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 with UN 13,660
Overview
Lackawanna Peak is a broad Sawatch summit on the east side of Independence Pass, right above Highway 82. The route starts at the North Fork Lake Creek trailhead, crosses the creek, and climbs through forest on an old road beside Lackawanna Gulch. It then gains the long north-northwest ridge and follows it over or around Point 13,660 and another bump to the summit. The round trip is about 7.75 miles with about 3,600 feet of gain.
Once above treeline, this is an easy Class 2 walk on low tundra, embedded rock and some rubble, with no exposure. The hardest parts are down low: a creek crossing that can be too high to ford in early summer, and a climb through forest with many fallen, beetle-killed trees where the old road is easy to lose.
It is a good choice for fit hikers who want a quiet 13er close to the highway. Most parties take 5 to 7 hours. The long ridge is open to wind and storms, and it is a long way back to the trees.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 6 a.m. You reach the ridge near 12,000 feet after a couple of hours, and the rest of the climb is on high, open ground.
Turnaround
If you are not at Point 13,660 by 10:30 a.m., or clouds are building, turn back. The summit is still about a mile of ridge beyond it.
Crux
The creek crossing at the start and the steep, trail-less forest with deadfall below treeline. Above that, it is just a long ridge walk.
Route-finding
The first part is tricky. Find the old road that switchbacks up through the trees on the south side of the Lackawanna Gulch stream; do not cross that stream. Above treeline, gain the ridge on the west side of a deep gully and follow it south. In cloud, the ridge is broad and it is easy to drift.
Water
North Fork Lake Creek and the stream in Lackawanna Gulch are the only reliable water, both low on the route. There is none on the ridge. Filter everything.
From Aspen, drive east on Highway 82 over the top of Independence Pass and down the east side. Just below the last switchback, where the highway drops into the North Fork Lake Creek valley, turn left onto a short dirt road. It leads about 100 yards to parking for several cars with a wood rail fence. This is just under 5 miles below the top of the pass.
From the east, turn west from US 24 onto Highway 82 and drive past Twin Lakes and up the Lake Creek valley. Just before the first big switchback that starts the climb to the pass, about 18.5 miles from US 24, turn right onto the same dirt road. Any car can make it, though there may be potholes. Camping at the lot is poor; there are Forest Service campgrounds toward Twin Lakes and dispersed sites along the highway to the south.
Trail in the treesRoadTundraRidgeTalus 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
North Fork Lake Creek trailhead 10,794' · 0 mi
From the parking area, find a 4WD track heading south. It drops to the creek for a low-water crossing.
2
Creek crossing 10,780' · 0.1 mi
Ford North Fork Lake Creek. In early summer it can be too deep and fast to cross safely. Then pass through some willows to a stand of trees with a campsite.
Watch for: Do not cross in high water. See the bail notes for another start.
3
Trail north 10,850' · 0.6 mi
From the edge of the trees, follow a trail north along the valley floor toward where the stream from Lackawanna Gulch comes down.
4
Old road into the trees 10,950' · 0.9 mi
Before you reach the Lackawanna Gulch stream, look for an old road that switchbacks up through the forest on the south side of that stream. Do not cross the stream.
Watch for: Easy to miss; stay south of the stream.
5
Forest climb 11,100' · 1.2 mi
Follow the old road east up through the trees. Many beetle-killed trees have fallen across the way, so expect to step over and around logs. You can leave the road near 11,100 feet or keep following it east.
Watch for: Deadfall; slow going.
6
Treeline 11,600' · 1.6 mi
The trees thin and you break out onto open slopes. Aim for the north-northwest ridge above.
7
North-northwest ridge 12,000' · 1.9 mi
Gain the ridge at about 12,000 feet, next to a deep gully. Stay on the west side of the gully and follow the ridge south.
8
Upper ridge 12,800' · 2.5 mi
Angle south-southeast to gain the main ridge. The ground is low tundra and embedded rock. The ridge is broad and gentle.
Watch for: Exposed to weather from here on.
9
Point 13,660 13,660' · 3 mi
Reach Point 13,660. Go over the top, or skirt it on the west side, then drop to a saddle at about 13,380 feet.
Watch for: Last good place to decide on the weather.
10
Saddle and Point 13,590 13,540' · 3.4 mi
Bypass Point 13,590 on its west side and contour to another saddle near 13,540 feet. Lackawanna's summit is now straight ahead to the south.
11
Lackawanna Peak summit 13,826' · 3.9 mi
Walk south over tundra and rubble to the top. La Plata Peak stands out to the southeast, and Independence Pass and the highway lie far below to the west.
Landmarks to know
The wood rail fence at the trailhead parking.
The 4WD track and low-water crossing of North Fork Lake Creek.
An old road switchbacking up through the trees on the south side of Lackawanna Gulch.
A deep gully beside the ridge near 12,000 feet.
Point 13,660, the first high point on the ridge.
Saddles at about 13,380 and 13,540 feet.
La Plata Peak to the southeast from the summit.
Getting down
Return along the ridge the way you came, passing west of Point 13,590 and over or around Point 13,660, then down the north-northwest ridge. The key is finding the old road again below treeline; if you drift north you will end up in Lackawanna Gulch, and if you drift south you will fight thick deadfall. Keep the gully on your right (east) as you come down to 12,000 feet.
A variation drops northeast from between Points 13,590 and 13,660 into the south fork of Lackawanna Gulch and follows the stream down on its south side. In early summer there may be good snow for a glissade here; only glissade with an ice axe and a safe runout. Finish by recrossing North Fork Lake Creek with care, especially in the afternoon when melt raises the water.
If things go wrong
Anywhere on the ridge, the quickest route to safer ground is back north and down to the trees. Do not drop west off the ridge toward the highway; the slopes are steep and cut by cliffs and gullies. If lightning starts, leave the ridge crest at once. If the creek runs too high at the start, take Highway 82 south to the spot where it crosses over to the North Fork's east bank. Park there and walk north along the foot of the mountain to the Lackawanna Gulch stream, though willows can slow you. If someone is hurt, the highway is close below; call 911.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
Almost all of this route is off-trail, up the drainage and 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 The Virtual sherpa. The video belongs to them and only plays when you press play.
Jump to
Other routes
Every way up Lackawanna Peak we list, with its class.
Northwest Ridge with UN 13,660this routeClass 2 7.75 mi
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.