Southeast Ridge from the Rolling Saddle

Overview

V 9 sits on the ridge between Rolling Mountain and V 10, above the head of Cascade Creek, west of the South Fork of Mineral Creek. With 4WD it's a fairly short day.

You walk an old mining road to a flowery basin, climb steep, loose slopes to a cliff band, slip through it on a hidden ramp, and stroll the rocky ridge from the saddle to the top. It is Class 2+ because of the ramp. A second, slightly lower summit to the west (about 13,230 feet) is a quick side trip.

The round trip is about 6.5 miles with roughly 2,600 feet of gain from the Bandora Mine split. Starting at the campground adds at least 5 miles. Mileage and gain are our estimates.

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.

The road splits below the Bandora Mine at about 10,700 feet. The right fork is closed to vehicles, but there's space to park two or so cars at its start. If it's full, drop a little way down the left fork to find a spot.

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.

Next: the route, step by step →

The route

1. 1

   Bandora Mine split 10,700' · 0 mi

   Walk up the closed right fork, an old road heading southwest toward the pass above Hope Lake. About 0.75 mile up, look hard for a switchback. If you miss it you'll end up side-hilling through forest, willows and corn lilies.

   Watch for: Easy to miss the switchback.

2. 2

   Old cabin 12,000' · 2 mi

   The fading road climbs out of the trees into a big, flowery basin with an old miner's cabin. From the cabin, head southwest across the meadow toward the ridge joining V 9 and Rolling Mountain.

3. 3

   Base of the cliff band 12,600' · 2.5 mi

   The grass thins and the slope turns to rock, then to steep, loose sand where you slide back with each step. A cliff about 100 feet tall blocks the saddle. Well before you reach it, look to the right for a faint ramp that angles up along the base of the cliffs, just right of a big couloir that splits the cliff.

   Watch for: Loose sand and gravel.

4. 4

   V 9 - Rolling saddle 12,863' · 2.8 mi

   Climb the sloping, sandy ramp. One spot means stepping carefully across a tilted slab with few holds for a few feet. Above it, loose rock leads onto the saddle, which looks down into the vast upper Cascade Creek basin. Mark the top of the ramp well so you can find it on the way down.

   Watch for: One delicate step on the ramp.

5. 5

   Summit 13,244' · 3.25 mi

   Follow the rocky but easy ridge northwest to the top, less than 20 minutes from the saddle. Views take in Hope Lake, V 10 and Grizzly Peak.

Getting down

Go back the way you came, taking care to find the ramp. The ridge southeast to Rolling Mountain is a Class 3 option.

If things go wrong

The saddle is the only easy exit; once back down the ramp, the basin is easy walking.

3D flyover

See the trail on video

Other routes

Every way up V 9 we list, with its class.

• V.9 SE Ridge this routeClass 2+ 6.5 mi