South Ridge over Mount Rhoda

Overview

Mountaineer Peak (once listed as UN 13,434) is a mostly grassy 13er west of Highland Mary Lakes, near Silverton. The easy way goes over Mount Rhoda, just to the south.

You hike the Highland Mary Lakes trail to just below the first lake, climb west up a grassy ridge and a flowery basin to Mount Rhoda, then walk north along the ridge. There is a bit of scree and rock mixed into the tundra. It is Class 2 and family-friendly, with views of Arrow and Vestal Peaks to the south.

The round trip is about 7.5 miles with 3,300 feet of gain. Whitehead Peak and UN 13,117 lie south of the saddle below Rhoda, and Mountaineer Peak is a half-hour walk north, so you can bag several summits in one day.

Plan of the day

Getting to the trailhead

From Silverton, go to the east edge of town and bear right at the fork just past the courthouse onto County Road 2. The pavement ends after about 2 miles and the road becomes good gravel. At the old Howardsville site, 4.2 miles from town, turn right on Forest Road 589 toward Cunningham Gulch and Stony Pass. Keep right at 4.4 miles, and keep right again at 5.9 miles; don't take the Stony Pass road.

Drive on up Cunningham Creek. The good road ends at about 7.8 miles, but cars with fair clearance can keep going: take the right fork, cross the creek, and climb one switchback. At 8.6 miles a spur turns left and drops steeply to a low-water crossing of Cunningham Creek, which can be hard during spring runoff. Park on the flat old mine tailings before the crossing (about 10,460 feet), or cross and drive 0.2 mile to a small upper lot. A gate a bit farther up stops all vehicles.

You can car camp at the parking areas, and there are a few pullouts along Cunningham Creek past the Stony Pass turnoff; watch for private property. The closest Forest Service campgrounds are on South Mineral Creek and at Little Molas Lake. For a night out, there is a good camp in the last trees below Highland Mary Lakes, about 1.5 miles up the trail near 11,650 feet, with room for several tents and water close by.

Next: the route, step by step →

The route

1. 1

   Lower parking 10,460' · 0 mi

   Walk the road across Cunningham Creek and uphill to the south. (A 4WD vehicle can drive this part.)

2. 2

   Upper trailhead 10,800' · 0.6 mi

   The road crosses back over the creek at a gate. Past it, the old vehicle track slowly turns into a trail. Soon the creek roars through a narrow rock gorge.

3. 3

   Last trees 11,650' · 1.5 mi

   On a sloping ridge between the creek's two main forks, the trail turns west and crosses the stream. There are tent spots in the trees here.

4. 4

   Leave the trail 12,000' · 2.3 mi

   The trail bends south along the outlet stream of the lowest lakes. Short of the first lake by a few hundred yards, turn west up a steeper slope onto a broad grassy ridge east of Mount Rhoda.

5. 5

   South basin 12,600' · 2.9 mi

   Walk west along the ridge, then contour into the basin on its south side and wander up the lush basin, full of flowers in midsummer, to its head.

6. 6

   Mount Rhoda 13,418' · 3.3 mi

   Go straight up the southeast slope, or first walk to the saddle south of the top. A small band of cliff caps the summit; walk around it on the west side if you like.

7. 7

   Summit 13,441' · 3.75 mi

   Walk north along the connecting ridge on tundra with some scree and rock. It takes less than half an hour.

Getting down

Return over Rhoda, or make a loop: follow the ridge south to the saddle, drop east into Spencer Basin, cross it east-northeast to the saddle southwest of Sugarloaf, and go down scree and tundra to rejoin the lakes trail about a half mile below.

If things go wrong

Drop east or south back toward the lakes trail.

3D flyover

See the trail on video

Other routes

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

• Mountaineer Pk-Highland Mary Lakes Approach this routeClass 2 7.5 mi