San Juan Range · Colorado 13er · No. 357 of the 13ers
West Couloir to North Ridge
P 2, 13,288'
Class 3 on steep, loose ground
The upper chute and the north ridge need some Class 3 scrambling on rubble and rock ribs, and the whole climb is very steep. This page is an outline, not a move-by-move guide.
DifficultyClass 3
Round trip19.2 mi
Elevation gain7,475'
TrailheadHunchback Pass
Trailhead elevation11,800'
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.
P 2 (once called UN 13,302) is a rugged peak east of Vallecito Creek, near the Sunlight Creek crossing in the Weminuche Wilderness. It is a backpack trip from the Hunchback Pass trailhead.
From a camp near the Sunlight crossing, about 7.85 miles down the Vallecito Trail, you climb a big avalanche chute straight up the west side, take its left fork, and scramble to the north ridge. It's about 3,600 feet of relentless gain, with Class 3 near the top. You don't need to ford Vallecito Creek for this one.
The round trip is about 19.2 miles with 7,475 feet of gain. From the camp it's about 3.5 miles and 3,675 feet. Climbing UN 13,121 up Sunlight Creek first gives a good look at this route.
Plan of the day
Start by
Leave camp by 6 a.m.
Turnaround
Be at the chute fork by 9:30 a.m.
Crux
Rock ribs below the north ridge.
Route-finding
Moderate. Finding the bottom of the chute in the trees is the tricky part.
Water
Vallecito Creek at camp; little above. Carry plenty.
This week on the summit
Conditions on the summit
LoadingFetching the forecast for 13,288'…
—Summit temp now
—Sustained wind
—Gusting to
—Freezing level
Today
—
Tomorrow
—
Day three
—
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.
This trailhead needs a high-clearance 4WD, and you should allow as much as two and a half hours from Silverton. From the northeast end of Silverton, take County Road 2 up the Animas about 4.2 miles to Howardsville. Turn right up Cunningham Gulch, then take the left fork onto the Stony Pass road. It climbs steeply over the pass and down the far side. You will ford Pole Creek, then turn right at a fork and ford the Rio Grande. Both fords are harder early in the summer. Then follow the Beartown road about 4 slow, rough miles past the old Beartown site and up a rocky, rutted stretch. The Hunchback Pass trailhead is about half a mile below Kite Lake, at roughly 11,800 feet, with limited parking.
You can also reach this area from Creede or Lake City by driving to Rio Grande Reservoir, but the road west of the reservoir has very rough sections. There is some camping near the trailhead and near the old Beartown site.
Conditions on Stony Pass and the Beartown road change from year to year, so check before you go. Trips from here into the Weminuche usually take several days.
RidgeTrail in the treesScramblingExposed 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
Hunchback Pass trailhead 11,800' · 0 mi
Walk south on the Continental Divide Trail through open, willowy ground. It bends southeast, then southwest and west, up to the pass.
2
Hunchback Pass 12,490' · 0.9 mi
From the tundra pass, head south down the willow-filled fork below. The trail keeps to the west side of the drainage until just above the trees.
Watch for: Willows soak you after rain.
3
Trinity Creek camp 10,560' · 4 mi
Stay on the Vallecito Trail where the Continental Divide Trail turns east up Nebo Creek (big campsite nearby). Ford Nebo Creek near a waterfall and switchback down to a meadow on the right.
Watch for: The Nebo Creek ford is swift.
4
Rock Creek 9,970' · 5.75 mi
Keep going down the valley through forest and meadows, then broad switchbacks drop to Rock Creek. The Rock Lake trail turns off on this north side.
5
Sunlight crossing camp 9,722' · 7.85 mi
Wade Rock Creek (long but usually not hard) and descend about two more miles. Right after the trail leaves the trees for a meadow, a small cairn marks faint paths west to campsites on the east bank of Vallecito Creek.
6
Chute bottom 9,800' · 7.95 mi
Cross back east over the Vallecito Trail just south of the camps and go into the trees toward the avalanche chute that falls from the ridge north of the summit. Stay in the forest on its north side on game trails for several hundred feet, then enter where it widens. A low rib with small aspens in the middle is the easiest walking.
Watch for: Lots of downed trees.
7
Chute fork 11,400' · 8.75 mi
Leave the chute on the left to pass a narrow spot with a waterfall, then come back in. Near 11,400 feet the chute splits around an island of trees. Take the left fork; the right one may hold snow.
8
Summit 13,288' · 9.6 mi
A rock rib divides the forks. Tundra ends and steep boulder rubble begins, breaking into small gullies along tilted ledges. Work left to gain ledges and ramps, always trending east and south, with some Class 3 to reach the north ridge. Walk south over rubble and boulders to the top.
Watch for: Class 3; loose rock.
Getting down
Go back down the same way. It's hard on the knees.
Approaching from P 3's saddle to the south is not recommended: a knife edge with steep slabs guards the false south summit.
If things go wrong
Down the chute is the only easy way off.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
Past the Vallecito Trail the route is trailless. 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 P 2 we list, with its class.
P 2 West Couloir to North Ridgethis routeClass 3 19.2 mi