FAQ and threads for those just starting to hike the Colorado 14ers.
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mtree wrote: ↑Thu Jul 17, 2025 8:58 am
If you have the vehicle and decent driving skills, I think Uncompahgre is a far better hike than Redcloud or Handies. Its only a smidgen more difficult.
I agree 100 percent. And I would even say from my perspective that Red Cloud's loose crap coming up off the saddle makes it harder than Uncompahgre, or at least less enjoyable. The short class 2 climb through the rocks on Uncompahgre is a nice bit of spice and fun for a newbie.
If the OP does Handies from Grizzly Gulch he will get some good wildflower views coming through the basin along the creek. Grizzly Gulch is approximately 30 to 40 minutes from 149 highway depending on how fast you drive.
"Education is the process of moving from cocksure ignorance to thoughtful uncertainty." (Utvich)
Another vote for Handies. Suggestion, since Handies is such a popular first 14er and there's likely to be tons of people at the summit: why not park at Grizzly Gulch, go up the east side, down American Basin, and bum a ride back to your car? The Grizzly Gulch trail is very pretty and not nearly as crowded as American Basin, and that way you get to see different views of the mountain ascending and descending, which is kind of cool. And you'll have no trouble getting a ride back to the parking lot.
But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3: 13-14
A lot of great advice on which 14er to climb, which is obviously super helpful but what I'd recommend for day one is the following Hike. The "Twin Sisters" sit across from Longs Peak and offer a nice 2500 feet of elevation gain while only topping out at 11400. Easily accessible from Estes park and much less crowded than the Longs Peak approach trail (another good training option), I've used these for a first day in Colorado (from 1200 feet above sea level) as a primer for Long's peak. I can promise that your 14er day will be much more pleasant after a little acclimatization and a night of sleep back in Estes, plus the other advice in this thread should be very helpful.
