San Juan Range · Colorado 13er · No. 331 of the 13ers
Southwest Ridge from T 7
T 8, 13,315'
Class 3 bypass
Rock towers near the T 7 - T 8 saddle force either Class 3 or harder moves on the crest or a loose bypass on the north side. This page is an outline, not a move-by-move guide.
DifficultyClass 3
Round trip8.5 mi
Elevation gain4,000'
TrailheadIdarado Mine - Red Mountain Pass
Trailhead elevation10,650'
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.
T 8 is the last of three summits on the ridge north of Imogene Pass, after Telluride Peak and T 7. Before newer survey data it was listed two feet higher.
You climb Commodore Gulch to Telluride Peak, walk the ridge to T 7, then follow the ridge north to T 8. Just before the saddle, rock towers block the crest. Staying on top is Class 3 or harder with some exposure. Dropping off the north side and climbing a gully back up is Class 3 at most, and going lower still keeps it Class 2.
Doing all three peaks as a loop (up Telluride Peak, over T 7 and T 8, and down T 8's south side) is about 8.5 miles with 4,000 feet of gain. T 8 is 0.9 mile and 495 feet of gain past T 7. The whole loop took one party about seven hours.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 6 a.m.
Turnaround
Be on T 7 by 11 a.m.
Crux
The rock towers near the T 7 - T 8 saddle.
Route-finding
Moderate. Leave the crest on the northwest side before the towers.
Water
The creeks in Commodore Gulch and the ponds near Ptarmigan Lake. Filter it.
This week on the summit
Conditions on the summit
LoadingFetching the forecast for 13,315'…
—Summit temp now
—Sustained wind
—Gusting to
—Freezing level
Today
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Tomorrow
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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.
From Ouray, drive south on US 550 for about 12 miles. Just before a very sharp switchback, turn right into a big paved parking loop with a view of the old Idarado Mine; most of the mine sits across the highway. Coming from Silverton, go north over Red Mountain Pass and down a little less than 2 miles; the turnoff comes right after that switchback. Any car can get here. There are no toilets.
The historic mine houses just west of the lot are under restoration and fenced off, so stay out of them. You can park on the switchback just above the overlook (room for a few cars) and walk northwest, keeping the gated area on your left. Or park at the overlook and walk up the highway to the curve to start. Where old road FS 895 leaves the highway, it has long been gated and posted closed, so don't start there.
There's no camping at the lot. Primitive sites are up the Corkscrew Gulch road, along the south side of US 550 past that road, around Ironton Park, and near Red Mountain Pass and the lower Black Bear Pass road.
TundraTalus and screeRidgeScramblingExposed 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
Idarado Mine overlook 10,650' · 0 mi
Walk northwest past a few old mine buildings and climb a little to old road FS 895. Take it to the Commodore Gulch creek. Don't cross there; go west up the south bank through trees, then cross the smaller side stream that comes in from the southwest.
2
Small pond 12,480' · 1.8 mi
Climb beside the side stream as it bends northwest, on bits of old trail and game trails, to a small pond. Keep on the old trail northwest toward Ptarmigan Lake.
3
Telluride Peak 13,514' · 2.8 mi
From the low pass on the lake's south side, go west, contour northwest to the south ridge, and walk it up over tundra and scree.
4
Saddle east of Point 13,365 12,860' · 3.6 mi
Head north along the ridge to Point 13,365, just south of the top of Imogene Pass, then walk down to the east to a saddle at about 12,860 feet.
5
T 7 13,360' · 4.1 mi
Climb about 500 feet of easy tundra with a little scree and chip rock. The top is wide and flat, a good spot for a break, with views to Telluride, US 550 and Ironton Park.
6
Rock towers 12,950' · 4.5 mi
Follow the ridge north from T 7. It starts out flat and easy, then gets steeper near the T 7 - T 8 saddle. Within 50 to 100 yards of the saddle, rock pinnacles block the crest.
Watch for: Staying on the crest means Class 3 or harder moves with some exposure.
7
Bypass gully 12,850' · 4.7 mi
To get around, leave the ridge on its northwest side and go carefully down loose rock, losing 100 to 150 feet. Traverse northeast over two or so rock ribs and the gullies between them, then scramble up a gully that comes out on the crest just past the towers. This is Class 3 at most. Dropping lower still keeps it Class 2.
Watch for: Lots of loose rock.
8
T 8 13,315' · 5 mi
The rest is steep and a bit loose but fairly stable. The summit is wide and flat.
Getting down
From T 8, walk southeast along the summit, then turn south down a wide gully. Early in summer you may have to cross a small snowfield with a cornice. Fast scree leads to bigger rocks, then tundra, and an old jeep road above the creek. Follow the road down past the Barstow Mine, then cross the main Commodore Gulch creek and walk back to the lot.
The Barstow Mine area may still be in use. Stay on the road, don't poke around the buildings, and keep moving. The main creek has no bridge, so expect wet feet.
If things go wrong
Before the towers, go back south to T 7 and Telluride Peak. After T 8, the south gully is the fastest way down.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
The route leaves the old road at Commodore Gulch and is trailless along the ridges. 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.