What To Wear Hiking The High Country

Hiking in the High Country and what's best to wear, bring, and practice

• Jared Black
• Jun 7, 2019
• Travel

You're coming to Colorado and want to do some hiking - Here's your go-to guide for some of the best hiking in Breckenridge

Hey Guys J-Blogger here! As I sit at my workspace, Wayfinder, in the Sante Fe arts district I can't help but think about how close the hiking trails were to being ready last weekend. They're right on the cusp of being ready to go..well cuspish. I took a ride out of Kennington townhomes in Breck which backs up to lower flumes. I then headed over to the Mikes Trail and did the climb that connects into the upper flume. My expectation was that snow would probably be present in the higher portion but to my delighted surprise, I only met snow stuffed away in a few of the berms which I kindly walked around.

Hiking early season you can encounter a number of spots that are less than desirable to navigate around and navigating around them is exactly what you should do. Breckenridge is home to hundreds of trails, whether they be mountain biking, hiking, or both. When you go out early season there is going to be a lot of spring run-off and generally, that run off likes to make its home running down the already beaten down trails vs bushwacking the landscape. When the water is running down these trails it's best to just stay off them and give them the time they need to dry up. When bikes and hikers get too anxious and head out on the muddy trails they can leave a lasting imprint in the trail that will end up hardening and staying this way until the next rain really gets a chance to soften up. Yikes

Etiquette/Practice - The biggest thing to me about hiking is respect. Respect the land, respect the other people out in the woods, and respect the wildlife. I grew up in Maine where it was nearly impossible to tell the effects of man on the land but sadly due to Colorado's population and popularity CO trails see a seriously high volume of hikers and bikers. Thing's like picking up your trash, PUTTING OUT FIRES, and not ripping branches or scarring trees is important to how the forest functions. It may sound obvious but year after year wildfires burn and generally, it's from something that 1 human was careless about. If you see trash, don't waste time taking pictures and trying to shame the culprit, just pick it up and move on. Respecting other hikers is important as well though. Uphill hikers or bikers have the right away. You may want to rip down as fast as you can but remember that high volume? Parent's with kids, pets, and even elderly individuals can be seen on almost any of these trails so look ahead and if someone is coming up, slow down and move to the side. Remember these people have generally ONLY been going uphill for some time and momentum is your friend 

What to wear/bring - Hiking in is going to involve rapid altitude adjustments, varying terrain, weather adjustments and a whole lot of huffing and puffing. You'll want to wear clothing based on the time of year you're going and the hike you're planning to do. Below I will list 3 hikes and what to wear and bring for each:

Advanced - Mt. Quandary - Mt. Quandary tops out at over 14,000 ft making it one of Colorado's 58 14ers. For this hike, you will want to leave early in the morning as the trip takes about 6 hours. The reason you want to leave early is that Quandary is notorious for having weather blow in and hikes accidentally taking the wrong way down and getting cliffed out. Cliffed out is when you take the wrong trail and find yourself in an area to step to go back up and below you is a cliff. You will want to bring plenty of food and water as well as a solid hiking boot with a higher wrap around the ankle. Bring sunscreen, a light jacket, at least two layers, and preferably a stretch performance fabric for your underlayer.

Intermediate - McCullough Gulch Trail is a 6.2 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Breckenridge, Colorado that features a lake and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from April until October. Dogs are also able to use this trail. This trail is a bit more high volume so safety is a little less intense but you still need to be aware of the changing weather and make sure you bring food and water. a lighter jacket and just 1 layer should be okay for this hike. Weather is still bending but you can rent snowshoes from Ridden Snowshoe Rental

Beginner - Burro Trail and Boreas Pass - The Burro Trail is a great in town option that leaves from about 3 posts up the Quiksilver Chairlift. The trail is out & back and offers amazing forest scenery and though you're still close to town it'll give you the feeling that you're miles away from anyone. Boreas Pass- Boreas pass is a road for about half the year and its actually the old railroad bed that miners use to take coming over from Como. Mining was the real deal in Breckenridge and it was taken very seriously. This is an easy walk or drive on a single lane road that's great for some of the most easily accessible sights in Breckenridge. Fun fact - Breckenridge Bike Tours Offers a Boreas Pass scenic shuttle and Beer & Bike Tour that goes over all the history that took place in the old mining town of Breckenridge.

THat's the wrap! End of the day- Bring food, bring water, be prepared. If you come across ANY wildlife it's best to give them plenty of space and respect the fact that you're in their territory, not the other way around.

BRECKENRIDGE HIKING IS THE BEST HIKING