Afternoon storm risk is the line that matters. Everything else is comfort. In summer, plan to be off the ridge before the build-up starts, not as it starts. Forecast for the summit point, adjusted for its elevation · data from Open-Meteo.
Centennial 13er · Northwest Ridge
Overview
Half Peak is a big, flat-topped mountain in the remote country south of Lake City. Its north face is a sheer wall, and from some angles the peak looks as if it was sliced in half. The route starts high at Carson Pass, follows the Continental Divide Trail west across wide tundra, then leaves the trail near Cataract Lake and heads cross-country to the saddle northwest of the peak. A steep grassy ridge leads to a band of cliffs just below the summit plateau, where a short Class 3 passage gets you on top. By the listed numbers the round trip is about 26 miles with about 5,175 feet of gain.
Most of the distance is easy walking on good trail and open tundra. The difficulty is packed into the last 100 feet of climbing, where you weave through spires and gullies and climb a short, exposed crack for about 30 feet. Some people want a rope here, and downclimbing it is scarier than going up.
Because the peak is so far from the car, most parties backpack in and camp near Cataract Lake or on the tundra above it, then climb Half Peak and its neighbors from camp. As a single day it is very long, 12 hours or more, and nearly all of it is above treeline with no shelter and no quick way out.
Plan of the day
Start by
From camp near Cataract Lake, leave by 5:30 a.m. If trying it in one day from Carson Pass, start by 3 or 4 a.m. You are above treeline the entire time.
Turnaround
Be at the 12,940-foot saddle northwest of the summit by 10 a.m. If not, or if clouds are building, do not start up the ridge; the cliff band is no place to be in a storm.
Crux
The cliff band near 13,650 feet. Cairns lead through a small notch onto the southeast side, across one steep gully into a second, up that gully, and then up a short V-shaped crack with about 30 feet of exposed hand-over-hand climbing.
Route-finding
The Continental Divide Trail is clear and marked with posts. After you leave it, you are on open tundra and must find a grassy gully to the right of a prominent cliff, then contour to the saddle. In the cliff band, look for cairns; wrong gullies end in steeper rock.
Water
There is water at Cataract Lake, the two small lakes northwest of it, and streams along the trail. There is none on the ridge. Filter everything.
From Lake City, drive south on Highway 149 and turn right onto County Road 30 toward Lake San Cristobal. Pavement lasts until you are beyond the lake; after that the road is graded dirt that any car can drive. Roughly 2 miles beyond Williams Creek campground, go left (south) on the Wager Gulch road toward the old town site of Carson.
From this turn, 4WD with good clearance is best. The road climbs through aspen and conifer forest, steep in places, to Carson. Above Carson it gets rockier as it climbs through willows to Carson Pass at about 12,370 feet. Recent grading has made it easier, but it is still slow. If you are not comfortable with the last mile, park near Carson and walk. A few primitive campsites line the road below Carson, though many dead trees stand around them.
TundraRidgeTalus and screeExposed to lightning
The line is elevation, the band underneath is the ground, and the numbered dots match the steps below. Mileage and elevations are approximate.
1
Carson Pass 12,370' · 0 mi
Park near the top of the pass or at the junction of tracks just south of it. Walk south and southwest down the old road a short way to the Continental Divide Trail, marked by a post on the right.
2
Continental Divide Trail 12,100' · 0.7 mi
Turn west on the trail. It contours just above 12,000 feet on open tundra, staying above the willows in the valley below. The grade is very gentle.
3
Contouring west 12,300' · 2.5 mi
Keep following the trail west. Wooden posts mark the way. The land is wide open, with long views in every direction.
Watch for: No shelter from storms on this long stretch.
4
Pass at 12,900 feet 12,900' · 3.9 mi
The trail climbs gently to a broad, low pass. It is not dramatic, but it is a key landmark. From here the trail turns southwest.
5
Cataract Gulch trail junction 12,400' · 5.1 mi
Drop down a broad tundra slope to the junction with the trails from Cataract Gulch and West Lost Creek. The tundra ridge above Cataract Lake is a popular camp with huge views. Half Peak's flat top and steep north face are in view.
Watch for: Exposed camping; watch the sky.
6
Cataract Lake 12,100' · 6.5 mi
Follow the Cataract Gulch trail down to the lake, the best water source in the area. Half Peak rises above the head of the gulch.
Watch for: Filter water here.
7
Two small lakes 12,150' · 7.5 mi
Leave the trail at the first of two small lakes northwest of Cataract Lake and walk past both.
8
Grassy gully 12,450' · 8.5 mi
A few hundred yards past the second lake, climb through some willows on a faint path, then turn north toward a grassy gully on the right side of a prominent cliff. Climb the gully.
Watch for: Willows hide the faint path; look for it before pushing through brush.
9
Tundra benches 12,900' · 10 mi
Above the gully, continue on steep grass and tundra, then swing southwest. Sheep trails lace the slope. Stay high, around 13,000 feet, rather than dropping into the boulder basin below Quarter Peak.
Watch for: Stay high to avoid rough talus.
10
Saddle northwest of Half Peak 12,940' · 11.5 mi
Reach the saddle between Half Peak and Quarter Peak. The steep northwest ridge of Half Peak rises ahead, and the sheer north face drops away to your left.
Watch for: Decision point: weather and time check.
11
Northwest ridge 13,400' · 12.3 mi
Climb the steep ridge on grass and small rubble. It gets very steep, but the footing stays fairly secure.
12
Rocky point at the cliff band 13,650' · 12.6 mi
The ridge meets a rocky point and a band of cliffs and spires. Move a few yards south to a cairn at a small notch, pass through it onto the southeast side, then traverse right through one steep gully into a second, following cairns without gaining much height.
Watch for: Easy to pick a wrong gully; follow the cairns.
13
Second gully and crack 13,750' · 12.8 mi
Scramble up the second gully until it nearly meets the ridge crest. Just below the top, turn left and climb a V-shaped crack through the last cliff. This is about 30 feet of exposed, hand-over-hand Class 3.
Watch for: Exposed Class 3; some people use a rope here.
14
Half Peak summit 13,866' · 13 mi
Walk onto the large, tilted summit plateau of small scree and patches of tundra. The high point is at the northwest end. Carefully peer over the north face. Redcloud and Sunshine are to the north and the Grenadiers to the south.
Watch for: Stay back from the edge of the north face.
Landmarks to know
The post marking the Continental Divide Trail just below Carson Pass.
A broad, low pass at 12,900 feet about 3.9 miles in.
The trail junction on the tundra above Cataract Lake.
Two small lakes northwest of Cataract Lake where you leave the trail.
A grassy gully on the right side of a prominent cliff.
The 12,940-foot saddle between Half Peak and Quarter Peak.
The rocky point and cliff band near 13,650 feet, with cairns through a small notch.
Getting down
You can go back down the northwest ridge, but downclimbing the exposed crack and gullies is more frightening than climbing them. Face the rock, test each hold, and help each other through. Take care to exit the second gully and traverse back to the notch by the same cairns; heading straight down other gullies leads to cliffs.
Another way down follows the south ridge. It has a short, narrow bottleneck with some fun scrambling and a bit of exposure; stay on the ridge or on its west side, where a faint path may help. Below that, the broad south slope leads to a drainage that meets the Continental Divide Trail at about 12,450 feet. Follow the trail back to Cataract Lake or your camp, then on to Carson Pass. Remember the long walk out still climbs back over the 12,900-foot pass.
If things go wrong
Before the cliff band, the saddle at 12,940 feet is the place to turn around. From there, head back east and down toward Cataract Lake and the trail. Do not drop into the boulder basin below Quarter Peak unless you must; it is slow. If a storm hits while you are on the trail, keep moving to lower, less exposed ground; there are no trees anywhere near the route. This area is very remote and help can take many hours. A satellite messenger is a good idea. If someone is hurt, keep them warm and sheltered from wind, and call 911 if you can get a signal.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
About the last mile is off-trail across tundra and the upper slopes, with no set trail to follow. A flyover only works when there is a set trail to trace. Without one, the line would be a guess, and a guess could send you the wrong way on the mountain. Use the step-by-step route with a good map and GPS track instead.
See the trail on video
A climb of this route filmed by SleepyHeadOutdoors. The video belongs to them and only plays when you press play.
This describes the route on a dry summer day. Snow, ice, a washed-out road or an afternoon storm can make it a very different climb. Check recent conditions the week you go and turn around when the day tells you to.