San Juan Range · Colorado 13er · No. 218 of the 13ers
West Ridge over Whitehouse Mountain
Mount Ridgway, 13,481'
DifficultyClass 2
Round trip11.3 mi
Elevation gain4,835'
TrailheadUpper Miller Mesa
Trailhead elevation9,430'
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 · West Ridge over Whitehouse Mountain
Overview
Mount Ridgway is the rugged peak just west of Whitehouse Mountain at the east end of the Sneffels Range. Its summit looks straight at the wild north sides of Teakettle, Potosi and Mount Sneffels.
The route shares the Whitehouse approach: trails to the Ridgway Hut, a bushwhack to Beaver Creek, and a loose gully to the Whitehouse-Ridgway saddle. Most people climb Whitehouse first, come back to the saddle, then go west on the ridge, around the south side of a 13,150-foot sub-peak, and up a rocky ridge with one ramp through a small cliff band. It is Class 2.
From the upper trailhead the round trip with Whitehouse is about 11.3 miles with 4,835 feet of gain. Skipping Whitehouse saves its summit plateau walk.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 6 a.m.
Turnaround
Be back at the saddle from Whitehouse by noon.
Crux
The bushwhack, then loose rock on the ridge.
Route-finding
Hard. Mark your way through the deadfall near the avalanche chutes.
In Ridgway, head west on CO 62 and turn left on the last street you can, South Amelia Street. Go about three blocks south and turn right on County Road 5. Follow this graded dirt road about 5.3 miles up onto Miller Mesa to Elk Meadows, where a large parking area sits at a junction. Passenger cars should stop here.
Higher-clearance vehicles can go on south-southeast on Forest Road 852. It loops around a low hill, past a view down into Beaver Creek, along an old ditch, and down to cross a fork of Coal Creek. At a gate, 3.7 miles from the lower lot, it enters National Forest. About 0.4 mile farther, the road turns sharply east. This bend, at about 9,430 feet, is the upper trailhead, with good camping nearby. Starting from the lower lot adds about 4 miles each way and about 700 feet of gain.
There are a few primitive sites along FR 852 below the gate, but they may be on private land. The upper trailhead should be on National Forest land.
Trail in the treesTalus and screeRidgeTundraExposed 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
Upper trailhead 9,430' · 0 mi
At the sharp east bend, take the Dallas Trail (200) west up a bank. The sign may be down and hard to see. Contour around a wooded ridge, cross the west fork of Coal Creek, and round a broader ridge onto an old road for a short way.
2
Beaver Creek 9,600' · 1.4 mi
Cross Beaver Creek and a small side stream. In less than half a mile, the trail turns south up an old road with many switchbacks (shown as Trail 202 on some maps).
3
Ridgway Hut 10,200' · 2.3 mi
From the hut, head southeast through open forest into thick deadfall. Elk trails wind through the logs; use them to reach the ridge west of Beaver Creek, then follow that ridge south-southeast.
Watch for: Mark your way through the deadfall for the trip out.
4
Avalanche chutes 10,900' · 3 mi
Lose a bit of height and cross a pair of open avalanche paths just under 11,000 feet. Any path disappears in thick brush, logs and hidden boulders.
5
Beaver Creek forks 11,000' · 3.3 mi
Keep contouring south-southeast to where two small streams join Beaver Creek. Climb the steep, mostly grassy ridge between two streams, crossed by elk trails, until it ends.
6
Whitehouse-Ridgway saddle 12,900' · 4.3 mi
Enter the main gully to the saddle. The last 1,000 feet are loose rock and sandy gravel, helped by a game trail used by elk and bighorn.
Watch for: Very loose near the top.
7
Whitehouse Mountain 13,500' · 5.25 mi
From the saddle, go east (left) up a loose, rocky couloir that breaks the cliffs. After about 200 feet it fades; keep climbing small loose rock onto the broad, flat summit area, then walk about 3/4 mile east to the true summit.
8
Back at the saddle 12,900' · 6 mi
Walk back east and southeast across the plateau and down the couloir to the saddle. Go west along the ridge, angling up past the first cliff.
9
Sub-peak 13,150' · 6.45 mi
Then turn left and traverse below the 13,150-foot sub-peak on its south side to the saddle on its west side.
10
Summit 13,481' · 6.9 mi
Follow the rocky ridge to the summit, using a ramp to get through one small cliff band.
Getting down
Return to the saddle and go back down the gully and Beaver Creek the way you came.
If things go wrong
The Whitehouse-Ridgway saddle is the way down.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
Past the Ridgway Hut the route is a bushwhack through deadfall and brush, then loose gullies and a rocky ridge. 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.
Other routes
Every way up Mount Ridgway we list, with its class.
Mount Ridgway from Ridgway Hutthis routeClass 2 11.3 mi
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.