East Flank from the Skyline Trail

Overview

Window Peak is an easy summit on the volcanic ridge just south of The Window, a famous notch south of Rio Grande Pyramid. Newer survey data left it with too little rise above its saddle to count as a ranked peak, but the view of the Needle and Grenadier mountains is superb. It pairs well with UN 13,022.

Most people backpack in on the Weminuche Creek trail (Trail 818), a fairly easy hike of about 5.1 miles and 1,325 feet of gain, and camp just north of Weminuche Pass at about 10,650 feet, near a side stream coming in from the west. Many of the trees there are now dead, but good flat sites remain. This is wild country; bears have been seen near camp, so store food well. From camp, the Skyline Trail or the Continental Divide Trail leads to the area just northeast of The Window. You walk up grassy tundra to The Window, then go south along the east side of the ridge and up to the top. It's Class 1.

From the trailhead, the trip with UN 13,022 is about 21 miles with about 4,125 feet of gain. From the camp, it's about 10.8 miles and 2,800 feet, and Window Peak alone is about 5.4 miles one way.

Plan of the day

Getting to the trailhead

From Highway 149, turn west onto Forest Road 520. The turn is about 20.5 miles west of Creede, or about 32 miles south of Lake City over Slumgullion and Spring Creek passes. The road starts paved, then becomes graded dirt. Stay on the main road toward Rio Grande Reservoir; most junctions are signed. Thirtymile Campground is about 10.8 miles from the highway.

The road is fine for passenger cars. Drive south across the river on a bridge into the campground. Hiker parking is on the north side of the campground road. Walk south across the campground loop to the trailhead for the Weminuche Creek trail, which shares a start with the Squaw Creek trail. Thirtymile and nearby River Hill are fee campgrounds that can be reserved.

Next: the route, step by step →

The route

1. 1

   Weminuche Pass camp 10,650' · 0 mi

   Find the old post marking the Skyline Trail near camp and follow it west up a broad ridge in open forest. (The longer Continental Divide Trail, 1.1 miles south of the pass and then west, also works and may be easier to follow.)

   Watch for: This trail is getting overgrown.

2. 2

   Treeline 11,900' · 1.5 mi

   Leave the trees. The trail stays below the crest on the south side, contouring west through tall willows with small ups and downs.

   Watch for: Wet willows will soak you.

3. 3

   Rio Grande Pyramid spur 12,200' · 3.5 mi

   The trail turns south along the east side of Rio Grande Pyramid. At about 12,200 feet, take a spur trail right toward the saddle on the peak's northeast ridge.

4. 4

   Below The Window 12,300' · 4.3 mi

   Stay on the Skyline Trail south, past the Rio Grande Pyramid spur, until you are almost due east of The Window.

5. 5

   The Window 12,850' · 4.9 mi

   Walk up steeper grass and tundra, full of flowers in season, maybe on a faint path, to the notch.

6. 6

   Window Peak 13,158' · 5.4 mi

   Traverse south along the east flank of the rock wall until an easy slope leads up to the ridge, then turn back north to the high point. The rock is a colorful, lichen-covered conglomerate.

Getting down

Return the same way, or add UN 13,022.

If things go wrong

The Skyline Trail is just below to the east.

3D flyover

See the trail on video

Other routes

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

• UN13,158 East Flank this routeClass 1 21 mi