Front Range Range · Colorado 13er · No. 90 of the 13ers
North Ridge from Baldy Road
Bald Mountain, 13,703'
DifficultyClass 2
Round trip9 mi
Elevation gain3,300'
TrailheadBaldy Road (Breckenridge)
Trailhead elevation10,400'
Conditions on the summit
LoadingFetching the forecast for 13,703'…
—Summit temp now
—Sustained wind
—Gusting to
—Freezing level
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Day three
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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 · North Ridge from Baldy Road
Overview
Bald Mountain is the huge, rounded peak east of Breckenridge. The route follows a 4WD road past the old Iowa Mill and radio towers onto the north ridge, then a trail along the ridge over a few humps to the summit.
It is Class 2, mostly road and trail, with one rough stretch near 13,300 feet, best passed on the right.
The round trip is about 9 miles with 3,300 feet of gain from the end of the pavement.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 6:30 a.m.
Turnaround
Be past the radio towers by 10 a.m.
Crux
A short rough stretch near 13,300 feet, and a long ridge that is exposed in storms.
Route-finding
Easy. Follow the road all the way to the north ridge, then the ridge south.
From the south end of Breckenridge, turn east on Boreas Pass Road. After 2.0 miles, turn left on Baldy Road (520). The pavement ends at 3.3 miles, where Emmet Lode Road (536) turns left; parking here is limited.
In summer you can drive 0.7 mile farther up the dirt road to a small lot on the right before the road needs 4WD.
Trail in the treesTundraRidgeScramblingExposed 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
End of the pavement 10,400' · 0 mi
Walk up the dirt road.
2
Small lot 10,800' · 0.7 mi
Stay on the road.
3
Iowa Mill 11,234' · 1.3 mi
At the old mill, turn left and follow the road as it switchbacks up below the north ridge.
4
Sharp left 11,700' · 2.2 mi
The road turns sharply left for the last stretch to the ridge.
5
North ridge 12,200' · 2.9 mi
Turn right (south) at the north end of the ridge.
6
Radio towers 12,580' · 3.3 mi
Pass the towers and follow the narrow road south; it narrows to trail by a 12,900-foot bump.
7
Rough section 13,300' · 4.1 mi
Cross a short flat stretch, then go up and down along the crest. Around 13,300 feet, a rough stretch is easiest on the ridge's right side.
8
Summit 13,703' · 4.5 mi
Go over another hump or two to the final pitch near 13,500 feet and follow the crest to the top.
Getting down
Return the same way.
If things go wrong
The road is the way down at any point.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover yet
We haven’t built one for this route.
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 Bald Mountain we list, with its class.
North Ridgethis routeClass 2 9 mi
Bald Mtn South RidgeClass 2 6.5 mi
Bald Mountain Southwest CouloirsClass 3 11 mi
East and South Ridges from French Creek Basin 8.9 mi
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.