San Juan Range · Colorado 13er · No. 513 of the 13ers
North Ridge from Sheep Mountain
UN 13,102, 13,102'
DifficultyClass 2
Round trip12.5 mi
Elevation gain3,979'
TrailheadEast Cimarron
Trailhead elevation9,715'
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.
UN 13,102 is the next summit south of Sheep Mountain above the Little Cimarron River. It is an easy Class 2 tundra walk once you are on Sheep, and the two make a good day hike.
Climb Sheep Mountain by its east face, then walk south down grassy slopes to a 12,576-foot saddle and up tundra to the top. The cliffs and gullies on the west side are a big part of the show. Elk often graze in the basins to the east.
The round trip for both peaks is about 12.5 miles with 3,979 feet of gain. From Sheep Mountain it is about 1 mile and 524 feet one way, roughly an hour with photo stops.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 6 a.m.
Turnaround
Be on Sheep Mountain by 11 a.m.
Crux
Only the distance.
Route-finding
Easy. On the way down, aim for the ridge east of Sheep's summit to find the chute.
Water
The Little Cimarron and creeks in the avalanche chute. Filter it.
This week on the summit
Conditions on the summit
LoadingFetching the forecast for 13,102'…
—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.
About 21 miles east of Montrose on US 50 (roughly 64 miles west of Gunnison), turn south at the signed County Road 864. It is the only road that reaches this trailhead.
Follow the good graded gravel road south about 17 miles. Once it enters the Uncompahgre National Forest it is Forest Road 864. The trailhead is a very small parking spot on a sharp switchback, with a post sign for the East Cimarron Trail. Most cars can make it.
There are primitive camp areas just inside the forest boundary and farther south, and another about half a mile before the trailhead, where the Alpine Trail (225) crosses the river on a bridge. None of them have facilities. The 2026 Gold Mountain Fire closed some campgrounds and trailheads on the Cimarron side. Check current Forest Service closures before you go.
Trail in the treesScramblingTundraRidgeExposed 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
East Cimarron trailhead 9,715' · 0 mi
Walk south on an old roadbed. It is easy and gentle.
2
Little Cimarron ford 10,000' · 1.5 mi
Wade the river to the west side; there is likely no bridge or log.
Watch for: Can run high early in summer.
3
East of Sheep Mountain 10,300' · 3 mi
Keep south as the road narrows to a trail, mostly in forest, until you are east of the peak's flat north ridge.
4
Fifth avalanche chute 10,600' · 3.6 mi
Five avalanche chutes come down the east face. Count them and turn west up the fifth, which has an island of surviving trees and two small streams.
5
Upper chute 11,800' · 4.6 mi
Climb the steepening chute through low conifers and avalanche debris, then lush grass and tundra. This is most of the day's gain, about 2,400 feet.
6
Summit plateau 13,100' · 5.4 mi
Near the top, swing a little south to skirt cliffs below the summit, and come onto the plateau just south of the high point.
7
Sheep Mountain 13,170' · 5.5 mi
Walk north to the top. The west side drops into a maze of cliffs and spires above the East Fork of the Cimarron.
8
Saddle 12,576' · 6 mi
Walk south off Sheep on grassy slopes to the saddle.
9
Summit 13,102' · 6.5 mi
Stroll up easy tundra to the top.
Getting down
Head east toward the 12,615-foot knoll, drop northeast into a basin, then make a falling traverse below and east of the 12,576-foot saddle. Cross the ridge east of Sheep's summit near treeline and drop into the chute you came up. Then it is a long walk out, with the river ford about 1.5 miles from the car.
If things go wrong
From the saddle, the slopes to the east lead back toward the chute.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
After about 3.6 miles the route leaves the trail for an avalanche chute and tundra 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.