Mosquito Range · Colorado 13er · No. 103 of the 13ers
Southwest Ridge
Mount Tweto, 13,683'
DifficultyClass 2
Round trip6 mi
Elevation gain2,150'
TrailheadMosquito Creek
Trailhead elevation11,550'
Conditions on the summit
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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 · Southwest Ridge
Overview
Mount Tweto is a ranked 13er at the head of Mosquito Gulch, northwest of Alma. This route follows old mining roads into the upper basin, crosses to the northwest end of the basin, and climbs Tweto's southwest ridge to the top.
It is Class 2. The roads are easy; above the mine ruins there is no trail, and the ridge is sometimes-loose talus.
The round trip is about 6 miles with 2,150 feet of gain, usually 4 to 6 hours. From the top you look across at Quandary, Democrat, Cameron and Bross.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 6 a.m.
Turnaround
Be on the southwest ridge by 10:30 a.m.
Crux
Loose talus on the upper ridge.
Route-finding
Roads to the mine ruins at 12,600 feet. Then head west toward the broad saddle, and angle right onto the ridge before reaching the bump on it.
Water
Streams in the lower gulch. None higher. Filter it.
From Highway 9, about a mile south of Alma, turn west on Mosquito Gulch Road (County Road 12). Drive about 6.8 miles to where the road bends left and crosses Mosquito Creek, then starts climbing toward Mosquito Pass.
Park in the area about 0.1 mile past the creek crossing. Any car can get this far in dry weather. Above here the road to the pass is rough, rocky 4WD.
RoadTundraRidgeTalus 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
Mosquito Creek trailhead 11,550' · 0 mi
Walk to where the Mosquito Pass road meets a 4WD road heading northwest toward the upper gulch.
2
Road junction 11,750' · 0.5 mi
Half a mile on, go right: a narrow 4WD track zigzags east up to a mine in the high basin.
3
Upper basin 12,100' · 1 mi
The view opens up. Follow the road north toward the head of the basin.
4
Mine ruins 12,600' · 2 mi
Turn left and aim west for the broad low point above the basin's far northwest corner.
5
Onto the ridge 13,100' · 2.4 mi
Before you reach the bump on the ridge ahead, angle right and climb rocky ground to the base of the southwest ridge.
6
Southwest ridge 13,300' · 2.6 mi
Turn right and follow the ridge northeast.
7
Summit 13,683' · 3 mi
Stay near the crest on sometimes-loose talus to the top.
Watch for: Loose rock. Watch where you put your hands.
Getting down
Return the way you came. Pick up the road at the mine ruins and follow it down.
If things go wrong
Drop back to the basin and the roads. They are never far away.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
The route leaves mining roads for a trailless basin and 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.
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.