July 22, 2020
Crystal Peak A (13,852 feet)
Route: 14ers.com (Northeast Ridge)
5 miles; 1789 feet elevation gain
Total time: 2 hours 56 minutes
We drove to Lower Crystal lake to camp the night before. We had the place to ourselves and didn't see anyone until the end of our hike the next morning. We started around 5am, the only humans for miles with a pack of loud coyotes nearby. It is a gradual climb with a trail for most of the way. There is a segment without a defined trail but it is easy to see where you're heading. The last bit of the ascent has a bit more technical climbing, but nothing exceeding class 2. You get absolutely beautiful views of the Tenmile Range from the top. It would be easy to add other peaks if you want a longer day. I would not recommend driving up to the first lake without a high clearance 4WD vehicle, but it did cut off a lot of mileage.
December 6, 2020
Quandary Peak*
Route: Alltrails
5.76 miles; 2455 feet elevation gain
Total time: 3 hours
*did not summit
We arrived around 7am and the parking lot was about half full at that time. Despite perfect conditions for a December day we did not summit due to concerns about an icy descent with two dogs. It was the correct decision for safety reasons. It was very busy for a winter day, the parking lot was overflowing when we returned to the car. There were icy spots that definitely required spikes but otherwise it is an easy and straightforward hike. The views are stunning in every direction especially at sunrise. This was my second attempt at Quandary Peak and another fail, it was a bummer!
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