Do we always climb both Sunshine and Redcloud?

While we might plan to climb both conditions and energy can change throughout the day. It's rarely a good idea to push things if people aren't feeling up to it. Often people see it and if conditions are good and time allows we do tend to get both summits.

How long is the hike?

Plan on roughly 12 miles round trip with nearly 5,000 feet of elevation gain. This usually takes most people 8-10 hours owing to the altitude. There are other routes for just doing a single 14er like Sunshine. Snow conditions and road closures can also drastically change the time out.

Why doesn't this make a good first 14er?

Mostly the distance and elevation gain. Unless you're used to a big day at altitude this is likely to kick your butt. If you haven't done a 14er before and don't hike a lot it may be a bit overwhelming and make for an unpleasant experience.

Can this be combined with Handies?

While it could all be done in a single day it is a huge amount of mileage and elevation gain. For all but a hardy few this is best to be done over multiple days to improve the odds of success. Particularly as we get into the monsoon season the potential to get caught in a storm doing all three in a day is almost guaranteed if you don't have the right weather window.