CO 14ers and 13ers in winter

[Zack Karas]

I'll be in CO with my wife during the holidays and we plan on sneaking away from the family for a few days to visit the backcountry. What 14ers or 13ers are easily doable on snowshoes, have little avalanche danger and have easy vehicle approaches. We would prefer to sleep in the car if the TH is close to the summit, but we aren't against hiking in and camping.

Peaks and route info would be greatly appreciated from anyone who has actually done this in true winter conditions. I also have Roach's guide.

[joe w]

nm

[backpackerchick]

What month?

[Christopher Plesko]

Quandary and Pikes are pretty easy in the winter. There is a good SummitPost article that describes the avy danger on the CO 14ers.

[Eric Blumensaadt]

I'm in the same boat – visiting my daughter's family in Lewisville (beside Boulder) over Christmas and wanting to do a 13er or 14er with my BC skis &/or new MSR Lightning Ascent snowshoes.

Because the Lightning Ascents are SO grippy I think they'd substitute for crampons on windpacked snow.

But ya gotta start at first light (or an even earlier "Alpine start") to get back down from many of those peaks before dark. That means getting up at 4 AM in the city unless you opt to have a base camp, which I'll likely do.

Eric

[joe w]

nm

[Zack Karas]

I've decided to go to RMNP and bag some 13ers. Always wanted to go there in winter.

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