Summary
Mount Evans Elevation 14,270ft. (Aug.
17, 2002) "Mount Evans road"
trail from Echo Lake TH. From this TH, this class 1 trail runs (29.2 miles rt. with
3,700ft. gain). TH directions are as follows, take I-70 West to Idaho Springs
Exit 240, go 13.4 miles on Colorado 103 South to Echo lake. This is where I
started my bike ride up Mount Evans. This morning was very cold after a cold
front had moved through the night before. There was a three dollar use fee on
the road, which I paid and headed up. After the following the twisty and many
switch back road I arrived at the top. I did not see any signs posted so I biked
the last 300 yards up the single track road to the very top.
The parking lot on top was filled with many people, vehicles, and mountain goats. The mountain
goats were climbing all over the stone building/ruin adjacent to the parking
lot. On the way up I passed the Summit Lake TH, but the distance that you would
have to climb to reach the summit from this point seemed pretty week. I would
have to say that the best way to climb/hike the peak would be from Mount Bierstadt
and the sawtooth ridge, or climbing straight from Guenila Pass.