| Quandary Peak | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 14,271 ft (4,350 m)[1][2] |
| Prominence | 1,125 ft (343 m)[3] |
| Parent peak | Mount Lincoln[3] |
| Isolation | 3.16 mi (5.09 km)[3] |
| Listing | Colorado Fourteener 13th |
| Coordinates | 39°23′50″N 106°06′23″W / 39.3972759°N 106.1063743°W[1] |
| Geography | |
  Quandary Peak | |
| Location | Summit County, Colorado, U.S.[4] |
| Parent range | Mosquito Range, Highest summit of the Tenmile Range[3] |
| Topo map | USGS 7.5' topographic map Breckenridge, Colorado[1] |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | East Ridge: Hike, class 1[5] |
Quandary Peak is the highest summit of the Tenmile Range in the Rocky Mountains of North America and is the most commonly climbed fourteener in Colorado.[6] It has nearly the same elevation as Castle Peak and Mount Blue Sky. It lies in Summit County and within the White River National Forest about 6 miles (10 km) south-southwest of the town of Breckenridge.
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.[7] 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.[8] The Initiative's data indicated that the peak saw 49,179 hiker days in 2020. Its popularity in recent years[when?] has caused serious parking problems at the trailheads, prompting local officials to initiate new parking policies.[9][10]
| 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[11] | |||||||||||||
