My Second 14er – Mt. Bierstadt hike

Went to Mt. Bierstadt hike earlier this week, I summited my second 14er — Mt. Bierstadt, sitting at 14,065 feet. I’ve been slowly working toward hiking all of Colorado’s 14ers, and this one was an incredible next step.

I got to the trailhead the night before and slept in my car. It’s not glamorous, but it gets the job done, especially if you want to hit the trail early. I started hiking around 4:30 a.m. — headlamp on, air crisp, trail empty. Just how I like it.

The hike itself? Humbling. Not impossible, but definitely a challenge. There’s a mental shift that happens after the first couple miles. You’re no longer just hiking — you’re grinding a bit. But that’s also what makes it so rewarding.

It took me about 4 hours and 45 minutes to complete the whole thing. I moved at a steady pace, stopped a few times to take in the views, and snapped photos along the way.

Now here’s where things didn’t go so smoothly: I scratched my camera lens at the summit.

I wasn’t being careless, but I also wasn’t being cautious enough. I didn’t have my lens hood on — a small detail that made a big difference. You’ll definitely notice the scratches in some of the final shots. At first, I was frustrated. But then I reminded myself… the moment was still captured. The memory still lives. And thankfully, I’ve got gear insurance, so the lens will be replaced.

Lesson learned: protect your gear — always.

But beyond that hiccup, Mt. Bierstadt was beautiful. The light at sunrise, the early morning stillness, the final steps to the summit — all of it made the 4:30 wake-up and scratched lens worth it.

More than anything, it was a reminder of why I love this. Hiking these peaks isn’t about checking boxes or collecting stats. It’s about showing up for something bigger than yourself. It’s about the quiet and the struggle, the views and the sore legs, the gear mishaps and the lessons that come with them.

Mt. Bierstadt — you humbled me, you inspired me, and you’ll definitely be a story I remember. Two down. 56 to go.