San Juan Range · Colorado 13er · No. 61 of the 13ers
Southwest Ridge via the Lake Hope loop
Golden Horn, 13,789'
DifficultyClass 2+
Round trip9.15 mi
Elevation gain4,450'
TrailheadLake Hope
Trailhead elevation10,745'
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 via the Lake Hope loop
Overview
Golden Horn is the last summit of the Lake Hope loop, past UN 13,302, Beattie, Fuller and Vermilion, at the head of the Ice Lake Basin. From Ice Lake, Point 13,230 can be mistaken for the summit and hides the real top.
After Vermilion, go back to the Fuller and Vermilion saddle and traverse a rubble bench under Vermilion's northeast cliffs to the Golden Horn saddle. A last 400 feet of mostly walking on rock and gravel gullies, with some Class 2+ near the top, reaches the summit.
The full loop over UN 13,302, Beattie, Fuller, Vermilion and Golden Horn is about 9.15 miles with roughly 4,450 feet of gain and takes about 8 hours. Golden Horn can also be climbed from Ice Lake by its southeast face, or from Pilot Knob, though passing under Pilot Knob's crest is slow.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 5:30 a.m.
Turnaround
Be on Vermilion by 11 a.m.
Crux
The rubble bench traverse and the summit scramble.
Route-finding
Moderate. Don't try Vermilion's ridge straight down to Golden Horn; use the bench.
Water
Streams on the lower trail and Lake Hope. No water on the ridge. Filter it.
From Telluride, drive west on Highway 145 about 3 miles to the junction, then turn left to stay on Highway 145 heading south toward Lizard Head Pass. After about 10 miles, turn left onto County Road 63A toward Trout Lake. Go about 1.7 miles to Forest Road 627 and stay left on it. The trailhead is roughly 2.5 to 3 miles up this road, at a sharp switchback.
The last couple of miles are rough dirt, and a high-clearance vehicle is recommended. Land around Trout Lake and along the road is partly private, so camp only where it is clearly allowed. There is a pullout a little below the trailhead. Forest Service campgrounds are near Lizard Head Pass.
RidgeTalus and screeScramblingExposed 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
Lake Hope trailhead 10,745' · 0 mi
The trail first heads east and crosses Poverty Gulch, dips a little, then climbs switchbacks through spruce and fir and over rock slides.
2
Pass above Lake Hope 12,445' · 3 mi
Pass Lake Hope, stay on the trail on its east shore to the pass, then head north-northeast up the ridge.
3
UN 13,302 13,302' · 4.1 mi
Climb steep, loose blocks to the summit; take care at a notch near the top.
Watch for: Rocks roll easily.
4
Beattie Peak 13,351' · 4.85 mi
Follow the blocky ridge northeast.
5
Fuller Peak 13,777' · 5.45 mi
Climb Fuller's south-southwest ridge on a use trail, or skip it on a trail that angles left to the Fuller and Vermilion saddle.
6
Vermilion Peak 13,894' · 6.05 mi
From the saddle, a clear trail climbs the ridge northwest, mostly on its south side. Go around a tower partway up and scramble a short loose bit at the top.
7
Golden Horn saddle 13,380' · 6.75 mi
Go back to the Fuller and Vermilion saddle and drop under 100 feet north onto a bench near 13,450 feet. Traverse it below Vermilion's cliffs to the saddle with Golden Horn.
Watch for: Talus; lingering snow can help (ice axe).
8
Golden Horn 13,789' · 7.15 mi
Head northeast, then move onto the southeast face and climb ledges and gravel gullies past a large cleft to the top.
Watch for: Class 2+.
Getting down
To finish the loop from Golden Horn, drop into the basin west-southwest of the summit on good scree to a shelf near 13,300 feet, keep descending scree past a grassy flat into Poverty Gulch, and follow the gulch out to the Lake Hope trail.
If things go wrong
The Beattie and Fuller saddle is the easiest way off before Vermilion.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
The route leaves the trail at the pass above Lake Hope and stays on rock ridges and benches. 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.