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.
Colorado 13er · Over Treasure Mountain, with the Cable Route
Overview
Treasury Mountain sits just east of Treasure Mountain above the old town of Crystal. The usual trip climbs Treasure Mountain first from Bear Basin, then heads east along the connecting ridge. A short, loose section of ridge below Point 13,407 is Class 4 to low Class 5, so most people drop off the ridge to the southeast and use an old mining cable to climb back up toward Treasury's summit. The loop comes back down through North Pole Basin.
With the cable detour the climb stays Class 2+, with some Class 3 on loose rock. The direct ridge has about 80 feet of exposed, crumbly climbing with a couple of low Class 5 moves and is not recommended without climbing skills.
The full loop is about 15 miles with 5,500 feet of gain. Treasury can also be climbed alone, either up the North Pole Basin descent route or from Paradise and Yule passes on the Crested Butte side.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 5 a.m. from Crystal.
Turnaround
Be on Treasure Mountain's summit by 10 a.m.
Crux
The broken ridge below Point 13,407. Avoid it by dropping to the cable route.
Route-finding
Moderate to hard. From the Point 13,211-13,407 saddle, contour southeast below the cliffs about half a mile to find the old mining cable on the slope below Treasury.
Water
The Crystal River and Bear Basin streams. Filter it.
From Highway 82 at Carbondale, drive south on Highway 133 past Redstone. Less than a mile before the highway starts its switchbacks up McClure Pass, turn left toward Marble. Follow the rougher paved road to Marble, jog left and right through town, and continue east to Beaver Lake. Park here in a regular car.
With 4WD, climb steeply past Beaver Lake to the junction of Roads 315 and 314 and take 314 to the right toward Crystal. It is a narrow one-lane shelf road where you can't see oncoming traffic, so honk on blind corners. It is a slow, rough 4 miles to the old Crystal townsite. People live there: park out of the way, and ask permission if you can.
No camping in Crystal. There are a few roadside spots on the way in, and Forest Service fee campgrounds at Redstone, near the Marble turnoff and just over McClure Pass.
Trail in the treesOff-trail, no set pathScramblingTalus and screeRidgeTundraExposed 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
Crystal townsite 8,965' · 0 mi
Walk east past the last cabin and head south to the Crystal River.
2
Crystal River 8,950' · 0.1 mi
Find a way across. The river splits into three channels between willow islands. Past parties have used fallen logs, and a footbridge behind the southernmost house has been reported.
Watch for: The crossing can be dangerous in early summer.
3
Bushwhack 9,600' · 0.8 mi
Climb a steep bank south to an old roadbed and follow it east until it fades. Push through logs and brush up a steep slope until you pick up a faint path along the Bear Basin creek, keeping to its west bank.
4
Bear Basin 10,300' · 1.5 mi
Most of the way up the creek is open, but the plants are thick and tall and the trail keeps disappearing. You will get soaked if it has rained. Once past about 10,300 feet, stay with the creek's west branch.
5
Upper basin 11,800' · 2.3 mi
The tall plants give way to tundra. Water pours over huge slabs and the rock towers of Treasure Mountain rise to the west. At about 11,800 feet, turn due south.
6
Saddle 12,900' · 3 mi
Climb to the saddle just west of Point 13,407. Expect snow in early summer and loose rubble later.
Watch for: An ice axe or microspikes help early in the season.
7
Treasure Mountain 13,535' · 4 mi
Follow the ridge west over Point 13,211 to Treasure's summit.
8
Back to the saddle 13,000' · 4.7 mi
Walk back southeast over Point 13,211 and down to the saddle between Points 13,211 and 13,407. The ridge ahead narrows into steep, broken rock.
Watch for: The direct ridge is Class 4 to low Class 5 on loose rock.
9
Contour to the cable 12,200' · 5.5 mi
Drop off the ridge and contour southeast below the cliffs, losing close to 1,000 feet, until you find an old mining cable running up the steep slope.
10
Up the cable slope 13,000' · 6.5 mi
Use the cable as a handline and climb tundra, embedded rock and then loose talus to the south ridge.
Watch for: Test the cable before trusting it.
11
Summit 13,469' · 7 mi
Follow broken rock to the top.
Getting down
Go northwest to the saddle between Treasury and Point 13,407. Angle north down ramps and ledges of small loose rock into North Pole Basin; snow may let you glissade the lower half. Work north-northwest around a dividing ridge into the east fork of Bear Basin and rejoin your morning route below 10,400 feet.
If things go wrong
From Treasure's summit, the easy way home is back down Bear Basin.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
This loop crosses trailless basins and a broken ridge. 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
No video yet
We haven’t found a good video of this route that matches the way we describe it. The route strip, junctions and 3D flyover show the way in the meantime.
Other routes
Every way up Treasury Mountain we list, with its class.
This describes the route on a dry summer day. Most 13ers see few people, so there may be no one along behind you. Check recent conditions the week you go, carry a map, tell someone your plan, and turn around when the day tells you to.