Mt. Bierstadt

Mt. Bierstadt - 14,060'

First encounter with wildlife on the way to the trail head on Guanella Pass

Near the beginning of the journey, a nice calm lake

A view of the peak to be conquered, as the morning sun shines brightly

Starting up, looking back towards the lake

Up and up and up...

Lovely little alpine tundra gems just starting to pop out

Finally at the top, this is a view of Mt. Evans

View from the top in the other direction

Marker

View coming back down - this is of Gray's Peak and Torrey's Peak, which I did last year; they seemed much easier for some reason

Another lovely view on the way back down

My favorite guys! Pikas! This one was pissed. Note that global warming is threatening their survival, as well as other creatures within the delicate alpine region.

View of the peak in the afternoon

And the trail out and back to civilization

This trail begins at the top of Guanella Pass. The hike to the top of Mt. Bierstadt from this location is only 3 miles. Still, it took 2.5 hours to get to the top and 2 to get back down. The trail was very muddy and covered in snow and ice, which slowed everyone down. As my first 14-er of the season, this mountain kicked my ass. My trip to Gray's and Torrey's Peaks last year seemed so much easier, it possibly had a lot to do with the snow and ice. It was a fun journey and the people you meet along the way are always interesting. At the top, a young man was signing the sheet and wondering what to leave as his comment. It was his first 14-er and a man at the top told him to only find words from his heart, not his mind, because that was what mattered, especially when you are on the top of a mountain. The journey down is always a sad one, I don't enjoy leaving such beautiful places and going back to the land of concrete and endless sprawl, of noise and of pollution and impure energy. The top of this mountain that day was unbelievable. I have never been at the top of 14-er with a temperature near 70 degrees and barely a breeze in the air. Usually you struggle against the wind to stay standing and it's freezing. It was a magical moment, and there is nothing like the feeling of conquering a mountain and looking down from so far in the sky.