Least favorite mountain

[Trotter]

Mt Lindsay.

For 13ers, Mt lady washington

Why in regards to Mt Lady Washington? I've never been on it; only nearby up to chasm lake.

Its a pile of rocks with tedius talus hopping up it. Plus 4000 feet and like 10 miles for a quad-tennial.

[two lunches]

14ers i wouldn't repeat:

Elbert - over-traveled, scree-filled, steep, boring

Bierstadt/Evans - spending hours hiking up/over bierstadt & sawtooth to arrive at the top and have some idiot in a hawaiian shirt with socks/sandals ask me if i knew i could have just driven to the top sucks. additionally walking back through the willows to get to the bierstadt trailhead was... unpleasant (partially due to the fact that i sprained my ankle at the top of evans)

La Plata - for starters, the west winfield trailhead was difficult for us to find. i don't think the "obvious" rocky road that rises to the right was very obvious. additionally, the SW ridge route was a scree MESS in the third segment (the meadow, however was SO BEAUTIFUL). difficult wayfinding in the boulderfield on my way up

Shavano/Tabeguache - it makes me feel better to see someone else has had weather issues here, but the view from Shavano was rather under-whelming

however, i'm glad to have done them, and some are great stories... i just wouldn't willingly do them again

[MtnHub]

Mt Lindsay.

For 13ers, Mt lady washington

Why in regards to Mt Lady Washington? I've never been on it; only nearby up to chasm lake.

Its a pile of rocks with tedius talus hopping up it. Plus 4000 feet and like 10 miles for a quad-tennial.

As many have chimed already, there are a variety of personal reasons for determining a favorite or least-favorite mountain -- what it looks like from below; what beautiful vistas the summit may offer; your personal experience on climbing it, how the day was (clear and perfect, or cloudy with no visibility), whether you had good partners or shared special companionship, or reverent solitude and a time for personal reflection. Certainly the route you take on any mountain can also make or break your enjoyment as well. But all these things factor in on judging whether it was a good or 'bad' climb (although I always contend, a 'bad' day in the mountains is still better than a 'good' day someplace else).

As with nearly all the mountains I've climbed, I discovered MLW to be an amazing experience. I love to do repeats and MLW is one I would repeat again if the right conditions or opportunities arose. Obviously there are some mountains that I would only repeat again if someone I know and love would want to climb it and asked me to join them. Columbia is probably the one that comes to mind immediately, but I think it would still be interesting to approach it from Frenchman Creek -- the standard West Slope really is pretty awful, but even that might change with CFI improvements.

But truly, all the peaks I've climbed are in a varying order of 'favorites'. Longs Peak is probably my ultimate favorite only because it is so easily accessible and has so many excellent choices of routes. Holy Cross, Capitol or Pyramid would probably be equal to it if they were easier for me to access. I also have a lot of 'favorites' that I will most likely never climb or witness in person: Jagged, Vestal, the Trinities, or really anything in the Weminuche. I will have to enjoy them through the trips of other climbers.

But I'm also not into just checking off peaks on a list, which is why I'll likely never climb any more peaks in the Mosquito Range (there's a big pile of rocks for you, although they do look a lot more fun in the winter). It's the journey of each that makes them special!

[jmanner]

Depends on the definition.

I really didn't enjoy the downclimb/jump off Sunlight's summit block and probably would not do that again, but the rest of the climb was fairly enjoyable.

But my least favorite mountain is probably Sherman, its ugly, technically boring, physically easy, the alpine is totally destroyed by mining and it's detritus, so you don't even get a nice view of. Saying that, I plan to ski it come spring. The rest I've done, I would either do again, or have.

edit: forgot Columbia... oh man what a descent... but at least it's a nice looking mountain from Harvard and there are multiple routes to its summit.

[invisiblebear]

Mount Belford seemed like the proverbial worst house in the best neighborhood to me. However, I haven't hiked Columbia yet.

[handonbroward]

14ers i wouldn't repeat:

Elbert - over-traveled, scree-filled, steep, boring

Bierstadt/Evans - spending hours hiking up/over bierstadt & sawtooth to arrive at the top and have some idiot in a hawaiian shirt with socks/sandals ask me if i knew i could have just driven to the top sucks. additionally walking back through the willows to get to the bierstadt trailhead was... unpleasant (partially due to the fact that i sprained my ankle at the top of evans)

La Plata - for starters, the west winfield trailhead was difficult for us to find. i don't think the "obvious" rocky road that rises to the right was very obvious. additionally, the SW ridge route was a scree MESS in the third segment (the meadow, however was SO BEAUTIFUL). difficult wayfinding in the boulderfield on my way up

Shavano/Tabeguache - it makes me feel better to see someone else has had weather issues here, but the view from Shavano was rather under-whelming

however, i'm glad to have done them, and some are great stories... i just wouldn't willingly do them again

Evans - Had a serious mini-epic coming back from Evans to Guanella Pass through the willows, trying to outrun a thunderstorm on the day that 22(ish) people got struck on the Bierstadt summit a couple years back. It was early spring so once we got to the willows there was 6 inches - 2 feet of freezing water, with freezing rain pouring down, bushwacking through without being able to see where the hell we were going. And, as soon as we reached the parking lot, Search and Rescue immediately started screaming that we needed to get our car the hell out of there ASAP to make room, even though my hands were so frozen I couldn't untie my shoes. Completely understand why they needed us gone, it just added to the experience overall.

La Plata - If you think the SW Ridge is bad, give Ellingwood Ridge a shot sometime. It was a hellacious challenge and wayyy more than I expected. Still knocked it out but it was so much longer than I expected and not at all the "ridge" that the name belies it is.

[jmanner]

Bierstadt/Evans - spending hours hiking up/over ...have some idiot in a hawaiian shirt with socks/sandals ask me if i knew i could have just driven to the top sucks.

Don't ever do a hike in a National Park if that bothers you, especially the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Imagine that experience, but for hours.

Edit: I don't understand the Evans hate personally. Its a beautiful mountain from the right angles and you can find some solitude climbing it from Guanella Pass. It also has some fun ski mountaineering lines and I am told some good ice climbing.

[two lunches]

Don't ever do a hike in a National Park if that bothers you

Actually the reason I don't hike in National Parks is because I can't bring my dog

[Mtnman200]

I don't understand the hate for Columbia. It's a pleasant and easy climb from Frenchman Creek.

[EZsummits]

I don't understand the hate for Columbia. It's a pleasant and easy climb from Frenchman Creek.

+1

[Paula]

Bierstadt/Evans - spending hours hiking up/over bierstadt & sawtooth to arrive at the top and have some idiot in a hawaiian shirt with socks/sandals ask me if i knew i could have just driven to the top sucks.

My idiot was my own hiking partner. First thing they said upon summiting was "I don't see how this was any different than driving." Then they puked on my leg in the willows on the way down from altitude issues caused by bringing substantially less water than they were advised to. I've upgraded my partners since.

[jfm3]

I will also give my vote to Sherman. There is just nothing exciting or inspiring about it. I did it from the Leadville side and being able to see the car the whole time kinda takes the excitement out of it. Plus it's just a giant slag heap, and there are multiple power lines running across it on the north saddle. It's just a hill that happens to be 14,000 feet high. Mt. Sheridan right next to it was waaaay better. Nobody on top and a more aesthetic summit.