The San Juans never disappoint. Before heading back home, we wanted to hike one more 14er and we chose Handies Peak. With the recent snow and potential for more snow today, we wanted to hike something less likely to be affected which meant the Southwest slopes route would be perfect. We were in for a treat!

We arrived at the trailhead just after sunrise and bundled up for the hike. Yes, I wore my puffy jacket for the beginning and I was nice and toasty! I don’t want a repeat of Mount Antero ever again. The neat thing about this hike is there is no treeline at all – you hike up into a basin and curve around through some amazing scenery before you start the uphill ascent to the peak.

We made our way up the trail admiring some beautiful couloirs covered in snow. The trail is dry, tacky, and somewhat challenging but not overwhelming. After a little while we come upon a beautiful small lake called Sloan Lake.

We make a left-hand turn and the trail slowly gets a little more rocky, climbs up and then down before it makes it way along the edge of a peak, winding its way towards the final switchbacks of Handies Peak. 

We reach the switchbacks in time to hear thunder and see dark clouds rolling in. Knowing we have less than a mile to go but it is straight up steep, we have a decision to make. Carry on or head back down. We have zero cover practically the entire hike which means we are lightening rods on this mountain.

We watch the clouds as they move across the sky and based upon their speed and direction of movement, we feel it is safe to keep hiking. By this time, I am exhausted and I start counting my steps as I slowly gain elevation to the peak. We have noticed there is a small group that have been positioned on the peak for quite a while and wonder why they have not started their descent, especially with this storm rolling in. 

After what seems like forever, I clear the summit to find Joe talking the group. We learn they are celebrating a hiker’s finsher: Handies Peak was his 58/58 14er summited. Yahoo for him! Now it makes sense why they stayed on the peak for so long. We originally thought they were crazy, haha.

We take some pictures and then quickly pack up as the storm continues to brew. Luckily, we have not seen any lightening or heard more thunder. We are feeling good and so we cover ground pretty quickly. When we arrive to the rocky section just before Sloan Lake we realize it is beginning to snow and so of course we stop to takes pictures and a video. 

We continue our descent and literally the minute we reach our truck, the rain begins. We beat the storm a second time! (the first time was Mount Bierstadt).

The hike to Handies Peak was stunning and one we would gladly hike again. It was one of the easier 14er hikes as it was nice and gradual until the very end. I would say it is a great introduction to 14ers for a newbie!

5.25 miles
2500’ elevation gain
14,058 summit 
3.5 hours roundtrip
Southwest Slopes Route
Class 1