Autumn is my favorite time to head into Colorado’s high country. Though wildflowers depart, quivering gold Aspen leaves arrive. The trails are quieter, air cooler, lightning gone. Late last September, my husband, Dale, and I drove up gorgeous Guanella Pass to hike Mount Bierstadt. Though I usually covet the showy palette of spring wildflowers, the rich rose-gold of sun on plants and rocks was a revelation.
Another revelation: how much I huffed and puffed on this, my second, visit to what’s supposed to be Colorado’s easiest Fourteener. If you’ve never hiked a 14,000-foot peak before, Bierstadt is a great introduction. But don’t let the word “easiest” fool you. It’s still high altitude, which means less oxygen and more work. It’s only about seven miles, but clear your whole day, pack a lunch, and bring plenty of warm layers. Even when it’s hot at the bottom, it’s always shockingly cold at the top – with winds as fierce as the teeth of Sawtooth Ridge, which links Bierstadt to Mount Evans. (If you’re a daring hiker, you can scramble across the ridge and bag two peaks in one day.)
Driving to Bierstadt is easy. Take I-70 to the Georgetown exit and follow signs through town for Guanella Pass Road. Take that road 11.8 miles up from town. You’ll see parking lots on both sides of the road. The trail starts on the east (left) side. The drive alone is worth it, as you’ll see at the beginning of this short video of the trail:
Hiking Mount Bierstadt – Guanella Pass, Colorado from Cara Lopez Lee on Vimeo.