike up to Barr Camp on the 28th and stay over but I just found out they aren't open on Mondays and Tuesdays. I like the idea of breaking up my 1st 14er 1/2 way up at a place like Barr Camp. If there isn't a viable solution then I'll either fly out on the 29th or wait until after labor day. I don't think I want to be out there over the holiday weekend. what's your thought on this?

This is my tentative schedule. I still have to make reservations, flights, etc.

Fly to Colorado springs early on Aug 29th stay at hotel
Morning of Aug 30th hike up to Barr Camp, stay over night.
Morning of Aug 31st hike to Pikes Peak Summit and back down to Barr Camp, stay over night.
Morning of Friday September 1st hike back down to base and drive to campground near Mt Elbert trailhead, set up camp.
Morning of Saturday September 2nd hike to summit of Mt Elbert and back to camp
Morning of Sunday September 3rd hike to summit of Mt Massive and back to camp
Labor day Monday September 4th fly home.

My concerns are the holiday weekend and if I wait till after Labor Day then will the weather be more questionable? I have no issue hiking in snow I do it here in NY State but I'd rather avoid the snow especially at higher elevations. Maybe I'll scrap this plan and just fly out on the 27th and camp near Elbert and Massive and do those two instead. I can hike average of 15 miles a day no issue, but thats on the AT not in the Rockies.

Your thoughts are appreciated.
3 days for Pikes is best spent elsewhere in my opinion. I've hiked it 3x. It was my 1st, and 2nd, 14er summit. Done both sides. It's long, tons of elevation gain, more view of the plains and city if you go via Barr (If you really like a SimCity view of the Springs, enjoy), and it just doesn't feel like the same level if achievement in summer.

51 of the 60 14ers I've done have been solo (2 in CA). The only months I've been alone all day on a 14er were Feb, March, and Apr. (Went with another person on a Jan outing). I've also seen people in those months so your chances of being alone end of Aug are nil. I have never felt unsafe around other campers or hikers (except in the case of rockfall).

I would do something else:
Fly in 29th
Wed 30th hike Grey's and Torreys. (Or hike up Watross Gulch as acclimatization hike in which case just bump everything by a day). Stay the night in summit county, either at a campground or at a hotel. Elevation is about 8k
Thurs drive to Leadville and eat, shower, recover.
Friday hike Elbert. Sleep near Buena vista to get some more O2 (and food and shower)
Are you comfortable backpacking? Sat/Sun as an overnight of Mount Massive breaks up the hike and allows you to have more time and not push your legs too much.

Feel free to PM if you have specific questions.

Tldr: you'll be safe, you won't be alone, weather is probably good but maybe not, don't hike pikes.
GuiGirard
Posts: 81
Joined: 8/4/2021
14ers: 28 
13ers: 13
Trip Reports (3)
 

Re: Questions on a new 14er hiking solo

Post by GuiGirard »

Snyderman1966 wrote: Tue May 30, 2023 8:52 pm Thank you for all your input. I'm going to do this now I just need to schedule it. I wanted to come out on August 27th and hike up to Barr Camp on the 28th and stay over but I just found out they aren't open on Mondays and Tuesdays. I like the idea of breaking up my 1st 14er 1/2 way up at a place like Barr Camp. If there isn't a viable solution then I'll either fly out on the 29th or wait until after labor day. I don't think I want to be out there over the holiday weekend. what's your thought on this?

This is my tentative schedule. I still have to make reservations, flights, etc.

Fly to Colorado springs early on Aug 29th stay at hotel
Morning of Aug 30th hike up to Barr Camp, stay over night.
Morning of Aug 31st hike to Pikes Peak Summit and back down to Barr Camp, stay over night.
Morning of Friday September 1st hike back down to base and drive to campground near Mt Elbert trailhead, set up camp.
Morning of Saturday September 2nd hike to summit of Mt Elbert and back to camp
Morning of Sunday September 3rd hike to summit of Mt Massive and back to camp
Labor day Monday September 4th fly home.

My concerns are the holiday weekend and if I wait till after Labor Day then will the weather be more questionable? I have no issue hiking in snow I do it here in NY State but I'd rather avoid the snow especially at higher elevations. Maybe I'll scrap this plan and just fly out on the 27th and camp near Elbert and Massive and do those two instead. I can hike average of 15 miles a day no issue, but thats on the AT not in the Rockies.

Your thoughts are appreciated.
I live out of state but I somehow spent part of, or all of, the last several consecutive Labor Day weekends camping and hiking peaks in CO, and by experience, weather has almost always been delightful, no severely cold mornings (perhaps a bit a frost at the worst), no snow on the peaks or elsewhere, no chilling winds on the peaks, no major thunderstorm concern (ie, the kind that kick you out of a mountain before noon. not even a concern until 2PM). I really just can't think of a better time of the year for hiking weather. Two downsides are that most of the wildflowers will be gone already (a brown alpine tundra just isn't as pretty as a blooming one), and it gets dark by 8-ish and dawn comes quite late (~6 AM), so when camping and traveling, nights are getting long. If you can't find good sleep, it gets annoying. it is what it is. Lots of flashlight use.

Re Labor Day weekend crowds, I've only found crowds to be a problem around the most popular peaks, in towns (45 minutes for a latte and a muffin once in Buena Vista -no matter how good it was, not worth the wait!-) and on the roads: I did Belford-Oxford in 2020 and parking and dispersed camping along the county road all the way to Winfield and Huron pk TH was a s**t show. Both nights I was there someone drove in late after dark desperately asking if I could share my site, which I did with great pleasure. Belford hike wasn't my most pleasant experience either (maybe it was the crowds, maybe it is just the route that sucks).
But the next year I hiked San Luis, camped at the TH for 2 consecutive nights and I was almost the only soul out there. I relocated to Marshall Pass (southern Sawatch) during that weekend (no 14er in the area but lots of ATV people) and it wasn't that hard to find a nice and quiet place to pitch a tent. On Labor Day of 2019, I hiked Shavano & Tabeguache, after camping on the way to the TH: no crowds (everybody was probably stuck in traffic already, leaving early to "beat traffic" -see below-).
But the Ice Lakes by Silverton earlier that same weekend, oh boy, s**t show again...

Now, Elbert DOES get very crowded. I expect Labor Day weekend to be the case. So be it. Getting there on a Friday you'll have to compete for a campsite. Massive shouldn't be as busy but it shares the same access road and campsites with Elbert.

What I recommend you do is only stay one night at Barr camp, and drive out the same day you summit Pikes peak. That'd be your Thursday and you won't compete for campsites with as many people as you would the next day. You'll also skip traffic. Might as well try to make it to Leadville and get set for Elbert/Massive.
Or perhaps as most have suggested, don't bother with Pikes and do shorter peak hikes with less restricted parking/camping (I haven't hiked Pikes so I can't objectively judge). Maybe Elbert/Massive instead on these weekdays, and a less popular 14er comes Labor Day weekend. Here's what I'd do: Tu-We: acclimate. Th: Elbert. Fr: Massive. Sa/Sun: rest/hike a less famous 14er, in whichever sequence you feel.

Now, I know you'll wanna beat traffic to get back to the airport on Labor Day, right? Well, I've got some bad news, sir. You won't beat traffic. Everybody is going to leave early to beat traffic and nobody will beat traffic. 285 will be bad, early, and until late. I-70 will be bad, early, and until late. It'll take you time no matter how you look at it, and I don't know how much extra time you should allow over a normal driving time. Maybe try to fly the next morning and drive down after dark on Labor Day or during the wee hours that morning...
Ryan987
Posts: 93
Joined: 8/7/2022
14ers: 26  3 
13ers: 4
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Questions on a new 14er hiking solo

Post by Ryan987 »

I cannot stress the last comment. Labor day traffic last year was insanely bad
dr_j
Posts: 239
Joined: 9/23/2010
14ers: 58  1 
13ers: 13
Trip Reports (4)
 
Contact:

Re: Questions on a new 14er hiking solo

Post by dr_j »

Snyderman1966 wrote: Tue May 30, 2023 8:52 pm Thank you for all your input. I'm going to do this now I just need to schedule it. I wanted to come out on August 27th and hike up to Barr Camp on the 28th and stay over but I just found out they aren't open on Mondays and Tuesdays. I like the idea of breaking up my 1st 14er 1/2 way up at a place like Barr Camp. If there isn't a viable solution then I'll either fly out on the 29th or wait until after labor day. I don't think I want to be out there over the holiday weekend. what's your thought on this?

This is my tentative schedule. I still have to make reservations, flights, etc.

Fly to Colorado springs early on Aug 29th stay at hotel
Morning of Aug 30th hike up to Barr Camp, stay over night.
Morning of Aug 31st hike to Pikes Peak Summit and back down to Barr Camp, stay over night.
Morning of Friday September 1st hike back down to base and drive to campground near Mt Elbert trailhead, set up camp.
Morning of Saturday September 2nd hike to summit of Mt Elbert and back to camp
Morning of Sunday September 3rd hike to summit of Mt Massive and back to camp
Labor day Monday September 4th fly home.

My concerns are the holiday weekend and if I wait till after Labor Day then will the weather be more questionable? I have no issue hiking in snow I do it here in NY State but I'd rather avoid the snow especially at higher elevations. Maybe I'll scrap this plan and just fly out on the 27th and camp near Elbert and Massive and do those two instead. I can hike average of 15 miles a day no issue, but thats on the AT not in the Rockies.

Your thoughts are appreciated.
Drive Pikes. If you want to hike it, consider parking at the Devils Playground and hiking the last couple of miles, you'll at least earn the donuts. And while you're at it, get a reservation and hike Evans from Summit Lake. They're both shorter in elevation gain and distance, and not a bad way to get accustomed to longer distances. That was exactly what I did a couple years back, in 2021. Sherman from the Leadville side is also a good starter.

Elbert and Massive back to back is a real haul. I'd go with Elbert. I don't have the energy to go more than about 5000' vertical in a day, and I live at elevation.

But it goes without saying that these are going to be really busy, you won't be lacking in company, and you're not going to get a quiet experience either. Just be prepared for traffic, Bluetooth speakers, and most of the Front Range escaping the Denver heat.

Maybe consider flying into an alternate airport? Or go a couple weeks after Labor Day, when the traffic really drops off, you can park at Quandary for free, and you get a few fall colors starting to pop out.
IG: jc_solitude
Snyderman1966
Posts: 7
Joined: 4/21/2023
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Questions on a new 14er hiking solo

Post by Snyderman1966 »

Thank you all again, very helpful. I'm going to abandon the idea of Barr Camp and Pikes Peak all together. I'm going to schedule my flights for dates around August 27th thru September 1st or 2nd. That way I'm home before labor day. I'll probably work towards summiting Elbert and Massive, and maybe Harvard if the 1st two go really well. Hopefully I can at least summit Elbert and Massive with rest in between. Either way I'll be tent camping and hiking in the Colorado Rockies so it will be a wonderful trip!

I have more planning and research to do over the next couple of months. I'll be getting back to you all asking for review/comment of my plans, what I'm brining for gear, etc.

Thank you all again! Without your guidance I don't think this trip would be a success.

with gratitude,

Tom Snyder

Tom Corvette on Facebook
Snyderman1966
Posts: 7
Joined: 4/21/2023
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Questions on a new 14er hiking solo

Post by Snyderman1966 »

Well I got the 1st step down, reserved my flight and rental car. Coming in on Monday August 28th, leaving Saturday September 2nd. Now the planning starts. Thank you all again!
lesherhawk
Posts: 2
Joined: 4/3/2020
14ers: 7 
13ers: 1
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Questions on a new 14er hiking solo

Post by lesherhawk »

I have nothing against hiking or camping solo, just do it with the utmost of caution. However, anytime you are unfamiliar with an area or venture into a realm like higher altitude, inexperience could come back to bite to you. I don’t run across too many hikers that would object to you tagging along on trails like Pikes Peak (not a great example because you can drive to the top of pikes Peak) or setting up camp somewhere close by. Some feel good about handling a stressful or unexpected situations, but there are things that you cannot control, like a surprise snow storm or lightning from a storm that seems to be miles and miles away. When something like that happens, your chances of survival increase exponentially if you have someone else there to help. Most tragic stories I’ve read or missing persons flyers that I see hung at trailheads are for solo hikers or hikers separating from the group. Good luck and be safe.
Randy and Shay
Posts: 5
Joined: 8/6/2023
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Questions on a new 14er hiking solo

Post by Randy and Shay »

Snyderman1966 wrote: Tue Apr 25, 2023 5:46 pm Thank you sir! What's your opinion on hiking these peaks solo? Is it foolish?
I live in NH, in 2001 I moved to CO to hike. I soloed 24 14ers and some 13ers, sometimes never seeing anyone. If your safe and fit, you will have no problems at all. I slept at most trailheads to acclimate for my hikes, it really helps to be at 10k for the night. I stuck to mostly class 2 hikes, a couple easy class 3 hikes thrown in. I had zero issues with the altitude, but some people never do. In CA, I could leave San Fransisco on a friday night and summit a 13er on Saturday. Just drink a lot and take advil if you have too, in the odd chance you start feeling sick, turn around and go down while you can. I hike with my dog Shay, we are in a lot of hiking groups in NH where we live now, you need any help or advice feel fee to pm me or email me Climb2liv2003@yahoo.com. CO is amazing.
Post Reply