Mount Bierstadt and The Sawtooth from the trail near trailhead
In August two years ago (2023), I went to climb Pikes Peak, the 32nd highest mountain in Colorado, with my grandson Jacob, his girlfriend Regina at the time, and her family. In October last year, the orthopedic doctor diagnosed that I had signs of degenerative arthritis in my left knee. I thought I would climb Pikes Peak with my grandson. Peak is the last 14ers in my life. I had planned to give back my mountaineering license after taking a break for more than half a year. Unexpectedly, after more than two months in the United States, there were signs of improvement. Today, under the instigation of my grandsons Jacob and Regina (who have been promoted to granddaughter-in-law), we will climb Mount Bierstadt, the 38th highest mountain in Colorado. I have climbed this mountain five times. The climb down today was smooth, which gave me a lot of confidence!
Mount Bierstadt Hiking Track
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Climbing Mountain: Mount Bierstadt, 14,060 ft/4,285 m
Trailhead: Mount Bierstadt Trailhead, 11,634 ft/3,546 m
Climbing Distance: Approx. 7.21 miles/11.6 km round trip
Total Elevation Gain: Approx. 2,969 ft/905 m
Climbing Class: Class 2
Climbing Time: Ascent 4 hours, Round trip 7 hours 20 minutes
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Driving Information:
From Denver, drive west on I-70, exit at Exit 228, turn onto the Georgetown exit, and head south on Guanella Pass. Continue for approximately 11.5 miles along the mountain road until you reach the parking lot on the left-hand side of the road before the highest point of Guanella Pass. This is the trailhead, at an elevation of 11,669 feet / 3,557 meters. This section of the road is accessible to most vehicles. Just before reaching the trailhead, you will see two young bull moose by the roadside.
Young bull moose (年輕公駝鹿)
Trail summary:
07:36 Start from the trailhead, elevation 11,634 ft / 3,546 m;
Mount Bierstadt Trailhead
Looking eastward, the highest point on the right is Mount Bierstadt, the mountain we will be climbing today.
Today's climbing goal
The trail begins with a gentle descent to the Scott Gomer Creek swamp. The swamp is covered with chest-high willows. It is not the willow we know. The branches are thick and hard, and it is more difficult to get into than the arrow bamboo forest in Taiwan. The swamp has wooden planks in low-lying areas, making it very convenient to walk.
Mount Bierstadt Trail
07:50 On the left side of the trail is an unnamed small pool, the water of which is a deep blue under the blue sky;
Unnamed pool beside the trail at 11,510'
The elevation here is 11,510 feet/3,508 meters, about 0.5 miles from the trailhead.
Elephant Heads
Mount Bierstadt Trail
08:00 Arrive at Scott Gomer Creek and carefully cross the stepping stones in the stream;
Scott Gomer Creek
This location is at an elevation of approximately 11,529 feet (3,514 meters), about 0.81 miles (1.3 kilometers) from the trailhead, and descends about 100 feet from the trailhead.
Shortly after passing Scott Gomer Creek, you enter the Willows thicket and begin a zigzag ascent down the western slope of Mount Bierstadt.
Weaving through the willows grove
Take a look back at the beautiful marshland while hiking up the west slope of Mount Bierstadt.
On the trail up Bierstadt, looking back down on the wetland along Scott Gomer Creek
Looking west over Guanella Pass Road to 13,794' Squaretop Mountain(L)
Near 12,224’, looking west over Guanella Pass Road to Squaretop、Grays & Torreys et al. Mountains
Mount Bierstadt Trail
08:55 Ascended to a flat area on the northwest shoulder, at an altitude of approximately 12,224 feet/3,726 meters, about 1.93 miles/3.1 kilometers from the trailhead;
The flat area on the northwest shoulder of Mount Bierstadt near 12,224 ft.
Near 12,240’, looking west over Guanella Pass Road to Squaretop、Grays & Torreys et al. Mountains
Mount Bierstadt seen from 12,300' along the trail
此處較貼近觀看山頭，小休片刻。
Near 12,300' with the remining route in full view
Looking west from the halfway point of Mount Beirstadt, one can see Grays Peak and Torreys Peak, both 14ers peaks.
At 09:14, we climbed to a ridgeline exposure point on the North Shoulder Ridge, approximately 2.24 miles/3.6 kilometers from the trailhead, at an altitude of about 12,490 feet/3,807 meters. From here, the treacherous nature of the Sawtooth Ridge, the path from Bierstadt to Mount Blue Sky, becomes even more apparent!
Sawtooth ridge from 12,500' along the trail
The trail then bends right and ascends steeply to the south.
Near 13,100’, looking west over Guanella Pass Road to Squaretop、Grays & Torreys et al. Mountains
At 10:10, the trail turns into an irregular rocky surface and becomes steeper;
Mount Bierstadt Trail
The rocky slopes on both sides are covered with tundra plants and wildflowers, and several mountain goats are foraging on the rocky slopes.
Mountain Goat
This section of irregular rocky road continues for more than a mile to the summit, with an elevation gain of about 1,500 feet/458 meters, making it one of the more difficult parts of the climb.
Seen looking West from Bierstadt's trail near 13,500 ft
Near 13,520’, looking west over Guanella Pass Road to Squaretop、Grays & Torreys et al. Mountains
11:00 Ascend to the southwest ridge saddle of Bierstadt, elevation 13,776 ft / 4,199 m;
Mount Bierstadt Southwest Saddle
Bierstadt is located to the northeast, about 3.36 miles/5.4 kilometers from the trailhead, and about 280 feet/85 meters from the summit.
Looking up the final pitch on the summit ridge
The route to the summit is bustling with hikers going up and down. After catching their breath, they begin their ascent. The trail is not very clear on this section, but just keep an eye on the direction and keep climbing!
The final pitch on the summit ridge
Facing south from Bierstadt's summit, Frozen Lake sits below
We reached the summit of Bierstadt at 11:40 AM, and the entire mountain was packed with people. Mount Beirstadt is 14,060 feet (4,285 meters) above sea level. The weather was clear, but the forecast predicted cloudy skies in the afternoon, with a chance of thunderstorms after 3 PM. The view from the summit was fairly good.
Mount Bierstadt Summit
Looking east towards Mount Blue Sky, one can see Mount Bierstadt across Abyss Lake.
Mount Blue Sky & Abyss Lake from Bierstadt summit
Mount Blue Sky & Meyer-Womble Observatory from Bierstadt's summit
Looking west from the summit of Mount Bierstadt, one can see the high mountains of the Rocky Mountains stretching from south to north.
Seen looking West from Bierstadt's summit
Looking north from the summit of Mount Bierstadt, one can see the Rocky Mountains, with the highest peak in the center being another 14ers—Longs Peak, 46 miles away.
Longs Peak(M) from Mount Bierstadt
The benchmark at the summit of Mount Bierstadt (14,060 ft.) is equivalent to the triangulation point in Taiwan.
Mount Bierstadt's Benchmark
The Sawtooth Ridge connects Mount Bierstadt and Mount Blue Sky.
Looking down the Sawtooth from Bierstadt's summit
Looking southwest from the top of Mount Bierstadt towards the Tenmile Range
12:08 Descended the mountain.
14:30 Reached Scott Gomer Creek, crossed the river, and then began a gentle ascent towards the trailhead.
15:00 Returned to the trailhead. Beibei and Regina had already descended and were waiting in the car. After a quick freshening up, Beibei drove home. On the way home, we saw several Big Horn Sheep at Quanella Pass.
Big Horn Sheep
AllTrails：Mount Bierstadt Trail (2025.07.12)
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