Quandary Peak

Last night I camped at the pleasant Peak One Campground near the Dillon Reservoir. 

My site was really nothing special, but it was fun to watch the chipmunks,

and I had a great view of a mountain that I suppose is Peak One. 

This morning I woke up at 4 am and packed up camp and ate breakfast. Then, I made the short drive into Breckenridge where I parked at the South Gondola Parking Structure and caught the first shuttle of the day bound for the Quandary Peak Trailhead. We arrived in the dark at about 5:30 and I immediately hit the trail. 

The hike starts by following a short section of road, before veering off onto a true hiking trail. 

The first mile or so of trail, passes through a pleasant, wooded area with a steady, but not too steep, incline.

I reached tree line just as the sun rose through a low bank of clouds. 

Soon, the climbing would start in earnest. There were nice views off to the south and the Blue Lakes.

As I ascended higher, I caught a glimpse of several pikas 

and a large flock of rosy finches. 

There were intermittent stretches of sun and clouds.

However, by the time I found myself at the final climb to the summit, I was completely engulfed in clouds.

The last mile was pretty slow going. I would hike for about 100 yards and then take a short break. Eventually, I was standing on the summit without any view of the surrounding landscape.

I spent about 5 minutes at the summit area, but it was cold and there wasn't any view and so I headed down. As I descended, the clouds started to lift a bit offering some nice views.

The going down was much easier than the ascent and I was able to enjoy the view and the wildflowers more than I had on the way up.

A ground squirrel seemed to pose for a picture just off the trail.

I was back to the trailhead in time for the 10:30 shuttle back to Breckenridge. I feel like I made pretty good time. I would estimate 3 hours up and 2 hours on the way back. Once back to the parking structure, it was a long drive back home.