As dark, ominous clouds drifted over Quandary Peak early Wednesday afternoon, Denver residents Justin Burt, Wilder Ripley and Eli Amparan sauntered back to the parking lot after summiting the 14,000-foot peak.

It was just before 1 p.m., and the group had been hiking since 4 a.m. Clothing that they had shed as the day grew warmer hung from their backpacks. Sweat dripped from their foreheads. One of them sipped from a CamelBak as they stopped to chat.

“There are some snow fields. At the top, when you’re peaking the summit, mostly you’re walking on snow,” Burt said of the conditions along the 3,450-foot ascent.

“It wasn’t too bad. It was definitely better in the morning,” Ripley said. “It was very slushy coming down — easy to slip on — but it was pretty firm and stable going up.”

This wasn’t the first Colorado 14er this group had summited, but it was their first time up Quandary, and their first peak of the season. In the early-morning hours, Amparan said they missed a turn and ended up hiking two hours on McCullough Gulch Road before turning back, adding a “pretty long detour” to the usual 7-mile round trip.

“That summit push was pretty brutal, but obviously it felt great to get to the top,” Ripley said.

As the last of the winter snow melts, more and more people are planning to get outside to climb Colorado’s high peaks, including the state’s 14,000-foot peaks, which draw hundreds of thousands of hikers a year.

Hiking season — or “summit-bagging season” as those who’ve challenged themselves to check 14ers and other peaks off their list sometimes call it — is just getting started in earnest in Colorado.

“Usually around this time in the first or second week of June you’re finding many of the 14ers becoming accessible,” Colorado Fourteeners Initiative Executive Director Lloyd Athearn said. “They are either largely clear of snow or the snow has consolidated enough that people are starting to get out.”

Most of Colorado’s 14ers — including peaks like Quandary, Grays, Torreys, Handies and Elbert — are relatively approachable for those who are in good physical shape, Athearn said. That’s part of what makes the summits so popular.

However, Colorado’s mountains can be packed with potential hazards that hikers need to be prepared for, especially this time of year, when snow still lingers in the peaks even as the arriving monsoon season promises to deliver regular afternoon thunderstorms.

“The key things are planning ahead, being prepared and carrying the proper equipment,” Athearn said.

Preparing for anything

For any excursion into Colorado’s backcountry, whether summiting a 14er, climbing to an alpine lake or seeking out blooming wildflowers in an Alpine meadow, a little planning can go a long way, Summit County Rescue Group member Aaron Parmet said.

In Colorado, search and rescue organizations like Summit County Rescue Group are composed entirely of volunteers and provide rescue services to those who are stranded, lost or injured in the backcountry, free of charge.

“When you’re trying to go for the high peaks this time of year, it’s going to be a gorgeous time to get up there, but snow is obviously still present — you just have to look up to the peaks to see that,” Parmet said. “I think the name of the game is being prepared for all four seasons.”

Anyone traveling in the backcountry should always carry the 10 essentials, Parmet said. But this time of year, it may also be necessary to bring technical equipment for snow, extra layers to stay warm in a pinch, rain gear and heat and sun protection, he said.

Athearn noted that hikers can check out 14ers.com, an online community where members often share trail conditions, to get a sense of what trails may be the most accessible and what gear may be necessary.

“One of the biggest challenges this time of year is people who are not equipped for or not prepared with microspikes, crampons, ice axes,” Athearn said. “Not just carrying them, but knowing how to use them. You might have a route where 80-90% is melted out and then you have a steep snowpatch you have to traverse.”

While the Colorado Avalanche Information Center has stopped issuing avalanche forecasts for the season and avalanche danger tends to be low in the summer, Parmet noted that anytime there is snow, there is the potential for avalanches. Snowstorms are possible even in the summer in Colorado and, especially after rain or quick increases in temperature, avalanches can also occur, he said. 

Another common danger in the summertime is the frequent thunderstorms that roll through the mountains many afternoons, Parmet said. Hikers are sometimes caught off guard by storms in Colorado, which can form quickly and may roll in from behind the mountain, turning blue skies to dark gray in a matter of moments, he said.

Colorado ranks third in the nation for the most lightning strike fatalities between 2006 and 2023, according to the National Lightning Safety Council. The National Weather Service reports that on any given day in July — the peak of hiking season —- the state can see 5,350 lightning flashes.

Because thunderstorms tend to roll through in the afternoon in Colorado, the general rule of thumb is to start early, often before sunrise, so as to be below treeline by noon or earlier, Parmet said.

“You don’t want to be the tallest thing out there. Being above treeline on a ridge is probably the worst place to be during a thunderstorm,” Parmet said. “Always exercise hazard awareness with lightning. Start early, check the forecast, and when in doubt go down.”

Because conditions in the mountains can change so quickly, those traversing the backcountry should carefully weigh the variables and be careful not to become so fixated on an objective that they miss potential dangers, Parmet said. That is called “goal fixation” or “summit fever” and is a common mindset that leads to trouble in the backcountry, he said.

Luckily, in Colorado, there is no shortage of outdoor activities, so if hikers have plans to climb a 14er but start too late or show up to find the trailhead full of snow, it’s OK to pivot to something else, Parmet said.

“There is almost always an option that will be fun and safe,” Parmet said. “There are very few days where you can’t find something fun and safe to do.”

Protecting the peaks

While Colorado’s mountains may appear powerful and permanent, they also contain rare and fragile native Alpine tundra ecosystems that can be fragile — especially as hundreds of thousands of hikers summit them each year.

Athearn noted that every year, dedicated volunteers work with the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative to help maintain trails and protect the native species that are uniquely adapted to surviving on high peaks. 

Anyone who is planning to hike a 14er or travel in Colorado’s backcountry this summer, should practice the seven “Leave No Trace” principles, in order to help protect the peaks and preserve them for others to enjoy, Athearn said. 

Planning ahead, bringing the right gear and being prepared are part of that, Athearn added, because hikers who are running down the mountain from an incoming thunderstorm because they were unprepared are more likely to lose gear or cut switchbacks on the way. Likewise, if a hiker loses the trail because they didn’t plan ahead, it could result in a search-and-rescue team tromping through sensitive tundra to find them, he said.

“Being prepared, knowing what you’re going to get into, knowing about your route, having the appropriate equipment for it — that ultimately not only protects you, but protects the resource,” Athearn said. “So, go have a great time but be informed and follow the rules so we protect these unique public places.”