How to get there:
A good starting point is Guanella Pass. To drive there,
take I-70 west from Denver to the small village Georgestown.
The road up to Guanella Pass starts in the southern end of town,
there are many signs directing the driver to Guanella Pass.
The road is paved about half way to a reservoir and a power
transformation site, from there the road is a good quality
dirt road. There are a couple of large parking areas just before
the road reaches its highest point. Route description:
From the parking area a well marked trail leads gently downhill
through the willows. The trail is easily visible and even contains
considerable stretches of wooden walkways to avoid muddy sections.
After crossing a small creek the trail gently climbs the slope
of Mount Bierstadt. This route is very easy, partly because of
the small elevation gain due to the elevation of Guanella Pass at
3357m. Comments:
Pål Jørgen, age 11 and I arrived from Boulder around
0930. The weather was just fantastic. We hiked to the summit in about
2 hours and 15 minutes. From there we continued across the Sawtooth Ridge
in order to climb Mount Evans (see description under Evans).
Resources:
Images
The summit of Bierstadt Grays Peak (4349m) and Torreys Peak (4348m)
can be seen in the distance.
Mount Bierstadt (right) and the Sawtooth Ridge (center),
as seen from the trailhead at Guanella Pass. (Aug. 2012.)
