Mt. Bierstadt - 14,060 ft

Date: 3-20-2004

Climbers: George Barnes and Brian Schuster

Route:  West Slopes I, Class 2

RT distance:  6.0 miles

RT time: 8 hours

Time to summit:  6 hours (terrible route finding!)

Time on summit:  20 minutes

Time to trailhead: 1 hours 40 minutes

Elevation gain:  2,770 feet

Coordinates of TH:  39° 35.70'N, 105° 42.67'W

Coordinates of summit:  39° 34.97'N, 105° 40.12'W

USGS Quadrangles: Mount Evans

Trip Report:

    After an early start in Denver, Brian and I made the Guanella Pass trailhead shortly after 6 AM.  We're the first and only vehicle at the pass.  We put on our gaiters and were soon off for the summit.  We immediately picked up a fairly well established trail going due east from the trail head.  Thinking this is the right trail we proceed about half way to Scott Gomer Creek and which point the trail peters out.  Not excited about turning back we bushwhack our way through the willows in waist deep snow.  At times it's crusty enough to walk on, but for the most part it's post hole hell.  Progress is painfully slow and the sun rises over Bierstadt before we reach the creek.

    Eventually we make our way to the large boulders at the far edge of the willows.  We decide class 3 rock climbing over these is preferable to slogging around them in snow and head up the rock.  The going is much easier out of the willows, but we're still breaking new trail in crusty snow.

    With mixed feelings we reach the now obvious established trail up Bierstadt and our ascent quickens.  We would later realize that we needed to head more north from the TH parking to pick up the main trail.  We stop at around 13,000 feet at 11:30 AM to practice self arrests on a safe snow slope.

   A few pictures later we're underway again and reach the saddle shortly after noon.  The summit is a short jaunt from here, but we stop again for a few pictures.

    By 12:30 we reach the summit and are rewarded by stunning 360º views.  After 20 minutes of picture taking and snacking we geared up for the descent.

    Just below the saddle the snow is still frozen and free of rocks, so we descend about 1,000 feet the fast way - glissading on our rears.  The snow is melting at lower elevations, and was too soft for sliding.  We soon pick up the now obvious, heavily cairned, dirt trail and make our way for the willows.  Progress is much quicker across the willows on an established trail and we reach the truck shortly after 2 PM and are on our way to Tommy Knocker's in Idaho Springs.