I learned a few things on Bierstadt when I hiked it for the first time in 2012, namely adequate footwear. Also my first “public” bio break not having many options for privacy having to go on a busy trail. Whip the fanny out, no shame! My FiveFinger soft sole shoes were not a great choice for this pile of talus. 

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It was a hot day in June of 2012 taking the standard West slopes route up Mount Bierstadt as my second 14er. The first line in the route description is accurate and the traffic has only increased a decade later. Being the second 14er we still hadn’t learned the rewards of early starts nor understood the concept of alpine start. Arriving at Guanella Pass absurdly late we were lucky the weather held that day.

There were hoards of people both on the way up and down. The crowds made bio breaks difficult with little coverage and basically no privacy. When nature calls, as they say!

Talus is the lasting memory I have of this mountain, probably due to my suffering with inadequate footwear that made the rocky trail nearly unbearable. I made it down eventually, although a lot slower than I would have liked. Needless to say I don’t wear my FiveFingers up mountains anymore.

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Still a great day on another new-to-me peak! 

On your way down from Guanella pass, be sure to make a pitstop in Georgetown to enjoy some of the local spots.

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Grab food from Roundabout, Mountainbuzz Cafe & Pizzeria, The Alpine Restaurant and Bar, or Pho Bay restaurant.

Stop by Guanella Pass Brewing or Cabin Creek Brewing.