Is it possible for people to love the outdoors too much? Studies have shown that getting out in nature is one of the best things you can do for both mind and body. But is it good for nature? How many people can nature sustain before it stops being nature?
Colorado’s economy is based in large part on tourism. People come from all over the world to partake of the beauty of its mountains, lakes, trails and ski slopes. And in the Internet age it’s easier than ever for people to find out about these places. As a result, Colorado is seeing more and more people in the previously empty backcountry.
Nowhere is this more evident than on the 14ers. Climbing 14ers used to be a relatively fringe activity. I grew up here and as a kid I never climbed a single one. Back then, even getting information on how to climb one was a challenge. Intelligence like the location of the trailhead, the length of the trail, vertical ascent, etc. could only be found in obscure hiking enthusiast books. Then the Internet happened and all that information now appears at the fingertips of anyone willing to tap a few keys. Not to mention the advent of social media and the ability of influencers to post selfies on the summit of some 14er on Instagram — #liveyourbestlife, #coloradoblessed — and the next thing you know all their followers want to go climb that mountain too.
It’s gotten so bad that some of the more popular peaks require reservations to park at the trailheads. That’s right, you have to make an online reservation and pay a fee to visit them. For several years Aspen has required a reservation or a shuttle ride to visit the Maroon Bells, famous on scenic calendars worldwide.
The question of backcountry access versus preservation has become quite the quandary all over the state. This past summer, Summit County and the Forest Service instituted a reservation system to park at Quandary Peak (see what I did there?). Quandary Peak is the tallest mountain and only 14er in Colorado’s Tenmile range. If you’ve ever skied Breckenridge, you’ve been in the Tenmile range. Breck’s five peaks form the ridgeline in approximately the middle of this range. Quandary sits at the south end, about six miles from Breckenridge, as the crow flies.
Given its proximity to the tourist magnet that is Breckenridge and its reputation as one of the easier climbs, Quandary is, year in and year out, one of the most popular (i.e. crowded) Colorado 14ers. To the point that parking at the trailhead has become an issue. So now, from June – September, Quandary Peak requires an online reservation and a fee ($30 weekdays, $55 weekends and holidays) to park at the trailhead for the day. Alternatively, you can ride the shuttle from Breckenridge for $7. I never thought I’d see it, paying to climb a mountain on public land. It’s great that so many people want to experience these amazing places but it seems we may have reached peak saturation, so to speak.
Quandary was on my list to climb this summer but because of the reservation system, I was putting it off until October. Well, that and the fact that I broke the fourth toe on my right foot back in August by not paying attention while walking around in flip flops. Doh! I’ve been able to continue riding, thanks to the stiffness of cycling shoes, but when it came to hiking my season has been on hold. At any rate, with my toe almost healed and the reservation system expired for the season, it was finally time to climb Quandary Peak.
It’s about an hour and a half drive from Salida to Breckenridge over Hoosier Pass. I got to the Quandary trailhead just before 7:00 a.m. and was surprised to already see a dozen or more cars in the large lot. On a Friday. In October. Popular place, indeed.
From the parking area it’s a short walk up County Road 851 to get to the trail.
The trail forks off the left side of the road and climbs steeply up the hill into thick forest.
Going through the forest, the trail crosses several old mining roads. To keep confusion to a minimum, there are numerous simple “Trail” signs at these intersections. Nice.
There are countless log steps and excellent rock work indicating the care that’s gone into preserving this very popular trail.
The morning sun just hitting North Star Mountain to the south…
…and the upper slopes of Quandary straight ahead.
Higher up, the trees begin to thin out and you get a clear view of North Star Mountain. Fun fact: North Star forms the Continental Divide in this part of Colorado. Quandary and all the mountains to the north are in the Pacific drainage; the mountains to the south are in the Gulf Coast drainage.
At timberline with Quandary’s summit still looking very far off.
In the forest I hadn’t seen a soul since leaving the parking lot. But once out of the trees it became evident just how many people were on the mountain that day. Every time I looked up there was a handful of people either going up ahead of me or coming down after summiting. I wouldn’t say it was crowded but it was definitely a different experience from previous October climbs where I wouldn’t see anyone all day. You can just see a person in a red jacket topping the ridge left of center in this photo.
A couple more.
Flattish spot before beginning Quandary’s upper slopes.
View of Blue Lake reservoir between Quandary and North Star.
More fellow hikers.
Highlight of the day. I was grinding my way slowly up a steep section with my head down when I topped a small rise. I looked up only to be face to face with a mountain goat grazing at the side of the trail. Her bright white coat against the gray/brown rocks startled the crap out of me. She seemed completely unfazed. I was literally ten feet from her. She stood there eating while I took out my camera and proceeded memorialize her morning breakfast.
Upon further observation, I realized she was a momma goat and the two up the hill were her younglings. They were bleating (that’s what their sound is called) for mom like annoying toddlers. Mom continued eating her breakfast, ignoring them. I detoured right off the trail to skirt by mom. Even female goats have horns and I didn’t want to push my luck by getting any closer. Higher up I got this shot of the youngsters standing on the rock above her.
Goat encounter over, I continued up Quandary’s upper slopes.
I summitted with these guys.
It had been perfect hiking weather all the way up. It was cool enough that I didn’t sweat but clear and sunny with no wind so with a good layer game, I never got cold. That all ended on the summit. There was a steady 25-30 mph wind out of the west and with temperatures in the low 20s, the wind chill was brutal. In the few minutes it took me to take off my gloves, pull out my phone and snap the next few pictures my hands became stiff and started to hurt like hell.
So, you’re welcome.
Looking south over the Continental Divide at 14ers Mt. Bross, Mt. Lincoln, Mt. Cameron and Mt. Democrat.
To the southwest our home range, the Sawatch, forms the skyline. It’s difficult to identify all of them but I can spot Mt. Oxford, La Plata Peak, Mt. Elbert and Mt. Massive.
Due west are 13ers Drift Peak and Fletcher Mountain in the foreground with Mt. of the Holy Cross framed between them on the skyline. What’s most interesting to me about this picture is the lack of snow versus the previous picture. That’s due to this view showing primarily south and east slopes while the previous one is mostly north slopes.
Looking north down into McCullough Gulch.
Breckenridge to the northeast.
13er Mount Silverheels to the southeast.
Needless to say, I didn’t stick around on top for long. After taking a few pictures I quickly stuffed my phone back in my pocket, put my gloves back on and got myself off that pile of rock. Amazingly, only about 40-50 feet lower I was back out of the wind, where I warmed up quickly in the sun. I sat down on a rock for a snack and a text home.
Heading back down. Colorado is about a week past prime aspen viewing at this altitude but I was treated to some scattered patches of gold to brighten my return trip.
The whole way down I encountered even more people hiking up, singles, couples, and even groups of six or more. Back at the parking lot I was surprised again to see it was now nearly full, with probably 30-40 cars.
So back to my original question, is it possible for people to love the outdoors too much? I’d have to say yes. As crowded as Quandary was on an October weekday — granted, a beautiful October weekday — I’d hate to to see what it’s like on a July weekend. There’s clearly a demand for these mountains. Demand stoked by the growing number of people who’ve already visited them, the Internet, Instagram and even possibly, to a very tiny extent, this website.
So what to do? The reservation system is probably a reasonable response, although I do question the price. Fifty five dollars seems excessive when over in Aspen they’re only charging ten. You don’t want the mountains to become elitist where only the rich can enjoy them. This may just be the new reality. Either pay the price or plan to hike in the off-season and expect plenty of others to be doing the same.
For me, I was glad I got to experience Quandary Peak on a sunny fall day. I didn’t mind having a few folks around to share the experience. There are plenty of other mountains to climb in Colorado if I’m looking for solitude.