Quandary Peak is a high mountain summit in the Rocky Mountains of North America. With an elevation of 14,265 feet (4,348 m), it is the highest summit in the Tenmile Range and is located near Breckenridge in Summit County, Colorado. Quandary Peak is one of Colorado’s most popular “14ers” for hiking and climbing.
In this article, we have compiled 48 riddles and brainteasers about Quandary Peak to challenge your knowledge and get you thinking. The riddles cover topics like the mountain’s geography, history, wildlife, weather patterns, and more. Each riddle comes with an answer explained afterwards. Test your cleverness and see how many you can get right!
Riddles about Quandary Peak’s Geography
Q1: What two towns does Quandary Peak sit between?
Answer:
Breckenridge and Blue River
Q2: True or false: Quandary Peak is the highest “14er” peak in Colorado.
Answer:
False. Quandary Peak is the highest peak in the Tenmile Range at 14,265 feet, but there are over 50 higher 14,000-foot peaks in Colorado, including Mount Elbert which tops out at 14,440 feet.
Q3: About how many miles long is the standard hiking route from the trailhead to Quandary’s summit?
Answer:
The standard route is approximately 3.5 miles each way, so 7 miles round trip.
Q4: Quandary Peak sits along which Continental Divide?
Answer:
The Continental Divide of the Americas. This continental divide separates Pacific and Atlantic watersheds and passes right over the summit of Quandary Peak.
Riddles about Quandary Peak’s History
Q5: Up until the 1940s, what was the common name used for Quandary Peak?
Answer:
Grays Peak. Quandary Peak was originally called Grays Peak, but the name was changed to avoid confusion with another 14,270-foot fourteener also named Grays Peak near Denver.
Q6: About how long has there been a trail leading to Quandary’s summit?
Answer:
Since the 1860s. The trail to Quandary’s summit has existed as an access route for over 150 years, with origins tracing back to prospectors and early settlers of Summit County in the 1860s.
Q7: True or false: The first recorded ascent of Quandary Peak was in 1874.
Answer:
False. While the peak was likely summited by indigenous peoples and early settlers prior, the first recorded ascent was in 1861 by Judge Lunt and a party of five other men.
Q8: What is the meaning behind Quandary’s unique name?
Answer:
It refers to the indecision early settlers faced over which mining claims were most valuable on the mountain. “Quandary” means a state of perplexity or uncertainty over what to do in a difficult situation.
Riddles about Wildlife on Quandary Peak
Q9: Which species of big horned mammal can you spot on the slopes of Quandary?
Answer:
Mountain goats. Quandary Peak has a population of mountain goats that like to graze on grasses and lichens found on rocky ledges high up on the mountainside.
Q10: What is Colorado’s state animal that also makes its home on Quandary Peak?
Answer:
The Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep. These agile wild sheep with big curled horns can be found living along Quandary’s steep and rocky terrain.
Q11: Can you name a bird of prey species that nests on the cliffs of Quandary Peak?
Answer:
Golden eagles. These large raptors build nests called aeries along remote cliffs and outcrops on Quandary Peak every year to raise their young.
Q12: What type of small rodent, with a namesake mountain also in Colorado, frequents the alpine tundra area near Quandary’s summit?
Answer:
Pikas. These small relatives of rabbits, also called coneys, live among rocky slopes and talus fields of high peaks like Quandary.
Riddles about the Climate and Weather on Quandary Peak
Q13: Does it rain or snow more annually on Quandary Peak?
Answer:
Snows more. With an average snowfall amount of 300 inches per year, Quandary Peak gets far more snow than rain annually, especially in winter.
Q14: What month has the heaviest average snowfall on the mountain?
Answer:
March. While it snows year-round on Quandary Peak, March has the highest average snowfall measuring over 45 inches accumulating during the month.
Q15: True or false: Temperatures on Quandary’s summit rarely exceed 50°F even in summer.
Answer:
True. Due to the high elevation, average summer temperatures on the summit almost never exceed 50 degrees Fahrenheit even on sunny days.
Q16: What extreme weather hazard from the annual “monsoon season” threatens Quandary’s summit during the afternoons in summer?
Answer:
Lightning storms. Sudden thunderstorms bring lightning strikes to the summit during monsoon season from July through September making afternoons the most dangerous time to be exposed on top of the peak.
Riddles about Hiking and Climbing Quandary Peak
Q17: Hiking Quandary Peak starting from the trailhead, about how much elevation gain is there round trip?
Answer:
Over 5,500 feet. The Quandary trailhead starts at around 10,000 feet with the summit topping out at 14,265 for around 4,265 feet gained one way, so over 5,500 feet cumulative elevation gain.
Q18: What piece of essential gear helps hikers walk safely over snowfields on their way to Quandary’s summit?
Answer:
Crampons. Attaching metal spikes called crampons to boots allows traction and stability when traversing steep snow and ice enroute to the top.
Q19: True or false – reaching Quandary Peak’s summit usually takes hikers between 6 to 8 hours round trip.
Answer:
True. Most hikers complete the roughly 7 mile round trip route in 6 to 8 hours accounting for breaks, pace and conditions.
Q20: Sudden storms sometimes strand hikers and climbers seeking shelter – what are two emergency places mountaineers can take cover to wait out bad weather on Quandary’s slopes?
Answer:
Other options exist, but two emergency places to take shelter from storms include the remains of old mining buildings/shacks or small caves formed by rock overhangs.
Riddles about the Geology of Quandary Peak
Q21: What distinct colored mineral found in granite rock layers gives Quandary Peak its very light grayish-white summit?
Answer:
Quartz. Large concentrations of quartz minerals in the summit’s granite formation lead to Quandary Peak’s light silvery-grayish color noticeable from afar.
Q22: During past ice ages, what feature covered Quandary Peak?
Answer:
Glaciers. Evidence shows during past ice ages, glaciers flowed down and completely engulfed Quandary Peak and its surrounding landscape in ice.
Q23: What active geologic process over millions of years led to Quandary Peak’s uplift and current height?
Answer:
Tectonic plate collisions. Through the tectonic collision of the North American plate with the Pacific Ocean plate, the Colorado Rockies and peaks like Quandary arose.
Q24: True or false – dinosaur fossils and bones have been discovered on Quandary Peak.
Answer:
False. Quandary Peak is composed mainly of granite bedrock which formed underneath ancient volcanoes during the Precambrian period billions of years before dinosaurs roamed.
Riddles about Trees, Plants and Wildflowers on Quandary
Q25: What types of small, bushy conifers with edible berries can you find growing on Quandary Peak’s slopes?
Answer:
Juniper bushes. These hardy evergreens with blue “berries” grow along parts of Quandary Peak’s drier, south-facing slopes.
Q26: What is Colorado’s state flower that blooms in alpine areas of Quandary Peak during summer months?
Answer:
The Colorado blue columbine. Nodding blue and white columbine flowers sprout up amongst Quandary’s rocks and tundra in summer.
Q27: From the trailhead through treeline, what types of tall evergreen trees initially cover the mountain’s lower slopes?
Answer:
Lodgepole pines followed by Engelmann spruce and subalpine firs cover the area up to about 11,500 feet elevation. Quandary Peak rises above treeline so the summit area itself is free of trees.
Q28: What delicate alpine wildflower, Colorado’s state flower, can be found blooming near summertime snowbanks?
Answer:
Alpine Forget-Me-Nots, a tiny blue flower that lives up to its name by blooming near lingering snowdrifts atop peaks like Quandary.
Riddles about the Night Sky seen from Quandary’s Summit
Q29: What is the name of our galaxy that Quandary Peak offers perfect views of on clear nights?
Answer:
The Milky Way Galaxy. From Quandary’s summit, our home galaxy’s swirling disk fills the night sky and stargazing is phenomenal.
Q30: During new moon phases when the night is darkest, what band of stars can you see arching over Quandary?
Answer:
On the very darkest, moonless nights, the bright glowing band called the Milky Way arcs from horizon to horizon over Quandary Peak.
Q31: What type of rare optical sky phenomenon might you see near Quandary’s highest points before thunderstorms roll in?
Answer:
Sprite lightning. Eerie red flashes of light called sprites sometimes occur in the upper atmosphere above large peaks prior to intense storms.
Q32: If watching night fall from Quandary Peak, in what cardinal direction would you see the last light from the setting Sun disappear below the horizon?
Answer:
In the northwest direction. From Quandary’s summit at sunset, the last vestige of sunlight would sink away at a point lined up with the northwest horizon.
Riddles about Cities and Towns you can see from Quandary
Q33: On very clear days, what large city skyline can barely be seen over 100 miles away from Quandary Peak’s summit?
Answer:
On rare exceptionally clear days, views stretch as far as Pikes Peak and the Denver skyline over 100 miles to the southeast.
Q34: What old west mining town transformed into a ski town can you spot nestled below to Quandary’s east?
Answer:
The town of Breckenridge, Colorado with its vast ski resort is visible down below to the east at the base of the Tenmile Range.
Q35: Over 50 miles west lies the highest suspension bridge in the world spanning which steep canyon?
Answer:
The Royal Gorge Bridge spanning the Royal Gorge near Cañon City is visible to Quandary’s distant west on very clear days.
Q36: What other famous Colorado 14,000-foot mountain can be viewed far across the valley to the southeast of Quandary Peak?
Answer:
Mount Elbert – Colorado’s highest point at 14,440 feet elevation is visible miles away across valleys on rare crystal clear days.
Riddles about Historical Mining on Quandary Peak
Q37: Back when it was called Grays Peak in the 1800s, what precious metal did prospectors mainly seek around Quandary?
Answer:
Gold. Small amounts of gold were mined around Quandary Peak supporting short-lived 19th century gold rushes in Summit County.
Q38: Today popular trails lead thousands of hikers up the mountain each summer. But about 150 years ago, what mode of transportation carried ore mined from its slopes?
Answer:
Pack mules. Before modern roads and trails, supplies and ore mined from Quandary Peak were tediously transported down the mountainsides using trains of pack mules.
Q39: Faint remains of a few old log cabins used by miners still stand hidden high up in the trees below Quandary’s ridgeline. What were these temporary shelters called?
Answer:
Prospector shacks. Rough-hewn log cabins where miners temporarily lived while working claims dot remnants of old mining sites across the mountain.
Q40: By the early 1900s, what new form of mining briefly occurred on Quandary fueled by World War 1 demands?
Answer:
Tungsten mining. The valuable tungsten mineral scheelite was discovered and mined on Quandary Peak primarily during World War One when its hardness was valued for making filaments and tools.
Conclusion
How did you do with solving these riddles about Quandary Peak in Colorado? The mountain certainly has a rich history laced with fascinating tales. But beyond its past, the peak also supports fragile alpine environments and serves as a scenic escape providing recreation for thousands each year who journey up its slopes. Hopefully you discovered some new insights and can carry forth a greater appreciation for this special Rocky Mountain giant known as Quandary Peak.
