Hiking and Glissading Mt. Sherman — the weekday weekender

Mt. Sherman is ranked No. 43 on the lists of Colorado 14’ers, situated in the Mosquito Range at an elevation of 14,043. I had a friend visiting for the weekend and she was most excited to tackle a 14’er. Mt. Sherman is on the easier side, and a good option for those visiting Colorado looking for a challenge that won’t totally do them in.

We started at the Four Mile Creek Road trailhead. To access this, we drove over Hoosier Pass into Alma, Fairplay, and towards Buena Vista. You’ll take a right turn on to CR 18 which will soon turn into a dirt road- 12 miles of it. This 12 miles will take longer than you anticipate ( it took us at least 30 minutes), as the road starts off easy but will progressively get rougher. As long as you have 4WD or AWD, you will be fine though. We parked just below the gate along the side of the road.

The Hike

The hike up Mt. Sherman is one of the easier 14’ers. On a normal day, the ascent to Mt. Sherman’s summit is marked by a steady incline, then turning into more rocky terrain. But due to some snow fields we, and others, chose to make our own route up. At around 13,500 feet, hikers encounter the Hilltop Mine remnants, a poignant reminder of the area’s mining heritage. The mining building used to be prominent, but has since crumbled. The group ahead of us went directly up what looked like a trail of sorts, while my friend and I took a more gradual path but with more distance. We did end up having to go across a big snow field in the end, but we both had micro spikes that made it easy.

Once you summit, to the west you’ll see the towering peaks of the Sawatch Range. To the east, you can see the South Park Basin.

While considered one of the more accessible 14ers in Colorado, the altitude and variable weather conditions necessitate proper gear and caution. Checking weather forecasts, packing essentials like plenty of water, snacks, and layers for changing conditions are crucial for a safe and enjoyable hike. While a bluebird day, the winds were fierce and weather reports had 40 mph gusts.