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...