Colorado 14ers Trip - Wetterhorn, Uncompahgre, Red Cloud, Sunshine, and Handies

Join us for an unforgettable adventure in Lake City, Colorado—home to some of the most stunning alpine scenery in the state! This trip offers the chance to summit 3 to 5 of Colorado’s iconic “14ers,” including two of our all-time favorites: Wetterhorn and Uncompahgre Peaks. Sheldon and I both agree these climbs stand out as some of the best we've ever done. If you’re looking for challenge, beauty, and camaraderie, this is a trip you won’t want to miss!

IMPORTANT: RSVP priority will be given to our active members. You must have completed a conditioning hike with us recently or gone on previous Austin Mountaineers hiking trips. We do this to ensure everyone's ability and safety. See our event list for upcoming conditioning hikes which are normally scheduled every Saturday morning at River Place Nature Trail. Event host has final say on attendance.

We like to keep attendance to 4-5 per vehicle to keep the cost as low as possible for everyone. Right now, the shared cost for the trip will be approximately $160 each ($90 if you volunteer to drive/share your own vehicle). This may be less and change slightly as we near the trip and finalize our reservations. The shared costs include the hotel stays and the shared fuel expense. You'll just need to pay for your own meals. We do our best to keep these trips as economical as possible. We'll be sharing hotel rooms for two of the nights and tent camping for two nights.

Itinerary:

Wednesday
Leave from Carl's home in Cedar Park at 3:00pm.
Drive to hotel in Slaton, TX (5.25 hr drive).
We will stop for dinner on the way in Brownwood, TX.
Stay overnight at Knights Inn Slaton.
4 people, 2 queen beds per room.

Thursday
Drive from Slaton to Nellie Creek Trailhead (10.25 hr drive).
We will have breakfast and lunch on the way.
Setup camp Thursday afternoon and let ourselves acclimate to the altitude.
We will eat dinner at camp.

Friday
Breakfast at camp.
We'll do the harder peaks first while our legs are fresh.
Climb Uncompahgre and Wetterhorn Peaks.
(Do one or both...up to you and how strong you feel!)
17.7 miles round-trip, 6,437 ft elevation gain, +/-12 hrs.
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/wetterhorn-peak-and-uncompaghre-peak
https://www.14ers.com/route.php?route=unco1
https://www.14ers.com/route.php?route=wett1
Lunch/snacks on the mountain.
Dinner in Lake City, CO (or back at camp).
Lake City is a quaint little town where you'll be able to grab some souvenirs and a burger/fries to refuel for Saturday's climb.

Saturday
Breakfast at camp.
Break down camp and pack up.

You will have two options Saturday morning. You can climb Redcloud and Sunshine Peaks - or you can climb Handies Peak...depending on how strong you feel Saturday morning.

- For those climbing Redcloud and Sunshine Peaks -
Drive to Silver Creek/Grizzly Gulch Trailhead.
Climb Redcloud and Sunshine Peaks.
11.5 miles round-trip, 4,600 ft elevation gain, +/-8 hrs.
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/redcloud-and-sunshine-peaks
https://www.14ers.com/route.php?route=redc1
https://www.14ers.com/route.php?route=suns2
Lunch/snacks on the mountain.

- For those climbing Handies Peak -
Drive to American Basin Trailhead.
Climb Handies Peak. (This is considered the easiest 14er to me.)
5.75 miles round-trip, 2,500 ft elevation gain, +/-4 hrs.
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/handies-peak
https://www.14ers.com/route.php?route=hand1

Dinner on the way to our hotel.
We'll stop for the night in Raton, NM at the Robin Hood Motel.
4 people, 2 queen beds per room.

Sunday
Get up and start the drive back to Austin. +/-12 hour drive.
We will stop for breakfast and lunch on the drive home.
We typically arrive back home around 6pm.

Payment for shared expenses due by Tuesday, July 1st at 5pm. It can be paid to Carl via Venmo, Zelle or cash.

If you don't think you have all the camping gear you need for this trip, please let us know. If you're just starting out, many of us in the group have extra gear that you can use so that you can attend without making a big investment. I'll send out a gear list prior to the event.

If you have dietary restrictions, please prepare snacks/meals ahead of time as many of the small towns we go through will not have many food options.

Cancellation policy: If you will not be able to make the hike, please change your RSVP to "not going" as soon as you know you will not be able to attend. This affects our car and hotel reservations and will open a spot for someone on the waitlist.

Waiver: By RSVPing to this event, you are agreeing that you are taking sole responsibility for your own health and safety, as well as that of any guest you may bring. If you or your guests are unwilling to accept this responsibility, then please do not RSVP for this event.