Southwest Slopes from the Rico-Silverton Trail

Overview

Twin Sisters West is the lower of two linked summits above the South Fork of Mineral Creek, southwest of Silverton. Most people climb both at once.

From the Rico-Silverton Trail you cut up through trees to talus benches, then climb a shallow couloir to a saddle and walk an easy ridge to the top. Lots of talus and a few well-placed cliffs make it Class 2+, and it pays to plan your line from the meadow. An approach on the Hardrock 100 trail from the east side is a bit easier, closer to Class 2.

The round trip is about 3.8 miles with 2,750 feet of gain. Adding Twin Sisters East is 0.6 mile and 450 feet each way; see that page for a loop that comes down on the east side.

Plan of the day

Getting to the trailhead

From the US 550 junction at the west edge of Silverton, go north on US 550 a little more than 2 miles and turn left (west) on Forest Road 585, the South Mineral Creek road. Coming from Ouray, cross Red Mountain Pass and the turn is on your right before Silverton. The graded dirt road reaches South Mineral Campground and the Ice Lake trailhead lot in about 4.7 miles. Cars can do this part; the last mile is a bit rougher.

Do not turn into the campground. Keep going straight as the road curves left and climbs southwest above it. In just under a mile it gets steep, rocky and slow, and a stock 4WD is the right tool from here; heavy summer traffic keeps wearing it down, so conditions change. Past the trees, the road crosses open, flowery slopes below Fuller Peak.

For the Rico-Silverton trailhead, take the left fork past the Bandora Mine split, through a few mud holes and a shallow ford of the main creek, then through willows to the end of the road in a large meadow at about 10,685 feet, roughly 2.8 miles past the campground.

The campground has about 26 first-come, first-served sites with water and vault toilets. Dispersed camping along Forest Road 585 is allowed only at designated sites, and summer weekends are crowded. The Ice Lake lot is full by dawn on weekends. The meadow at the end of the road has good tent spots.

Next: the route, step by step →

The route

1. 1

   Rico-Silverton trailhead 10,685' · 0 mi

   Before you start, look over the west and southwest sides of Twin Sisters West and note the cliffs and talus to avoid. Ford the South Fork to its east bank and hike south on the trail; the meadows here can be boggy.

   Watch for: Creek crossings can run high early.

2. 2

   South Park 10,800' · 0.65 mi

   Cross a side stream draining the basin between the two summits and reach the open, marshy meadow called South Park. Leave the trail here.

3. 3

   Talus bench 11,700' · 1.1 mi

   Climb southeast up a hillside that gets steeper through the trees, to a bench mostly covered in talus between 11,600 and 11,800 feet.

4. 4

   Small bowl 12,100' · 1.35 mi

   Head more straight uphill to a small bowl where the slope eases, just north of due west from the saddle south of the west summit.

5. 5

   Saddle 12,900' · 1.7 mi

   Climb about 800 feet up a steepening, shallow couloir to the saddle. Late in summer it's wobbly talus; early on it can be full of snow, with lots of kick-stepping.

   Watch for: Loose talus, or steep snow early.

6. 6

   Twin Sisters West 13,382' · 1.9 mi

   From the saddle an easier ridge leads north to the top.

Getting down

Return the same way, or go on to Twin Sisters East and loop down its east side.

If things go wrong

From the saddle, the couloir leads back to the benches and trail.

3D flyover

See the trail on video

Other routes

Every way up Twin Sisters West we list, with its class.

• Twin Sisters SW Ridge this routeClass 2+ 3.8 mi