Conundrum Hot Springs Gear Checklist
Conundrum Hot Springs is about nine miles uphill from roughly 8,800 feet to 11,200 feet, and the pack changes at the top. Two items are enforced by the Forest Service: an approved bear canister and a plan for human waste. Beyond those, hikers pack for wet feet at the creek crossings, cold nights near treeline, bugs at camp and a long soak, so swimwear, camp shoes and a warm layer count as much as the tent.
What shapes your gear on Conundrum Hot Springs
- The climb
- Writers describe about nine miles one way with 2,791 to about 3,000 feet of gain, ending at 11,200 feet. One calls it intense enough that she does not recommend it as a first backpacking trip unless you have high altitude experience. She and her partner picked up their WAG bags at the trailhead, where the Forest Service leaves them free.
From The Earnest Voyager, Two Roaming Souls and White River National Forest (USDA Forest Service)
- Twenty assigned sites
- The permit names one of 20 campsites, and you must camp in it. A trip writer says sites 1 to 8 are nearest the pools and sites 9 to 20 sit a quarter to three quarters of a mile away. Another camped at site 10, past the springs and about 300 feet higher, on a steep trail toward Triangle Pass.
From White River National Forest (USDA Forest Service), Two Roaming Souls and The Earnest Voyager
- Creek crossings
- Hikers cross Conundrum Creek several times. In mid-September one writer found rocks, a log bridge and a fallen tree, and counted four crossings in all. Another found a newer crossing about six or seven miles in where earlier hikers had made a natural bridge. In October one party met a frozen crossing.
From Two Roaming Souls, F. Spontelli and 14ers.com
- Cold nights
- One August party saw temperatures drop to the 40s at night. An October party started walking at about 30 F at 7:20 a.m. and found the swim trunks they left at the pool frozen to the rocks the next morning.
From F. Spontelli and 14ers.com
- Water and bugs
- Writers fill from Conundrum Creek. One camped at site 10 and had to bushwhack to find water near camp, so she filled at the springs instead. Another says to collect upstream of the pools, at the last log bridge before them. Mosquitoes were thick at one camp but absent at the springs, and another party called the bugs really bad in August.
From The Earnest Voyager, Two Roaming Souls and F. Spontelli
- Moose on the trail
- Two parties saw moose on the way up. One had a moose run down the marshy, bushy stretch a few miles below the springs and ducked behind trees. The other photographed a bull in the creek bed from a distance.
From The Earnest Voyager and F. Spontelli
What the agency requires on Conundrum Hot Springs
An IGBC approved bear canister
All overnight visitors must use one. It has to hold every scented item, including toiletries and garbage. The Forest Service says visitors without one are ticketed and required to leave.
From Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests (USDA Forest Service) and White River National Forest (USDA Forest Service)
A plan for human waste
WAG bags are highly recommended and free at the Conundrum Creek trailhead. They must be packed out. Without one, the fallback is a hole 6 to 8 inches deep, placed 200 feet or more away from water, camp and trails.
A stove for cooking
Campfires are prohibited at the designated campsites in the Conundrum zone, so cooking and warmth cannot depend on a fire.
From Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests (USDA Forest Service)
A reserved overnight permit
An advance permit from Recreation.gov is required to camp in the Conundrum zone. The permit holder and group must stay at the reserved campsite.
From Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests (USDA Forest Service) and White River National Forest (USDA Forest Service)
Leave the dog at home
The zone around the springs is closed to dogs.
From Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests (USDA Forest Service)
What hikers carry on Conundrum Hot Springs
Light sandals or camp shoes
Sandals were useful at the pools, and one writer says wet feet are likely at the new crossing. Another party brought camp shoes but notes you can go into the water barefoot, so shoes there are optional.
From F. Spontelli and The Earnest Voyager
Swimwear and a light towel
The soak is the point of the trip. One couple packed very light basewear that doubles as swimwear and an ultralight travel towel, and a camp guide lists a swimsuit and a backpacking towel among its basics.
From The Earnest Voyager and Two Roaming Souls
Warm layers and long pants for the evening
Nights fall into the 40s in August and near freezing in October, and campfires are banned. One October party posed for a photo in long johns, and a guide lists night pants and an extra layer.
From F. Spontelli, 14ers.com and Two Roaming Souls
Bug spray for camp
Mosquitoes were heavy at a site on the slope above the springs, and another trip called the bugs really bad in August. One of them found none at the pools themselves.
From The Earnest Voyager and F. Spontelli
A rain jacket
Rain started while two hikers were in the springs and continued through the night at their tent. A light rain on the walk out kept them cool in the open sections.
From The Earnest Voyager
A downloaded offline trail map
A photographer says avalanche paths near the start of the trail left downed trees and boulders that make it harder to follow the line with a heavy pack, and advises saving a GPS map before reaching the trailhead.
From F. Spontelli
Two water filters for a group of three or more
Neighboring campers borrowed one party's filter after theirs broke on the climb. A gravity bladder system is another way to fill all the water in one trip from the creek above the pools.
From F. Spontelli and Two Roaming Souls
Electrolytes and constant snacks
A party that finished a 9 mile, 3,000 foot climb advises electrolytes and nutrition for altitude, and the photographer ate all day from waist pocket snacks.
From The Earnest Voyager and F. Spontelli
Printed permit and photo ID
A guide to the trip says to carry the printed permit and a photo ID, because a permit holder or named alternate has to be on the hike.
From Two Roaming Souls
A headlamp for the walk back from the pools
An October party walked back to camp in the dark after a late soak, and a packing list for the trip includes a headlamp.
From 14ers.com and Two Roaming Souls
6 people can go on one permit. Split this list between them so nobody carries two stoves.
Plan a trip hereWhat hikers regret or leave behind on Conundrum Hot Springs
A dog
A couple left their dog home because dogs are banned in the zone. In 2012 another party saw dog tracks the whole way up, and a couple had brought theirs to the springs despite the signs.
From Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests (USDA Forest Service), F. Spontelli and 14ers.com
A heavy camera kit and extras
A photographer carrying a full camera kit with a 65 liter pack called the climb a lesson in packing minimal. Another party never used the hammock they carried because they spent their time at the pools.
From F. Spontelli and The Earnest Voyager
A far campsite you plan to walk back to often
A two-person site at the top of the camps had little flat ground, lots of rocks and a water source that took bushwhacking. The writer says sites near the pools looked better and she did one long soak instead of going back and forth.
From The Earnest Voyager and F. Spontelli
Matches or a lighter you forgot
In the 2012 trip the group forgot a lighter and started a fire with a flicker. Fires are banned at the sites now, so the lighter you need is for the stove, and it is worth carrying a backup.
From 14ers.com and Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests (USDA Forest Service)
Gear questions for Conundrum Hot Springs
Do you need a bear canister at Conundrum Hot Springs?
Yes. The Forest Service requires an IGBC approved bear canister for all overnight visitors, big enough for every scented item. Visitors without one are ticketed and told to leave.
From Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests (USDA Forest Service) and White River National Forest (USDA Forest Service)
Are campfires allowed at Conundrum Hot Springs?
No. Campfires are prohibited at the designated campsites, so bring a stove and enough warm layers for the evening.
From Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests (USDA Forest Service) and Two Roaming Souls
What do you do with human waste at Conundrum Hot Springs?
The Forest Service highly recommends WAG bags, free at the Conundrum Creek trailhead, and you pack them out. If you do not use one, the fallback is a hole 6 to 8 inches deep and 200 feet or more from water, camp and trails.
Can you bring a dog to Conundrum Hot Springs?
No. The zone around the springs is closed to dogs, and one hiking couple left their dog behind for that reason.
From Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests (USDA Forest Service) and F. Spontelli
How cold does it get at Conundrum Hot Springs?
One August party recorded nights in the 40s. An October party started the hike at about 30 F and found their swim trunks frozen to the rocks the next morning.
From F. Spontelli and 14ers.com
Sources
- Conundrum Trail #981 · Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests (USDA Forest Service) · Agency
- Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness · White River National Forest (USDA Forest Service) · Agency
- Conundrum Hot Springs Backpacking · The Earnest Voyager · Blog
- Backpacking Trail Report: Conundrum Hot Springs · F. Spontelli, Francis H. Spontelli III · Blog
- Conundrum Hot Springs | Ultimate Backpacker's Guide · Two Roaming Souls, Emily Junda · Blog
- 31st Birthday at the Hotsprings · 14ers.com, zoriloco · Trip report