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 · From Clinton Peak
Overview
McNamee Peak sits on the ridge between Clinton Peak and Traver Peak above Wheeler Lake. The usual way up climbs Clinton first, walks half a mile along the ridge to McNamee, and often continues to Traver before dropping back into the basin.
The ridge from Clinton is Class 2, with a few spots where you step around rocks and scraps of trail in between. McNamee's summit is scattered with old cables and mining junk.
Clinton plus McNamee is about 9 miles; adding Traver makes a 10-mile loop with 3,300 feet of gain, usually 7 to 9 hours.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 5 a.m. It is a long day above treeline.
Turnaround
If you are not on Clinton by 10 a.m., skip the ridge. Leave McNamee by 11 a.m.
Crux
Staying on route along the Clinton-McNamee ridge. With snow it gets harder.
Route-finding
Follow the Clinton Peak route to its summit. The ridge to McNamee and Traver is in plain view from there.
Water
Creek along the road, Wheeler Lake and a stream in the upper basin. Filter it.
From Breckenridge, drive south on Highway 9 over Hoosier Pass. Less than a mile past the pass, turn west on County Road 4. Stay straight at the first two junctions, then keep right on the upper road. At about 1.4 miles you reach the parking area at Montgomery Reservoir.
Cars can usually go on across a small bridge and around the reservoir. The road gets rougher near 1.6 miles. About 1.7 miles in, a turnoff on the left leads to a small water building and concrete wall; park there.
TundraRidgeExposed 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
Montgomery Reservoir trailhead 10,970' · 0 mi
Follow the Clinton Peak route: up the Platte Gulch road to Wheeler Lake, up the gully above the lake, and into the upper basin.
2
Wheeler Lake 12,180' · 3 mi
Take the smaller trail up the gully right of the cliffs, into the basin.
3
Clinton Peak 13,866' · 4.5 mi
From Clinton, McNamee is half a mile southwest.
4
Clinton-McNamee ridge 13,690' · 4.75 mi
Drop off Clinton and follow the ridge. The low point is just under 13,700 feet. A couple of spots make you work around rocks.
Watch for: With snow, this ridge becomes harder.
5
Summit 13,784' · 5 mi
Climb the last stretch to McNamee's summit. Watch your step around the old cables and junk on top.
6
McNamee-Traver saddle 13,630' · 5.2 mi
To add Traver, drop about 150 feet to the easy saddle. This is also the best place to bail back into the basin.
7
Traver Peak 13,856' · 5.5 mi
Follow a trail toward Traver and climb its northwest ridge. It steepens near an old tower; find the easiest line through the big rocks.
Watch for: Brief, easy scrambling near the top.
Getting down
From Traver, follow its east ridge down to about 13,000 feet, where it curls northward into the bowl below Clinton and Traver. Drop into the basin, walk back to the stream, and retrace the gully to Wheeler Lake and the road. If you skip Traver, drop into the basin from the McNamee-Traver saddle.
If things go wrong
The McNamee-Traver saddle is the easy exit: turn left and walk down into the basin.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
Most of this route is off trail across a basin and along high ridges. 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 McNamee Peak 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.