Front Range Range · Colorado 13er · No. 293 of the 13ers
East Along the Ridge from Hoosier Pass
Hoosier Ridge, 13,362'
DifficultyClass 2
Round trip9.25 mi
Elevation gain3,000'
TrailheadHoosier Pass
Trailhead elevation11,545'
Conditions on the summit
LoadingFetching the forecast for 13,362'…
—Summit temp now
—Sustained wind
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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 · East Along the Ridge from Hoosier Pass
Overview
Hoosier Ridge is the long ridge running east from Hoosier Pass, south of Breckenridge. From the pass you follow a radio tower road, climb onto the ridge, and walk east over many bumps, including Point 13,201, to the summit.
It is Class 2 with a rocky spot or two. The many ups and downs make the day harder than the numbers suggest.
The round trip is about 9.25 miles with 3,000 feet of gain. Red Mountain is further along the same ridge.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 7 a.m.
Turnaround
Be at Point 13,201 by 10:30 a.m.
Crux
The ups and downs, especially on the way back.
Route-finding
Easy. Leave the tower road where it turns toward the towers and head east up the broad slope to the ridge.
RoadRidgeTundraExposed 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
Hoosier Pass 11,545' · 0 mi
Walk east across Highway 9 to the start of road 848W, which serves some radio towers.
2
Leave the road 11,800' · 0.6 mi
After a little over half a mile the country opens up. Where the road bends toward the towers, leave it, keep left of some willows, and walk east up a broad slope.
3
Ridge crest 12,800' · 1.6 mi
Reach the ridge crest just below 12,800 feet.
4
Ridge bumps 12,900' · 2.6 mi
Walk east over a series of bumps on the crest.
5
Point 13,201 13,201' · 3.2 mi
Turn left (north) to the prominent Point 13,201.
6
Next point 13,200' · 4 mi
Go down across some rocks and keep following the crest. From the next point the true summit is in view, less than half a mile away.
7
Summit 13,362' · 4.6 mi
Walk across the last saddle and up to the summit.
Getting down
Return the same way, over all the bumps.
If things go wrong
The ridge back to the pass is the way out.
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 Hoosier Ridge 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.