Bierstat is a fun climb, and in my opinion, an easy hike. You start from Guanella pass, and unless you are doing it in the winter (very popular), you will know exactly where to park from all the other cars there. The famous Bierstat williows that you must cross are a thing of the past (as of 1998), because there is a very well beaten path through them today. There is, however, still a marshy area in the low part, and when we did the peak (late July), we trudged through many hundreds of feet of ankle-to-knee deep mud! With careful route finding, you can avoid most of it, but this will really slow you down. A compromise of slogging in mud and avoidance is the best policy.
				Crossing the famous Bierstat Willows - it's actually a pleasure to cross the stream since you are out of the willows and mud for a few seconds!
		After you leave the flat, you follow a nice switchback to a ridge, and head up to where the route becomes class 2, and there is some fun rock jumping and scrambling to get to the top. If you want, you can connect it with Evans, through a scary loking class 3/4 traverse and a short hike. I totally recommend this hike - it a lot of fun, you get some great views, and you feel like a pro because so many people who _never_ hike do this hike every year. Compared to some of the people hiking in leather jackets and heeled boots, I felt like I knew what I was doing!
				Top of the World, Bierstat