Guanella Pass a gorgeous winter go-to

Venturing to 11,669 feet is never terribly easy, but that is where Guanella Pass sits among the majestic Rocky Mountains in Colorado.

In summer, access to Guanella Pass is open from Georgetown on the north side and Grant on the south side along the Guanella Pass Road Scenic Byway.

But usually in early December, the road is closed between mile markers 9 and 15 on the Guanella Pass Road. This road closure gives outdoor enthusiasts a wonderful opportunity to hike up to the pass to explore the different areas, tackle a fourteener in winter or look for wildlife along an easy-to-hike road.

Look for bighorn sheep in the small stretch of road just before Green Lake. They sometimes come down to lick salt from the road so travel slowly through these switchbacks. Near the gate are two parking lots — one for the trailhead to Silver Dollar Lake and a second one around the switchback.

Start the hike to Guanella Pass from this upper parking lot. The snow is already 2 to 3 feet deep on the road and packed down in the center making it accessible for snowshoes and cross-country skis.

There is one bird that keeps this hiker returning to Guanella Pass multiple times each season. It is the white-tailed ptarmigan, and Guanella Pass has been noted to be one of the best places to view these beautiful white birds in the lower 48 states.

There are three trails that lead out from Guanella Pass — Bierstadt, Rosalie and South Park.