East Flank over White Dome and Peak One

Overview

Peak Three is one of the easier Grenadier summits. From Kite Lake it is reached over White Dome and Peak One, on a long ridge with a lot of broken rock. A high-clearance 4WD is needed for the road.

From Peak One you descend the ridge south and west, slip around Point 13,385 on its north side, descend to the 12,660-foot low point between Peak One and Peak Three, and climb a wide slope northwest to the summit ridge. It is Class 2+ with a few steps that need care.

The full loop, which also takes in Peak Two and returns through the basin east of the peaks to Eldorado Lake, is about 8.6 miles with 5,700 feet of gain. Those figures cover all four summits.

Plan of the day

Getting to the trailhead

This trailhead needs a high-clearance 4WD, and plan on as much 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.

For the Kite Lake peaks, drive or walk the last half mile of road above the trailhead to Kite Lake, at about 12,100 feet. That final piece is the roughest part of the whole road. 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.

Next: the route, step by step →

The route

1. 1

   Kite Lake 12,100' · 0 mi

   Take the trail that heads east from the lake up to the pass that leads over to Eldorado Lake.

2. 2

   Pass above Eldorado Lake 12,850' · 0.6 mi

   Don't drop down to Eldorado Lake. Turn south and follow the crest of the ridge on a path that soon fades.

3. 3

   White Dome 13,628' · 2 mi

   Cross the bench under White Dome's north face, roughly 100 to 200 feet above Eldorado Lake, to the north-northwest ridge. Climb about 900 feet of broken rock and ledges to the top.

4. 4

   Point 13,401 13,401' · 2.5 mi

   Head south. You can try to slip around this point, but it's simpler to go straight over it and on to a small saddle beyond.

5. 5

   Peak One 13,599' · 2.9 mi

   Climb gradually along the ridge on medium-size broken rock. The slope is moderate and footing is good. Expect under an hour from White Dome. Storm King, Silex and The Guardian fill the view to the south.

6. 6

   North side of Point 13,385 13,250' · 3.35 mi

   Descend south on large broken rock to a saddle at 13,200 feet. Climb about 100 feet, then contour around the north side of Point 13,385 to reach its west ridge.

7. 7

   Peak One-Peak Three saddle 12,660' · 3.75 mi

   Follow the long ridge down to the low point. A few steps in the ridge need some care, but nothing is technical.

8. 8

   Peak Three 13,487' · 4.15 mi

   From the saddle go northwest up a wide slope, tundra at first and then small rock and scree. Reach the summit ridge south of the top and finish on steeper rock. The summit is simply the highest spot you can find on the crest.

Getting down

Most parties keep going north to Peak Two and then return through the basin east of the peaks (see the Peak Two page). That return climbs back to the saddle west of White Dome and drops past Eldorado Lake to Kite Lake.

If things go wrong

From the Peak One-Peak Three saddle area, the basin east of the peaks leads toward the White Dome saddle and Eldorado Lake, but it still means a rocky climb back out.

3D flyover

See the trail on video

Other routes

Every way up Peak Three we list, with its class.

• Peak Three East Flank this routeClass 2+ 8.6 mi