Quandary Peak
A view from the road up Hoosier Pass
Victoria enjoying the early morning hike
The upper route on Quandary
And finally the summit, can you see Cameron, Lincoln and Bross in the background?
And last but not least a picture of Horton the Quandary Wonder Dog. Horton (rest in peace) lived at the base of Quandary and would tag along with hiking groups year round. Victoria and I met Horton coming up as we were going down but never took his picture, duh! Wouldn't you like a hiking partner like Horton who always tags along and doesn't bail on you at the last moment?
Quandary Peak
- Scramble: Class 1 - Steep Hiking
- Altitude: 14,265 ft, Trailhead 10,850ft
- Elevation Gain: 3,400 ft approx, Round trip 6.75 miles
- Start Time: 5am to 8am to be on your way down by noon and avoid potential lightning storms
- Ascent Time: 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 Hours
Highlights
This scramble is easy, has some great views of Cameron, Bross and Lincoln. In memorium we remember "Horton" the Quandary Wonder Dog. Horton, a gold colored lab lived at the base of Quandary and liked to attach himself to climbing parties and escort them up Quandary. Probably has the record for most summits of Quandary. We met Horton on our way down as he had attached himself to a couple and their dog.
Getting There
Quandary Peak Trailhead - 10,850ft - Yes lower TH Restrooms
From Breckenridge, drive 8 miles south on Colorado 9. Turn right (west) on the Blue Lakes 850 Road. Lower parking lot is at this intersection. Drive a few hundred yards and turn right on the McCullough Gulch 851 Road. There is a sign for the Quandary Peak Trail at this junction. Drive 0.1 mile to a small parking area on the right side of the road. This is the official trailhead. The U.S. Forest Service has installed a sign/kiosk that faces away from the road. Walk up the road to the next corner and the trail starts on the left. This is a new trailhead and replaces the previous trailhead 1 mile up the road. The new trailhead is fairly small (perhaps 7-8 vehicles) so come early for the best parking.
There is also the lower bigger trailhead parking at the intersection of Colorado 9 and 850
Updated Quandary Peak trailhead info at the link below
Updated Quandary Peak Trailhead info at 14ers.com
Info: NOTICE: Starting July 30, 2021 you will need to reserve a parking spot for this trailhead or use the new free shuttle service from Breckenridge. Fees in effect for trial period July 30 to October 31, 2021. Parking reservation cost $20 half day $50 full day, shuttle free from Breckenridge. See below link for time details and a 2022 update
Park Quandary Web Site for the 2022 Season
There is a new bid process happening for the 2023 Park Quandary service so one would have to search around for the final results and rules.
Camping
In the Frisco/Dillon area there is the Heaton Bay campground and the Peak One campground. They are about 13-14 miles away from the Quandary TH. There are some dispersed camping sites just off the road at the top of Hossier Pass. Further research required for other camping sites.
Route Description
The Quandary Peak Trail starts across the road from the trailhead and winds its way up the slopes all the way to the summit. Once on the trail it's almost impossible to get lost. As you near what you think is the summit (ie some red colored rocks) you are close but the true summit is a hundred yards of fairly level hiking farther back. The descent takes almost as long as going up due to the type of rocks and terrain. Rocks on the trail are baseball size and it is hard to descend very fast.