Mt. Quandary
The top of Mt. Quandary is at 14,265 feet in elevation. The winter route and the summer route up Quandary differ a lot. If you are getting serious about doing 14'ers, I highly recommend getting a book specifically about these peaks because the mistakes others have made can help you avoid problem. I will only talk about the winter route in this article.
We strapped on snowshoes at the parking lot and headed into the trees on what appeared to be a snow-covered recreational road. After a little less than a mile, a sign on the left side of the road indicated the Mt. Quandary trail, so we turned off and headed into deeper forest. I have to admit, it was incredibly lovely with all the snow. The trail was basically a ditch through the snow, so we knew we weren't the first ones on this trail. The trail through this portion was a gentle upward slope and I encourage you to conserve your energy through this part.
It was also through this part that we discovered the snowshoes we had rented were very inadequate in quality. We fixed them with some supplies in our packs, but it was a struggle to continue. Later, you will find out that the snowshoes were in pieces by the time we got to our turning-around place.
After about 40 minutes of steady hiking, we came out onto a plateau and took our first look at the peak we were to climb today. The picture gives you an idea of this view of Mt. Quandary.
After you cross the plateau, the trail heads up sharply and climbs along the ridge. This ridge keeps your avalanche danger low and makes this peak a winter possibility for us amateurs. The ridge does not keep away the wind, so the higher we climbed the more we were leaning into the wind. Be sure to take frequent breaks to sip water and munch high-calorie snacks on this part because it only gets worse. This picture shows you the ridge we climbed.
To be honest, we only got to the false summit and had to turn back. By this time, the showshoes had completely fallen apart. Our fingers and feet were very stiff and cold and hypothermia was a true concern. Our gear must be upgraded before we will attempt this peak in the winter again. It was disappointing, but it would
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