South-Southwest Ridge from Wasatch Mountain

Overview

La Junta Peak is the middle summit of three on the east side of Bridal Veil Basin above Telluride, between Wasatch Mountain and Jackass Point.

You follow the Wasatch route into the basin and climb Wasatch first, then return to the 12,860-foot saddle and climb loose talus and gravel straight up to La Junta. It is easy Class 2. You can also skip Wasatch and start up from the saddle.

Wasatch Mountain, La Junta Peak and Jackass Point make a loop of about 8.4 miles and 4,160 feet, coming down through Jackass Basin. Strong parties do all three in about 7 hours. From Wasatch to La Junta is about 0.9 mile and 620 feet.

Plan of the day

Getting to the trailhead

From Colorado Avenue in Telluride, drive east out of town. The road becomes County Road 648, the Black Bear Pass road. It climbs five or six switchbacks above some mine ponds, then runs southeast toward Bridal Veil Falls and crosses Ingram Creek.

Next come the switchbacks up toward the falls. Some parking at the fourth one is for the via ferrata. Go two more switchbacks and finish south to the trailhead parking, just above Bridal Veil Falls and the old power plant. High clearance is best. Don't drive on past the trailhead: the road above is one-way coming down from Black Bear Pass.

There's no camping close by, and dispersed camping near Telluride is scarce and mostly not allowed. Try the Telluride Town Park campground (first come, first served) or Sunshine Campground about 5 miles south of Society Junction on Highway 145. A few dispersed spots exist south of Ilium on 63J or along 145, but watch for private land.

Next: the route, step by step →

The route

1. 1

   Bridal Veil Basin trailhead 10,380' · 0 mi

   Walk the old mining road south into the basin. It stays east of Bridal Veil Creek and switchbacks up a couple of times.

2. 2

   Blue Lake fork 11,250' · 1.5 mi

   At the fork, the left branch goes to Blue Lake. Take the less used right branch along the creek.

3. 3

   Creek crossing 11,550' · 2 mi

   The jeep track crosses the creek and climbs the hillside toward a bench below Wasatch.

4. 4

   Twin tarns 12,190' · 3 mi

   Pass a pair of small tarns; the road fades soon after. Head west uphill on the south side of the creek toward the Wasatch-La Junta saddle, over tundra benches and rock outcrops. You should meet an old road or trail.

5. 5

   Tarn at 12,815 feet 12,815' · 3.6 mi

   The old track leads near the saddle and a small tarn below Wasatch's north-northeast ridge.

6. 6

   Ridge saddle 13,160' · 3.9 mi

   Climb the steeper tundra slope south of the tarn, heading west to a saddle on the north-northeast ridge.

7. 7

   Wasatch Mountain 13,560' · 4.25 mi

   Walk up about 400 feet, mostly on dinner-plate talus, to the summit.

8. 8

   Wasatch-La Junta saddle 12,860' · 4.75 mi

   Go back down the north-northeast ridge. Stay right of the crest to skip one steep, rocky part.

9. 9

   La Junta Peak 13,475' · 5.15 mi

   Climb steeply about 620 feet on loose talus and gravel.

   Watch for: Loose rock.

Getting down

Go on north to Jackass Point and down Jackass Basin, or return to the saddle and walk back out the basin.

If things go wrong

The saddle leads back down the tundra benches to the old road.

3D flyover

See the trail on video

Other routes

Every way up La Junta Peak we list, with its class.

• La Junta SSW Ridge this routeClass 2 8.4 mi