San Juan Range · Colorado 13er · No. 222 of the 13ers
South Ridge from Peak Three
Peak Two, 13,475'
DifficultyClass 2
Round trip8.6 mi
Elevation gain5,700'
TrailheadKite Lake
Trailhead elevation12,100'
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 Two is the northernmost of the four Kite Lake thirteeners above Eldorado Lake, looking across to Arrow and Vestal. It finishes the loop over White Dome, Peak One and Peak Three, a fairly easy but long day that stays at Class 2 to 2+.
From Peak Three you walk north along a rocky ridge, over a tundra saddle and Point 13,392, then up broken rock to the top. Cliffs guard these peaks on the Vestal Basin side, so if you come from Vestal Creek, cross into Trinity Lake and climb from there.
The full loop from Kite Lake is about 8.6 miles with 5,700 feet of gain; the stretch from Peak Three to Peak Two is about 2 miles and 625 feet. The way out returns through the basin below the peaks and past Eldorado Lake.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 6 a.m.
Turnaround
Be on Peak Three by noon.
Crux
Long day; the rocky climb back to the White Dome saddle.
Route-finding
Moderate. Leave the ridge a few hundred yards south of Point 13,392 for the basin.
Water
Small tarns and lakes along the route, and Eldorado Lake on the way out. Filter it.
This week on the summit
Conditions on the summit
LoadingFetching the forecast for 13,475'…
—Summit temp now
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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 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.
ScramblingRidgeTalus and screeTundraExposed 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
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
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.
3
Peak One 13,599' · 2.9 mi
Walk west down to the saddle beyond White Dome, go south over Point 13,401, and follow the ridge up broken rock to the top.
4
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.
5
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.
6
Peak Three 13,487' · 4.15 mi
Climb northwest from the saddle on tundra, then small rock and scree, to the summit ridge and the top.
7
Point 13,392 13,392' · 4.75 mi
Head north down the easy but rocky ridge to a tundra saddle at 12,940 feet, then follow the crest over rubble and boulders to Point 13,392. You can skirt one rough patch on the left side; it saves little. Arrow and Vestal stand out to the west-southwest.
8
Peak Two 13,475' · 5.1 mi
Lose a little height to one more saddle, then climb to the top on broken rock that slows you down. Note the cliffs ringing these summits on the Vestal Basin side; that is why they are not climbed straight up from there.
Getting down
Retrace the ridge south over Point 13,392. A few hundred yards past it, leave the crest and drop east into the unnamed basin below Peaks One, Two and Three, aiming for a small lake in the tundra. A line of scree can speed this up.
Go around the lake and follow a small, plant-covered drainage east through a minor cliff band into the basin between Peak One and Point 13,453. Make a rocky climb back up to the saddle south of Point 13,453 and west of White Dome. Where it steepens, the base of a sloping rock band gives handholds; early in summer, snow may be easier than the rock.
From that saddle go a little east, then north down the steep, rocky bowl toward an unnamed lake southwest of Eldorado Lake (a glissade is possible early in the season). Continue down a small drainage on tundra past tarns and campsites to Eldorado Lake, walk the north shore, cross the narrow outlet and climb to the saddle between Eldorado and Kite lakes. Then walk back to Kite Lake.
If things go wrong
The basin east of the ridge is the way out, but it ends with a rocky climb back to the White Dome saddle.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
Past the pass above Eldorado Lake the route is off-trail ridge and basin travel. 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.