San Juan Range · Colorado 13er · No. 203 of the 13ers
South Slopes from Whipple Creek
Mears Peak, 13,503'
Technical climb: Class 3 on very loose scree
The south side is steep scree and talus over slabs, with a short gully of Class 3 scrambling to get around cliffs. Snow early in summer makes it worse. This page is an outline, not a move-by-move guide.
DifficultyClass 3
Round trip9.5 mi
Elevation gain4,400'
TrailheadSheep Ck-Deep Ck
Trailhead elevation9,100'
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 · South Slopes from Whipple Creek
Overview
Mears Peak is a rugged summit on the ridge west of Dallas Peak, north of the Telluride airport. The basin below it, along what locals call Whipple Creek, feels remote for being so close to town, and elk often spend the summer there.
You hike ditch trails and the Iron Mountain trail to an old mine and a camp area at about 10,900 feet. From there you climb grassy slopes, then loose rubble and talus, angling around cliffs and through a short Class 3 gully to a saddle west of the summit, then 500 feet to the top. It is a nasty climb on bad footing.
From the trailhead the round trip is about 9.5 miles with 4,400 feet of gain. From camp it is about 2 miles and 2,700 feet. The approach to the basin is about 3.75 miles each way with about 1,700 feet of gain; many parties camp there. S 7 can be added along the west ridge (see that page).
Plan of the day
Start by
By 6 a.m. from camp
Turnaround
Be at the saddle west of the summit by 10:30 a.m.
Crux
Talus over sloping slabs and the short Class 3 gully.
Route-finding
Moderate. Every grass slope ends at cliffs; work east and north to find a break.
From Society Turn on CO 145, about 4 miles west of Telluride, go just a little east and turn left (north) on the Airport Road. Maps call this the Last Dollar Road (638).
Climb the road and round a sharp bend at the head of a drainage, then pass the Aldasoro Ranch entrance. Stay right where the road to the Telluride airport turns off. In less than a mile more, the trailhead lot with a small corral is on the right. A passenger car can get here.
There is private land across from the parking, and camping at the trailhead is not allowed. Campsites are scarce near Telluride. Try the town park at the east end of Telluride or Sunshine Campground south of Society Turn, or look for dispersed spots west on CO 145 near the Silver Pick Road, or south on County Road 63L/63J past Ilium.
Trail in the treesTundraScramblingExposed 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
Sheep Ck-Deep Ck trailhead 9,100' · 0 mi
Take Trail 418.1B (signed for Deep Creek and Whipple) north across an open slope. After a short switchback it joins an old road beside an irrigation ditch in the aspens.
2
Sheep Creek 9,250' · 1 mi
Follow the ditch about a mile to Sheep Creek. Past the creek the trail heads west, then turns sharply north. Keep following the ditch and ignore a signed trail that goes downhill.
3
Whipple Creek 9,350' · 1.6 mi
About half a mile later the ditch meets Whipple Creek, which drains the basin below Mears Peak and S 7. Cross on a bridge and follow the creek about ten minutes until the trail turns sharply left. About ten minutes past that turn, look for a grassy old road going uphill on the right. This is the Iron Mountain trail (418.1C).
4
Old mine 10,862' · 3.6 mi
Follow this little-used trail north almost 2 miles to an old mine site. Below the mine dumps, contour up the valley over rock and grass to the next trees.
5
Camp 10,900' · 3.75 mi
Good camping is in the grassy openings among scattered trees on the south side of the creek, a short way up a small ridge. Many people backpack in and climb several peaks from here.
6
Grass slopes 11,900' · 4.2 mi
Cross the creek and climb the farthest-right grassy slope south of and below the summit. Gain as much as you can on grass.
7
Saddle west of the summit 13,000' · 4.5 mi
Above the grass it is rubble, scree and talus all the way. When cliffs stop you, angle east and north to find a way past. A small gully of solid rock may give a few Class 3 moves. Then climb more talus to the saddle.
Watch for: Steep enough early in summer that you may want an ice axe and crampons or microspikes.
8
Summit 13,503' · 4.75 mi
Turn east and climb about 500 feet on slightly better footing to the split summit.
Getting down
Go back down the same way as best you can. Scree here can start sliding and keep going, so move carefully and keep space between climbers. Or keep going west on the ridge to reach S 7.
If things go wrong
The saddle is the high point to turn back from; below it, aim for the grass slopes and the creek.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
Above the old mine at the end of the Iron Mountain trail the route is trailless. 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.