"Real" Mountain Vacation

I've been really interested in planning a vacation to see "real mountains" out West. I've never been beyond the Mississippi River except to go to Vegas and every time I fly over the Rockies I get that urge to get out there and see the big boy mountains people climb in with year round snow, glaciers, etc, etc. Kind of a bucket list item for me that has become a priority over the past few years.

Anyone have suggestions on a good area that is somewhat close to a major city (trip would likely be on a vacation with my wife who would possibly camp but is definitely not a hiker)? Goal would be more to see the peaks either driving, visiting national parks via a bus tour of some sort or possibly taking short easy day hikes (with the likelihood of doing some note-taking for possible hikes down the road on real mountains like an easier 14er). It would also be a test of sorts to see how my body handles altitude for possible future trips that I would hike on so traveling in areas over 10,000 ft would also be a plus. Some areas I was considering are the Grand Tetons, Rocky Mountain National Park (we have friends in Denver) or possibly Mt Rainier Park out of Seattle. Trying to keep it in the lower 48 to ease travel costs too with cities like Denver and others being fairly economical versus going to Alaska or somewhere more exotic. Planning it close to a major city with reasonably nice hotels and an actual food and wine culture would also help get the wife on board for the trip. (Another reason Denver keeps finding its way to the top of the list but I'm sure there are other similar areas like Seattle). We're both big time foodies so I'm envisioning a "typical day" on such a trip being an early start and a few hours driving to the mountains, some looking around and a few hours drive back for a nice dinner somewhere.

I realize this is a fairly open ended and possibly unrealistic question given my parameters but many of you on VFTT are pretty well traveled so you may have been to or know of areas that fit the bill perfectly that I have no clue exist. Just looking at a map isn't necessarily the best way to pick a spot. Any suggestions on an area or park that seems to fit this general description would be appreciated. Hopefully this makes it onto the 2017 to-do list. Thanks in advance.

Airfare is typically reasonable to Denver (tip: get an Uber and rent a car off-site away from the airport to save $$$), and you get access to the Rockies. From there you can go to RMNP, or you can drive to 14k at Mt. Evans (closer to Denver than Pike's Peak). Coming from the northeast, I was very surprised at how much fun you could have in the Rockies without having to climb to a summit. Once you're above tree line, even the valleys and passes are spectacular.

So far my favorite mountains were in Glacier, that place was pure magic (and we didn't summit anything while we were there).

We've been to Rainier and climbed as high as camp Muir, but there's not much "hiking" to summit anything there.

bignslow said:

Airfare is typically reasonable to Denver (tip: get an Uber and rent a car off-site away from the airport to save $$$), and you get access to the Rockies. From there you can go to RMNP, or you can drive to 14k at Mt. Evans (closer to Denver than Pike's Peak). Coming from the northeast, I was very surprised at how much fun you could have in the Rockies without having to climb to a summit. Once you're above tree line, even the valleys and passes are spectacular.

So far my favorite mountains were in Glacier, that place was pure magic (and we didn't summit anything while we were there).

We've been to Rainier and climbed as high as camp Muir, but there's not much "hiking" to summit anything there.

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Thanks. When you say "Glacier" do you mean Glacier National Park in Montana or Glacier Peak in CO? Is there any sort of main town in that area? Looks pretty rural.

That road on Mt Evans seems like an excellent stop for a trip like this. The short distances out of Denver to so many spots seem to make it an ideal starting point.

DayTrip said:

Thanks. When you say "Glacier" do you mean Glacier National Park in Montana or Glacier Peak in CO? Is there any sort of main town in that area? Looks pretty rural.

That road on Mt Evans seems like an excellent stop for a trip like this. The short distances out of Denver to so many spots seem to make it an ideal starting point.

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I did Glacier this past September..... you can fly into Great Falls and rent a car..from there it's 3 hrs o St Mary's... Going to the Sun road,etc. Awesome mountain range and loaded with hiking trails of all levels.... plenty of camping areas... at least in September.. probably in May or June as well..
Never been to the Rocky's... But Glacier is part of the chain..
My nephew ( we taught him to hike) won the 2012 National park photo contest with a picture they took there on the cuff.. shock us all.... He is the one on the pass.....in this photo...
They made a video of during that hike leading up to that "famous" shot and the after effects.... You can see it here.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnYgfOH0T-o

Fly to Denver and rent a car. Drive through RMNP all the way to Yellowstone and back.

CaptCaper said:

I did Glacier this past September..... you can fly into Great Falls and rent a car..from there it's 3 hrs o St Mary's... Going to the Sun road,etc. Awesome mountain range and loaded with hiking trails of all levels.... plenty of camping areas... at least in September.. probably in May or June as well..
Never been to the Rocky's... But Glacier is part of the chain..
My nephew ( we taught him to hike) won the 2012 National park photo contest with a picture they took there on the cuff.. shock us all.... He is the one on the pass.....in this photo...
They made a video of during that hike leading up to that "famous" shot and the after effects.... You can see it here.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnYgfOH0T-o

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Yah that looks pretty awesome. Thanks for the video link.

DayTrip said:

Thanks. When you say "Glacier" do you mean Glacier National Park in Montana or Glacier Peak in CO?

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Glacier National Park.

What is it going to be called after all the glaciers melt away?

I wouldn't call the mountains out west real mountains. I mean, they are tall and all. The hiking paths were mostly graded for horses and burros so the grades are fairly easy. People from our neck of the woods have more of a problem with the elevation change.

Do you need snow? Do you need technical approach? Or is "just hiking" fine?

The problem with Denver is crowds. And then the San Juans are a long ways away to avoid the crowds. I must again beat the drum for New Mexico: fly into ABQ. You can hike up Sandia Crest or drive up the back side and go rambling around the top. Go up to Santa Fe, leave the wife in the city (or at Ten Thousand Waves) and go up to Aspen Basin, hike in to Puerto Nambe and potentially continue up Santa Fe Baldy. Go to Bandelier, maybe side trip up Cerro Grande, maybe hike out to Alamo Canyon (which is one of the best bang-for-the-buck hikes around). If you decide to do Wheeler, leave the wife in Taos. (This is assuming she's into galleries and some shopping.) Drive back to ABQ via 4 through the Jemez.

How much time do you plan to spend; how much driving and how much flying? Flying into Denver or Salt Lake City gets you to connections closer to such places as the Tetons, Yellowstone, Glacier and the Canadian Rockies.

Present exchange rates might make the Canadian Rockies more affordable, it is otherwise quite expensive, but there are some nice hostels conveneient to good hikes and unique attractions (glaciers and 900 ft. falls for example).

The Tetons and Yellowstone offer all sorts of choices and some of the accommodations within the parks are not unreasonable ... location, location, location.

I like Glacier but it is probably best enjoyed as an experienced hiker compared to the others. All have a wide variety of hikes, though.

A lot of people overlook Texas where Guadalupe and Big Bend offer a much different scene. A big driving loop out of San Antonio might be feasible for you but do this one from mid-Feb thru mid-April or so to avoid the summer heat, and maybe some crowds.

The clusters of Grand Canyon (prefer north rim in summer), Bryce, and Zion are accessed from Las Vegas. A cluster of Capitol Reef, the Arches and Canyonlands is doable out of Salt Lake City.

Everything I mentioned are national parks which are good to start planning but there are state parks, forests, monuments etc. in those areas with similar but often less crowded appeal. You are smart to start planning now and once you've foicused on one of those areas, you'll get all kinds of suggestions but plan to book early, the best places go fast.

Stan said:

The Tetons and Yellowstone offer all sorts of choices and some of the accommodations within the parks are not unreasonable ... location, location, location.

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Here's an example: http://www.gtlc.com/lodges/colter-bay-village

My wife and I were in the same situation as you, no real experience out West except Tucson. Last summer we were lucky enough to take two short trips West.

We went to Zion in Utah for a few days in August, not the best time temperature wise. There's a bus through the park, several easy hikes, harder ones if you like, a half-dozen or so decent restaurants in Springdale.

But I echo jniehof about New Mexico. We flew into Albuquerque, drove up to Taos, camped out a few days near Red River, climbed Wheeler which was beautiful and not too demanding. Drove around the "Enchanted Circle" which was unforgettable. Spent a couple of nights in Taos, which has lots of restaurants and shops, stayed with friends in Lamy outside Santa Fe. Phenomenal food there, a remarkable old district. Swam in the Rio Grande. Drove back down to Alb to catch a red eye home. We found the desert there a lot more appealing than in Arizona, the mountain area is only twenty miles or so from the Colorado border so I'm guessing that experience was similar to the Colorado Rockies. And culturally New Mexico was fascinating: art, architecture, the tribes, music, food all eye-opening.

jniehof said:

Do you need snow? Do you need technical approach? Or is "just hiking" fine?

The problem with Denver is crowds. And then the San Juans are a long ways away to avoid the crowds. I must again beat the drum for New Mexico: fly into ABQ. You can hike up Sandia Crest or drive up the back side and go rambling around the top. Go up to Santa Fe, leave the wife in the city (or at Ten Thousand Waves) and go up to Aspen Basin, hike in to Puerto Nambe and potentially continue up Santa Fe Baldy. Go to Bandelier, maybe side trip up Cerro Grande, maybe hike out to Alamo Canyon (which is one of the best bang-for-the-buck hikes around). If you decide to do Wheeler, leave the wife in Taos. (This is assuming she's into galleries and some shopping.) Drive back to ABQ via 4 through the Jemez.

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I'd like to see some snow on the peaks but I wouldn't be doing any hiking beyond easy trails to lakes or meadows or something with views of the big mountains. This initial trip will be part R&R with the wife and part research for a subsequent trip to climb a mountain of some sort of magnitude. Probably be looking at the mountains from roads and parks versus actual hiking this time around. Denver was my original choice because we have friends there and it has a good food scene (the hook for my wife) and it seems there is a crap load of 14,000 ft mountains in that area, many of which sound doable for an East Coast guy. The Colorado 14er guide I had bought as a starting point does reference Denver as being crowded and having pretty impressive traffic jams.

Would Boulder or Colorado Springs be good alternates or are they just as jacked up as Denver? They both seem to have access to some sizable peaks and yet are close enough to Denver to still have access to things my wife likes.

Are the mountains of New Mexico tall? Do they have snow? I must admit I'm not a huge fan of the "desert looking" peaks with the flat mesas and dry dead landscape. I much prefer the pointed, snow capped peaks with forest, lakes, meadows, etc. I'll certainly check out the ones you mentioned though. I have an Uncle in Arizona so that is another possible tie in to the vacation (although he looks pretty far from this area).

Wheeler Peak is over 13,000 feet. We climbed it July 8 and there was snow above 11,000. Not a lot of snow, but patches about 8 feet deep.

Wheeler is surrounded by several mountains over 10,000. The trailhead starts near the ski lifts. It's not desert there by any means: pines, mountain streams, alpine vegetation.

Here is a view descending from the summit (about 500 feet down)



https://flic.kr/p/K3cbFn

egilbe said:

What is it going to be called after all the glaciers melt away?

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Glacier NP is named for the glaciers that used to be there rather than the current glaciers. There are glacially created features (eg U-shaped valleys and moraines) all over the park.

I was on Grinnell Glacier in 1952. It has shrunk considerably since then and is predicted to disappear by 2030. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grinnell_Glacier

If you want to see lots of glaciers (many are visible from the road), go to the Canadian Rockies... (There is even a commercial tourist trip out onto the Athabasca Glacier if you want to visit one but don't have the skills to do so safely. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athabasca_Glacier)

IMO, both are worth visiting. However if you visit both in one trip, I suggest that you go south-to-north.

BTW, there are also plenty of glacial features in the Whites... eg the U-shaped valleys of Great Gulf, Tuckerman Ravine, Huntington Ravine, King Ravine, Crawford Notch (the Saco River valley) as seen from Mt Webster or Mt Avalon.

<short geology lesson>
Glaciers cut U-shaped valleys, rivers cut V-shaped valleys. Glaciers also leave moraines (often as ridges of broken rocks and sand), erratics (large isolated boulders sitting on top of the terrain, and kettle holes (depressions where a buried block of ice melted out).
</short geology lesson>

Doug

What's left in GNP in Montana is snowfields year round..... true the Glaciers are gone...
Good luck ...there are so many places to spend time in.. Glacier Nat Park was one of the prettiest...Zion didn't do much for me. Busy as heck too....

DayTrip said:

Would Boulder or Colorado Springs be good alternates or are they just as jacked up as Denver? They both seem to have access to some sizable peaks and yet are close enough to Denver to still have access to things my wife likes.

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Are you going to stay at one place for the entire vacation? Boulder would be better than Denver or Colorado Springs, but I'd choose Estes Park over any of the others.

DayTrip said:

Yah that looks pretty awesome. Thanks for the video link.

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No problem.. here is a link for the hikes there..... you can pick the ones you are able to do.. You can get one up to 19 miles with 4200 ft elevation.gain ...maybe harder if you know were to look..

http://www.hikinginglacier.com/hiking-glacier-national-park.htm

Regarding the Glaciers of Glacier NP: What DP said - it's named for the glacial features, not the glaciers themselves. The features are going to be there for a long, long time. Once you see the features that were created by glaciers - U-shaped valleys, hanging valleys, cirques, morraines, etc. - you'll never look at a mountain landscape the same again. Glacier is, so far, my favorite place on earth.

If I were taking a non-hiking family, I'd vote for Seattle in the summer. Great restaurant and beer scene, inexpensive, friendly people. From there, you've got the Olympics, North Cascades, and several volcanoes (including Rainier) within an easy drive. Each one of those is really something to behold, although I'd say N. Cascades is a long drive and not so awesome for non-backpackers. It's rugged, and all of it is harder to access than the Olympics and Rainier (and other volcanoes). The volcanoes and the Olympics definitely feel like something different from what we see in the Northeast. Rainier has the Wonderland trail, which I haven't done, but friends have shown me photos - it's gorgeous. Weather is typically fantastic from June through late August.

Big fan of the Tetons, especially if you can sneak in a two or three day back pack, try Alaska Basin from the Idaho side. Easy drive to do some hiking or car touring in Yellowstone as well. The ride from Banff to Jasper is exceptional, did not do any hiking there, Glacier is great, even with the shrinking glaciers. One issue to think of, the further north you go, more into Grizzly country, especially hiking solo. You can catch a shuttle from Denver to RMNP, but still need a car to go from Estes Park into the National Park- not sure which rental would be cheaper? Can't say I am an expert, but have been lucky to do 7/8 hiking trips in the Rockies, I would say that in many places you can add to your usual mileage due to terrain and switchbacks. Early starts are vital as T-Storms tend to blow up late afternoon. Good luck happy exploring!