Hiking Mount Quandary, A Colorado 14er.
My very first Colorado 14er summit was Mount Quandary. I was skeptical that I could actually hike Mount Quandary, a legit 14er. One of the tallest peaks in Colorado, BUT I did it ya’ll! Here’s the scoop.
This peak comes equipped with all the elements a good 14er has to offer. A crazy trailhead, stunning scenery, quick changing weather, shortness of breathe, lots of snack breaks, friendly fellow trail hikers, baby heads (sharp rocky terrain), mountain goats and one epic ass view of Colorado at the top.
Mount Quandary Colorado 14er
Trail Information
- Summit: 14,265 feet (highest summit in the Ten Mile Range)
- Elevation Gain: 3,400 feet
- Location: 9 miles outside of Breckenridge in the White River Forest.
- It’s the most commonly climbed 14er in Colorado
- Trail Difficulty: considered a Class 1 on www.14ers.com and ranked “hard” on the All Trails app. www.alltrails.com
- Trail Length: 7.5 miles out and back
- The east route is suggested for beginners. It’s also a little crowded (especially on the weekends) in the Summer months.
- Fur Companions: You can bring your pup if he’s a trail dog. Per the All trails app pups are allowed and we did see several furry friends on the trail.
Lodging + Prepping for Mount Quandary.
Lodging accommodations in Breckenridge are a great choice if your hiking Mount Quandary. It’s pretty close to the trailhead and there’s plenty of food options, gas and other trails and activities in this area. We absolutely loved Breckenridge and have been back to the town multiple times since this first visit to hike Quandary.
Prepping for your hike.
Locate the trailhead the night before. You’ll need 4WD for this trailhead, it’s a bit gnarly. Set an early alarm and pack up the night before ( I have a blog post about the essentials I recommend taking with you for a 14er summit, linked below). We started our hike toward the summit around 5 am with headlamps.
We purposefully planned to hike Quandary later in the week the week that we arrived in Colorado. This allows for ample time to adjust to the altitude. Coming from Ohio, where the elevation is about 1,100 above sea level, appropriate time to adjust to the elevation is crucial. Avoid altitude sickness at all costs.
Hiking Essentials to Pack for your first 14er – HERE
10 Tips for Hiking Your First 14er – HERE
Hiking Quandary Peak.
Several other cars were parked at the trailhead when we arrived. We hit the dirt in the dark with headlamps illuminating our path. The East Ridge trailhead starts at about 10,850 feet. Elevation gain is obviously pretty intense and to be expected. Baby head rocks were unexpected and pretty rough, appropriate footwear was a real savior here.
NOTE: Baby heads are small sharp pointed rocks that can get rough on your feet/ankles after several miles of hiking.
On our trek to the summit we took a ton of water and snack breaks. Pacing ourselves for slow and steady progress, stopping frequently to rest and catch our breathe and hang with the mountain goats made the hike more enjoyable.
There’s a false summit on the East Ridge and it felt a million miles away at some points. This trail was a pretty obvious route and worn path, but when in doubt look for cairns to help guide you up the mountain. Cairns are small mounds of rock built by other hikers to help show you the correct path.
Once you reach the top the views are absolutely breathtaking!!!
I remember standing in awe, on the top of the peak and just taking in the views. It was windy, it was sunny, it was beautiful. The mountain ranges all around us looked absolutely insane. Honestly, pictures just DO NOT do justice. There was a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment all in that moment. I was really anxoius for my first 14er summit, I literally joked for months about not being able to make it to the top, not being in good enough physical shape, worried about altitude sickness etc… but I was totally fine and it was 1000% worth the hike for those stunning mountain views.
Summit Success!! Yay, we made it!
Arriving at the summit we snapped some pics, celebrated with our summit beers and then started our descend back down the mountain. At this point, we noticed the clouds were rolling in, and quick. The danger of lighting and inclement weather is nothing to take lightly. Where we felt safe doing so, we jogged to beat the rain and potential storm.
The photo below is from our hike down. We made it to treelike before the rain started and we were super thankful we had packed appropriately with our rain gear.
Summit Summary. Quandary Peak
Ever since Quandary I’ve been HOOKED. I want to climb them ALL! There’s just something unexplainable about seeing Colorado from an altitude that not everyone has gotten to experience. I hope you do too!!
Happy Summiting!!! – Jen
Be sure to check out my blogposts for packing and preparing. I include a checklist of all the ways I prep for a 14er as well as a list of things to bring along in your daypack. Pin for later or share on social media. Thanks for following along on my adventures.
Always remember “Safety first, Summit Second”.
