OverviewTowering over the Denver skyline Mt Evans is a very popular mountain for climbers due to it being the closest 14er to Denver.
There is a road to the top of the mountain, and the summit is full of tourists who drive all the way to the summit. The road is closed in the winter. There are routes up Mt Evans that are Class 1,2 3, and 4. This peak is often climbed in conjunction with Mt Bierstadt by crossing the classic "sawtooth" route.
There are 5 trialheads, Echo Lake, Summit Lake, West Chicago Creek, Guanella Pass and Scott Gomer Creek.
Getting ThereThe shortest, easiest route is to just go up the paved road... but what fun is that? The road is also the highest paved road in the United States. From Denver go west to Idaho Springs (exit 240 ) then south on hwy 103 for 13.4 miles for the Echo Lake trailhead. Parking is available at the junction with Hwy 5 (Mount Evans Road). If you continue south on Hwy 5 from Echo Lake for 9.1 miles you will reach the Summit Lake Trailhead. As of May 2004 there is a $10 fee for driving up Hwy 5 or you can get a season pass.
Permit RequirementAaron Johnson points out:
Several Colorado wilderness areas now require a free user permit to be in the wilderness, or shortly will require same. The wilderness areas are Holy Cross, Maroon Bells/Snowmass, Mount Evans, and Mount Massive. Permit tags are available at trailheads and are a two part tag. The white part goes in the box provided and the card portion is to be attached to the outside of your pack. There is currently no penalty if one does not have a permit. However, large fines could be levied within a few years for non-compliance. The preferred method now for dealing with violations is education of the users.
The reason for implementation of this required permit is the Forest Service has been unable to obtain accurate data on use patterns from the voluntary sign-in system. The estimated compliance range is currently 10-30%.
The hope is to obtain better data with this new method. While some may feel this is a precursor of some kind of quota system, the opposite is actually true. Accurate information on visitor use patterns will allow the forest service to attempt to evenly distribute impacts and encourage use of alternate trailheads for the same destinations. However, given the magnitude of the state's continuing population boom, folks should not be surprised if quotas in certain areas become a necessity.
Thanks to SP member mtnhiker13 for supplying this vital update via the Colorado Mountain Club's email service.
Specific information can be viewed here
Route InformationThe shortest hiking route is really more of an outing than a climb. Starting at the Summit Lake Trailhead to the summit is only 2 miles and a gain of elevation of only 1420 feet. It is class 2.
The normal route for mountaineers is from the Echo Creek Trailhead. This hike is 14 miles and gains 4600 feet. It is class 2. This is called the Chicago Creek Route. The trail starts near the slight ridge SW of Echo Lake. Follow the trail to to west side of the ridge, descend and switchback to Chicago Creek. Cross the creek on the log bridge, then up the dirt road to the resevoir. Continue on the road to enter the Mount Evans Wilderness, then stay on the trail to the southernmost Chicago Lake. From here climb up a broken slope to the Mt Warren ridge at 13,060 ft. Descend to Summit Lake then up the Northeast face to the summit.
Guanella pass is also a good trailhead. You can climb just Mt Evans from here or also do Bierstadt then take the sawtooth ridge to Mt Evans and then descend back to Guanella Pass. For Guanella Pass , from Denver take I-70 west to exit 228 at Georgetown and follow the signs through Georgetown for 10 miles to Guanella Pass.
If you are going to climb Mt Evans only, start out on the Bierstadt trail. Stay on the trail until it starts to rise and head back to the right. Try to find a clearing in this area and work your way through the willows- keeping the big stand of trees to your right, and the creek to your left. As you work your way around the stand of trees on the right, you will see a gully heading up to a saddle at the left end of the sawtooth ridge. It is somewhat steep in parts, with loose scree, but it is a nice shortcut to get you to Mt Evans ridge. Take this gully up. As you reach the top Mt Spalding will be on your left, the sawtooth will be coming from the right, and the Mt Evans ridge will be slightly to your right. The ridge route is well marked with cairns, wooden stakes and yellow and red "brushes." Follow the trail to the summit and shake hands with a tourist that drove to the top and climbed the last 100 feet.
If you want to do Bierstadt and Evans both and do the classic sawtooth, the recommended trailhead is from Guanella Pass. The sawtooth is not as dangerous as it appears, but it is recommended to do it when it is dry. There is some class 3 scrambling going across the sawtooth, but for the most part the route is well cairned. Once across the sawtooth hike east 1/2 mile to the beginning of Evans west ridge. Take the ridge .7 mile to the summit.
I also highly recommend The Red Ram restaurant and saloon in Georgetown for some good cheap eats and a few brews after the climb. On Friday nights they also usually have a live band and dancing if you feel up to it.
When To ClimbPeak season is July and August. This mountain is quite popular, so try to climb during the week if possible. Colorado mountains are noted for ther weather and afternoon storms are quite common. Try climbing early in the day and try to be off the summit by noon is a good rule of thumb.
CampingPhone 877-444-6777 for camping reservations.
* Echo Lake Campground:
(This campground is located near the entrance to Mount Evans. There is no camping along the road to the top of the mountain.)
Sites: 18
Elevation: 10,600 feet
Max Vehicle Length 20 feet
Daily Fee: $10.00
Location: 14 miles south of Idaho Springs at the intersection of Hwy 103 and Hwy 5.
* West Chicago Creek Campground:
Sites: 18
Elevation: 9,600 feet
Max Vehicle Length 30 feet
Daily Fee: $10.00
Location: 7 miles south of Idaho Springs on Hwy 103 then 3 miles off of Hwy 103 on Forest Road 188.
* Guanella Pass Campground:
Sites: 18
Elevation: 10,900 feet
Max Vehicle Length 35 feet
Daily Fee: $11.00
Location: 9 miles south of Georgetown on Guanella Pass Road.
* Cold Springs Campground:
Sites: 38
Elevation: 9,200 feet
Max Vehicle Length 50 feet
Daily Fee: $11.00
Location: 5 Miles north of Central City-Blackhawk on Hwy 119.
* Columbine Campground:
Sites: 47
Elevation: 9,200 feet
Max Vehicle Length 20 feet
Daily Fee: $10.00
Location: 2.5 miles Northwest of Central City via Gilpin County Road 3 on Forest Road 176. To access, run left off the Hwy 119 and go through Central City on Hwy 279. At the top, near the cemetery, follow the signs to the campground.
* Pickle Gulch Campground:
Sites: 6 Group Sites
Location: 4 miles north of Blackhawk just off Hwy 119. This is a nice campground for groups.
Mizpah Campground:
Sites: 10
Elevation: 9,200 feet
Max Vehicle Length 20 feet
Daily Fee: $10.00
Location: 5.5 miles west of Empire on US 40.
Clear Lake Campground:
Sites: 8
Elevation: 10,000 feet
Max Vehicle Length 15 feet
Daily Fee: $9.00
Location: 4 miles south of Georgetown on Guanella Pass Road.
Mountain ConditionsThe website 14ers.com is good for updating weather conditions. You can also call CAIC at 303-275-5360.
Conditions on this mountain, like all Colorado 14ers, are subject to change rapidly- especially during the prime climbing summer season. The mountains are their own weather system, and weather forecasts from nearby towns often have little to do with actual mountain conditions. You can generally count on clear to partly cloudy in the morning, and heavy clouds and thunderstorms in the afternoon during the summer.
There is no substitute for getting an early start, and getting as much of the mountain "behind you" as early in the day as possible. Keep a good eye on the sky as weather conditions can deteriorate rapidly. The greatest weather danger is from lightning strikes, and climbers are killed almost every summer in Colorado by lightning strikes. July seems to be the most deadly month for lightning.
Two climbers were killed by lightning in Colorado within a couple days of each other in the summer of 2003. I think the following important information from Gerry Roach's book "Colorado's Fourteeners From Hikes to Climbs" bears repeating. Added here with permission from Gerry Roach:
Colorado is famous for apocalyptic lightning storms that threaten not just your life, but your soul as well. This section will have special meaning if you have ever been trapped by a storm that endures for more than an hour and leaves no gap between one peal of thunder and the next. The term simultaneous flash-boom has a very personal meaning for many Colorado Climbers
Dangers
1. Lightning is dangerous!
2. Lightning is the greatest external hazard to summer mountaineering in Colorado.
3. Lightning kills people every year in Colorado's mountains.
4. Direct hits are usually fatal.
Precautions
1. Start early! Be off summits by noon and back in the valley by early afternoon.
2. Observe thunderhead buildup carefully, noting speed and direction; towering thunderheads with black bottoms are bad.
3. When lightning begins nearby, count the seconds between flash and thunder, then divide by 5 to calculate the distance to the flash in miles. Repeat to determine if lightning is approaching.
4. Try to determine if the lightning activity is cloud-to-cloud or ground strikes.
5. Get off summits and ridges.
Protection
1. You cannot outrun a storm; physics wins.
2. When caught, seek a safe zone in the 45-degree cone around an object 5 to 10 times your height.
3. Be aware of ground currents; the current from a ground strike disperses along the ground or cliff, especially in wet cracks.
4. Wet ropes are good conductors.
5. Snow is not a good conductor.
6. Separate yourself from metal objects.
7. Avoid sheltering in spark gaps under boulders and trees.
8. Disperse the group. Survivors can revive one who is hit.
9. Crouch on boot soles, ideally on dry, insulating material such as moss or grass. Dirt is better than rock. Avoid water.
The following link is also helpful: Lightning Safety and Crouch
Also see this personal account of a lightning strike by nchenkin- It will make you really think about lightning safety Struck By Lightning!
Maps and ContactsMaps:
USGS Quad: Mount Evans
Trails Illustrated® - TOPO Map # 104
Contact:
US Forest Service, Clear Creek Ranger District 303-567-3000.
People Pics and MiscellaneousAdd your People Pics and any other miscellaneous information here.
External LinksCOLORADO 14ERS INITIATIVE LEARN MORE ABOUT COLORADO 14ERS AND VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Leave No Trace
Check out the web site of LNT and learn some important minimum impact hiking tips.
Colorado Mountain Club
CMC’s web site will tell you all you need to know about Colorado’s largest and oldest hiking club.
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