San Juan Range · Colorado 13er · No. 92 of the 13ers
South Ridge via Wood Mountain
UN 13,702, 13,702'
Class 3 couloir
The way back to the ridge is a steep, loose, exposed couloir that may hold snow or ice. This page is an outline, not a move-by-move guide.
DifficultyClass 3
Round trip6.5 mi
Elevation gain2,250'
TrailheadCinnamon Pass
Trailhead elevation12,640'
Less traffic, less margin
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.
UN 13,702, also called South Gravel, sits on a spur north of the ridge between Wood Mountain and UN 13,708, north of Cinnamon Pass. It was once listed at 13,688 feet.
After Wood Mountain you drop to a saddle, traverse into the head of Hurricane Basin below the cliffs, and climb the third couloir back to the spur, then walk to the top. The couloir is Class 3 on poor rock, and some call it Class 4. Route finding is hard. It is not for kids, except experienced older teens.
The full loop over Wood Mountain, UN 13,702, UN 13,708 and Animas Forks Mountain is about 6.5 miles with 2,250 feet of gain. UN 13,702 is about 0.8 mile and 500 feet one way from Wood Mountain.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 7 a.m.
Turnaround
Be on UN 13,702 by 11 a.m.
Crux
The third couloir.
Route-finding
Hard. Find the right couloir; cairns may help.
Water
Little water high up. Bring what you need.
This week on the summit
Conditions on the summit
LoadingFetching the forecast for 13,702'…
—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.
From Lake City, go south on Colorado 149 and turn right toward Lake San Cristobal. Follow County Road 30 around the lake. Two campgrounds, Williams Creek and then Mill Creek, come before the fork at Sherman. A normal car is fine to here. Go right; higher clearance is now wise. You pass the Grizzly Gulch / Silver Creek trailhead in a bit over 3 miles and the Cooper Creek trailhead about a mile later. After the American Basin turnoff the road gets steeper and rougher. Park at the top of Cinnamon Pass or in a pullout close by.
From Silverton, head east and keep right on County Road 2 where the paved road splits just past the courthouse. It's 4.2 miles to Howardsville, 4.3 more to the old Eureka site, 3.5 more to the Burns and Grouse Gulch turnoff, and 1.1 more to the signed Cinnamon Pass road on the right. Stay on the Engineer Pass road here; don't drift left up California Gulch.
Cinnamon Pass needs 4WD with good clearance from either side, and road conditions change, so check before you go. Without it, expect a lot of extra walking. The pass has no trees, but you could sleep in a vehicle or small tent there. Campgrounds and primitive spots are lower on the Lake City side. Private land is common all through this area.
RidgeTalus and screeScramblingTundraExposed 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
Cinnamon Pass 12,640' · 0 mi
Walk north-northeast up the grassy, flower-covered ridge, passing a small pond on your left. Or follow the old mining road north past the west side of the same pond.
2
Ridge bend 13,000' · 0.8 mi
The ridge turns sharply west. To skip some rock, follow an old mining road northwest about 50 feet below the crest. (From the road option, take a fainter track right near 12,700 feet; it meets the ridge here.)
3
Wood Mountain 13,682' · 1.4 mi
Walk west on scree and small rock with a little tundra to the easy top. Handies Peak stands out to the east.
4
Ridge junction 13,540' · 1.65 mi
Walk west on bigger broken rock. In about a quarter mile the spur to UN 13,702 heads north, lined with cliffs and spires. Don't take it; keep descending west.
5
13,300-foot saddle 13,300' · 1.8 mi
Before you leave, try to spot the third couloir, which climbs back to the spur just past the last big obstacle. Then drop north into the top of Hurricane Basin, losing up to 200 feet.
6
Below the cliffs 13,150' · 2 mi
Traverse north along the foot of the cliffs, where the footing is best, and pass two couloirs. The talus lower in the basin is very loose. Early snow can make this part faster.
Watch for: Loose talus. An ice axe helps with snow.
7
Third couloir 13,350' · 2.1 mi
Climb nearly 200 feet of steep, exposed rock covered in gravel and sand back to the ridge. It can feel like Class 4.
Watch for: Class 3. Snow or ice may fill it early or even late in summer.
8
UN 13,702 13,702' · 2.2 mi
The rest is an easy walk on more solid rock. Gravel Mountain is about a third of a mile farther north if you want it.
Getting down
Go back down the same couloir, traverse under the cliffs and climb to the 13,300-foot saddle, then walk west to UN 13,708 and on to Animas Forks Mountain, or return over Wood Mountain.
If things go wrong
The 13,300-foot saddle; from there Wood Mountain and the pass are close.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
The route is trailless past Cinnamon Pass, with a loose basin traverse and couloir. 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.