Late Season Quandary Peak

Breckenridge, Colorado

Trip Report 11/15/25

Unseasonably warm and dry weather in Summit County gave the rare opportunity to run dry trail on an annual ski trip to Colorado. This was my first Colorado 14'er and the highest elevation I have been to date. This was a heart thumping, short and sweet power jog with super straight forward route finding. This will undoubtedly send me down a rabbit hole of peak bagging, but for now it's just a teaser. Weather was a 10/10 with no wind. There were plenty of people for November.

The Quandary Peak Trailhead sits just below the summit of Hoosier Pass at nearly 11,000 feet giving you a major altitude advantage. Pay parking at the trailhead was almost full despite it being late season. It is without a doubt that a summer weekend would not have the same availability at 11am. Earlier would be recommended and would be better form for the average outdoor enthusiast. The only trail fork was turning off the McCullough Gulch road onto the Quandary Peak Trail proper which was about 1/4 mile from the trailhead. The rest is steps for you to discover on the Mosquito Range.

Beta: Parking reservations start June 12th. Info, reservations and shuttle schedules are here: https://www.hikequandary.com/. Quandary Peak is the 11th highest peak in Colorado at 14,247 feet. It is considered to be the least technical of the 14'ers.

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