San Juan Range · Colorado 13er · No. 102 of the 13ers
Southeast Ridge over Silver Mountain
UN 13,684, 13,684'
DifficultyClass 2
Round trip14.45 mi
Elevation gain5,005'
TrailheadNellie Creek
Trailhead elevation11,425'
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 · Southeast Ridge over Silver Mountain
Overview
UN 13,684 is a remote, rarely visited summit north of Uncompahgre Peak in the Uncompahgre Wilderness. It is climbed together with Silver Mountain, and it gives unusual views of Uncompahgre.
You hike over a pass into the Big Blue Creek valley, follow the Fall Creek trail up a broad basin, and climb tundra and some scree to Silver Mountain. From there a broad, easy ridge leads to UN 13,684. It is Class 2, mostly tundra with some rubble.
The round trip is about 14.45 miles with 5,005 feet of gain, including the climb back over the pass on the way out. It's a long day, better for strong hikers and older kids.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 5:30 a.m.
Turnaround
Be on Silver Mountain by 11 a.m.
Crux
The length, and the climb back over the pass at the end.
Route-finding
Easy on trails. Above the trail, follow the small drainage to the saddle south of Silver.
In Lake City, turn west on 2nd Street (or 3rd Street, which passes a city park with restrooms) and go two blocks to Bluff Street. Turn left (south) onto County Road 20, which runs west up Henson Creek. After 5.2 miles, turn right (north) on the signed Nellie Creek road, Forest Road 877. Regular cars should not try this road. Camping is not allowed along this part of County Road 20, but there are a few sites a short way up the Nellie Creek road.
A stock 4WD is the minimum past those first campsites. The road is rough and potholed at first, then rocky but never hard. At 2.0 miles it crosses to the west side of Nellie Creek and climbs a steep switchback. About 0.4 mile later, turn hard left (the older road going right leads toward Crystal Peak). After another mile the road levels out in a long meadow, and the trailhead is 0.8 mile farther, about 4 miles from County Road 20. Allow at least half an hour. Road conditions change, so check before you go.
The ground at the trailhead is sloped. For flatter campsites, go back about a quarter mile into the trees, or use the meadow. Uncompahgre Peak draws big crowds on summer weekends, so parking and campsites fill early.
TundraRidgeTrail in the treesTalus 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
Nellie Creek trailhead 11,425' · 0 mi
Walk north on the busy Uncompahgre Peak trail (Trail 239) up along Nellie Creek.
2
Trail 232 junction 11,800' · 0.75 mi
Where the trail climbs out of the creek and switchbacks left, leave it and go north on Trail 232.
3
Pass 12,380' · 1.8 mi
Switchback up to a 12,380-foot pass.
4
Big Blue Creek crossing 11,400' · 3.3 mi
Drop about 1,000 feet on Trail 232 through a wide tundra basin, then into trees near 11,900 feet, to a crossing of Big Blue Creek in a big open meadow. There are campsites along this stretch.
5
Leave the Fall Creek trail 12,280' · 5 mi
Cross the creek and take the Fall Creek trail (Trail 231) northwest through forest and meadows to treeline and up the open bowl. Near 12,280 feet, leave the trail and head west.
6
Saddle south of Silver 13,210' · 5.4 mi
Climb tundra, then some talus and scree, following a minor drainage to the first saddle south of Silver Mountain.
7
Silver Mountain 13,713' · 5.7 mi
Turn north and walk about 500 feet up a mostly grassy ridge with a little rubble.
8
Saddle 13,460' · 6.4 mi
Walk north, then northeast, down the ridge to a small saddle.
9
UN 13,684 13,684' · 7.2 mi
Turn northwest and follow the wide southeast ridge on tundra with patches of rubble. It takes well under an hour from Silver.
Getting down
Go back over Silver Mountain and retrace the route. A shortcut from the 13,460-foot saddle down into the basin to the east is possible, but the basin is ringed by cliffs and its gullies are very steep, with crumbly rock that slides underfoot for 200 to 300 feet. We don't advise it.
If things go wrong
From the saddle south of Silver, drop back down the drainage to the Fall Creek trail.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
The route leaves the Fall Creek trail at about 12,280 feet and is trailless after that. 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.