San Juan Range · Colorado 13er · No. 104 of the 13ers
North Ridge from Storm King Pass
Peak Seven, 13,682'
Loose Class 3 ridge
The north ridge is steep, loose Class 2+ to Class 3, with a short downclimb at a notch and very poor footing near the top. This page is an outline, not a move-by-move guide.
DifficultyClass 3
Round trip16.5 mi
Elevation gain6,700'
TrailheadHunchback Pass
Trailhead elevation11,800'
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.
Peak Seven sits in the middle of the Needle Mountains, with a big view of the Grenadier Range, the Trinity Peaks, Arrow and Vestal. It is not a pleasant climb: the rock is loose and broken most of the way. This is deep in the Weminuche Wilderness, so plan a multi-day backpack and follow wilderness rules on camping, fires and group size.
From Storm King Pass you drop west and contour to a small tarn on the pass west of Peak Eight. A steep climb takes you to a saddle north of the summit, then you follow the narrow ridge south past a notch. The last 250 feet are on small, sliding rock. It is Class 3.
The round trip is about 16.5 miles with 6,700 feet of gain from the trailhead; from Storm King Pass it is about 1.25 miles and 1,200 feet one way. It goes well with Storm King Peak in one day. Camps: the Trinity Creek meadow, spots near 11,400 feet along Trinity Creek, or a high camp by two small tarns on a bench above Balsam Lake, west of Storm King Pass.
Plan of the day
Start by
From a high camp, leave by 6:30 a.m.
Turnaround
Be at the saddle north of the summit by 10:30 a.m.
Crux
The last 250 feet of loose, sliding rock.
Route-finding
Moderate. Drop to about 12,500 feet before you contour to Peak Eight's west pass.
Water
Trinity Creek and the Silex Lake stream. Filter it.
This week on the summit
Conditions on the summit
LoadingFetching the forecast for 13,682'…
—Summit temp now
—Sustained wind
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—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.
This trailhead needs a high-clearance 4WD, and plan on as long as 2.5 hours of driving from Silverton. From the northeast end of Silverton, take County Road 2 up the Animas about 4.2 miles to Howardsville. Turn right up Cunningham Gulch, then take the left fork onto the Stony Pass road. It climbs steeply over the pass and down the far side. You will ford Pole Creek, then turn right at a fork and ford the Rio Grande. Both fords are harder early in the summer. Then follow the Beartown road about 4 slow, rough miles past the old Beartown site and up a rocky, rutted stretch. The Hunchback Pass trailhead is about half a mile below Kite Lake, at roughly 11,800 feet, with limited parking.
You can also reach this area from Creede or Lake City by driving to Rio Grande Reservoir, but the road west of the reservoir has very rough sections. There is some camping near the trailhead and near the old Beartown site.
Trail in the treesTalus and screeRidgeScramblingExposed 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
Hunchback Pass trailhead 11,800' · 0 mi
Walk south on the Continental Divide Trail, gaining roughly 900 feet in just under a mile through open ground and willows to the tundra of Hunchback Pass. Hunchback Mountain is an easy side trip west of the pass. Then go south down the Vallecito Trail through thick willows (soaking after rain). Where the Divide Trail turns east up Nebo Creek, stay on the Vallecito Trail heading south and west. A big campsite sits on a knoll near this junction.
2
Trinity Creek meadow 10,560' · 4 mi
The trail crosses a small side stream, then switchbacks down to Nebo Creek. That ford is fast and close to a waterfall; look upstream for rocks or logs, or wade. About 1.25 miles past the Nebo camp, a side path heads west across a meadow (a common camp) toward Vallecito Creek.
Watch for: Nebo Creek ford can be swift.
3
Bench above Silex Lake 12,400' · 6.3 mi
Wade the Vallecito just below the Trinity Creek confluence; it is cold but not usually deep here. An unmaintained trail climbs the south side of Trinity Creek and switches to the north side near 11,000 feet. Near 11,400 feet, turn south into the Silex Lake basin, staying west of a rock glacier by the outlet stream. A faint path climbs steep tundra ramps and rubble to a bench a few hundred feet above the lake on its west-northwest side.
Watch for: Cold ford of Vallecito Creek.
4
Storm King Pass 12,750' · 6.75 mi
Contour into the valley west of the lake and walk west on broken rock to the pass between Storm King and Peaks Eight and Nine. Snow patches can make this easier early in the season.
Watch for: Mountain goats here like salty gear; keep packs out of reach.
5
Contour west 12,500' · 7.1 mi
Go down the west side of the pass through rock on a rough path to tundra. Lose about 250 feet before you start to contour; higher up you will fight rock bands and ledges.
6
Tarn pass 12,740' · 7.6 mi
Contour over to Peak Eight's west pass, which has a small tarn at the top.
7
North saddle 13,050' · 7.8 mi
Turn west and climb about 300 steep feet, first on tundra and rock, then scree, to the saddle between the summit and a pinnacle to the north.
8
Summit 13,682' · 8.25 mi
Walk south on or near the crest, stepping off it where needed. Pass a notch on its west side with a short downclimb of about 10 feet. Above it the rock is small, broken and slides off the slabs below, so take care up the last 250 feet to the narrow top.
Watch for: Class 3. Very loose rock.
Getting down
Go back down the north ridge to the saddle, drop east to the tarn pass, and return to Storm King Pass or your camp.
If things go wrong
The saddle north of the summit leads back down to the tarn pass.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
Above Trinity Creek the route leaves the trails for rubble and a loose 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.