May 9, 2023
Quandary Peak | 14,272 feet Route: AllTrails
6.44 miles; 3401 feet elevation gain
Total time: 4 hours 32 minutes
Quandary is notorious for being the easiest 14er in Colorado, well it took me three times to successfully summit this mountain. My first attempt was in the fall and the wind was too extreme to continue. My second attempt was in the winter and the wind also won that day. So attempt three...The weather forecast at the summit it was expected to be 16 degrees F and 20 mph winds. The remainder of the week was a snowy forecast so we took our chances knowing that the likelihood of bailing is always high in the early season.
We started at 4:30am to avoid soft snow and post-holing on the descent. We used microspikes, poles and gaiters for the entire hike but snowshoes were not needed. If you start any later you will need snowshoes for the last few miles. It took us 3 hours to reach the summit, with only a few short breaks. The ascent has multiple false summits so mentally prepare yourself! The trail was entirely snow covered and the cornice on the south side is large. When you reach the flat portion before the final climb it is hard to differentiate between the cornice and the trail so I recommend keeping your distance, especially with dogs. The final push to the summit is tough as you climb a mile with 1000 feet of gain, to 14,272 feet. On the summit there was no wind at all, a May miracle. We spent about 15 minutes on the summit before heading down. The descent was smooth sailing, albeit busy with backcountry skiers, and took us 1 hour and 15 minutes including a snack break. I recommend downloading the route on AllTrails because it is easy to lose the trail on the way down due to the snow and lots of social trails. There were a few short sections where glissading was possible to shave off time!
Hike Details:
Trailhead: accessible in all vehicles.
Fees & Reservations: parking fees and reservations apply June 17 - September 17. There is also a shuttle option from Breckenridge. See hikequandary.com for more details.
Bathrooms: porta-potty at the trailhead.
Trash: no garbage available at the trailhead.
Dog-friendly: this trail is dog friendly and accessible.
Recent Conditions: see AllTrails reviews & 14ers.com peak conditions.
Forecast: mountain-forecast.com
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