Quandary Peak
The standard route up Quandary Peak is a trail hike (class 1), starting from a trailhead about 1 mile (1.6 km) north of Hoosier Pass on the east side of the peak. Hence it is a popular fourteener to climb because of the relatively easy ascent and its proximity to Denver and Breckenridge. Quandary Peak is also popular with backcountry skiers and snowboarders. The gentle ascent makes for an easy climb from the east with less danger from avalanche than on many other fourteeners. The other slopes of the peak are steep and appeal to expert backcountry skiers. One such steep ski mountaineering route is the Cristo Couloir.
In June 2021 the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative announced that Quandary Peak was Colorado's most popular 14'er in 2020. The Initiative's data indicated that the peak saw 49,179 hiker days in 2020. Its popularity in recent years has caused serious parking problems at the trailheads, prompting local officials to initiate new parking policies.
Climate
Climate data for Quandary Peak 39.3981 N, 106.1074 W, Elevation: 13,484 ft (4,110 m) (1991–2020 normals) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 19.6 (−6.9) |
18.8 (−7.3) |
25.6 (−3.6) |
32.6 (0.3) |
40.9 (4.9) |
51.7 (10.9) |
58.0 (14.4) |
55.5 (13.1) |
49.6 (9.8) |
38.3 (3.5) |
26.4 (−3.1) |
19.7 (−6.8) |
36.4 (2.4) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 9.3 (−12.6) |
8.6 (−13.0) |
14.2 (−9.9) |
20.3 (−6.5) |
29.1 (−1.6) |
39.0 (3.9) |
45.5 (7.5) |
43.8 (6.6) |
37.4 (3.0) |
27.0 (−2.8) |
16.5 (−8.6) |
9.7 (−12.4) |
25.0 (−3.9) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | −0.9 (−18.3) |
−1.5 (−18.6) |
2.8 (−16.2) |
8.1 (−13.3) |
17.3 (−8.2) |
26.4 (−3.1) |
32.9 (0.5) |
32.0 (0.0) |
25.3 (−3.7) |
15.7 (−9.1) |
6.6 (−14.1) |
−0.3 (−17.9) |
13.7 (−10.2) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.50 (64) |
2.49 (63) |
2.92 (74) |
3.68 (93) |
2.69 (68) |
1.41 (36) |
2.75 (70) |
2.82 (72) |
2.01 (51) |
2.10 (53) |
2.40 (61) |
2.35 (60) |
30.12 (765) |
Source: PRISM Climate Group |