Is it right for you?
UN 13,094 (once listed as UN 13,093) sits east of Dolly Varden Mountain, above the upper end of Henson Creek near Engineer Pass. It's a short, steep climb that pairs well with Sunshine Mountain.
You climb grass and open trees beside a ravine, then talus to the dome of Dolly Varden, cross a saddle, and go up about 500 feet of steep broken rock. It is Class 2 with no real exposure.
The round trip is about 4 miles with 2,000 feet of gain. Sunshine Mountain is about 2 more miles east.
Plan of the day
By 7:30 a.m.
Be on Dolly Varden by 10:30 a.m.
The talus below Dolly Varden and the final 500 feet of broken rock.
Easy. Stay on the east side of the ravine, then follow the ridge.
Henson Creek near the start. Filter it.
This week on the summit
Conditions on the summit
Loading Fetching the forecast for 13,094'…—
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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.
Getting there
Henson Creek West
From Gunnison or Montrose, take US 50 to the Highway 149 junction at the east end of Blue Mesa Reservoir and follow 149 south about 45 miles to Lake City. In town, go west on 2nd Street (3rd Street also works and passes a park with restrooms), then turn left on Bluff Street onto County Road 20, the Henson Creek road and part of the Alpine Loop.
County Road 20 is good gravel that cars can drive for 9.1 miles to Capitol City. You pass the Nellie Creek road at about 5.2 miles. At Capitol City, keep left on the Alpine Loop toward Engineer Pass. Past the old Rose Cabin site there's a vault toilet on the left, roughly 1,500 feet short of the cabin site. Drive about 1.7 more miles west and park in a pullout on the right (north) at about 11,410 feet. It's just short of a log cabin on a bluff with a footbridge over the creek; if you reach that cabin, you've overshot a little. A high-clearance vehicle is fine from Lake City.
From Silverton, the other way in is County Road 2 (the Alpine Loop) up the Animas River: about 4.2 miles to Howardsville, 4.3 more to the old Eureka site, then a steeper, narrower shelf road. Follow the signs to Engineer Pass. This side needs 4WD, and conditions change from year to year. Drop east from the pass, past the first trees and a couple of bends, to the log cabin; the pullout is just past it. There are no Forest Service campgrounds on this road, but there are plenty of primitive spots along it. Capitol City has some, mixed in with private cabins, so be careful where you set up. A side road (County Road 20X) near the creek just past Rose Cabin has more sites, but watch for private mining claims. The only toilet is the vault toilet near Rose Cabin. Weekends get busy.
Base towns and camping for this climb
Coming from out of state? See Lodging & Camping for how free camping works, what is closed this year and where to stay.
Before you go
Check these the week of your climb.
Official forecast
The National Weather Service forecast for the summit area, hour by hour. Look for thunderstorm chances and wind above treeline.
NWS point forecast →Directions to the trailhead
Henson Creek West. Road conditions near the trailhead change after storms. Check your clearance and have a backup plan for a lower lot.
Get directions →Roads and highways
Closures, construction and winter conditions on the highways that get you there.
COtrip road conditions →Closures and fire rules
Trail closures, fire bans and other alerts from the Forest Service in Colorado. For the latest on your trailhead, call the local ranger district.
Forest Service alerts →Snow on the route?
From fall through early summer, any snow slope can slide. Check the avalanche forecast before you go.
Avalanche forecast →Cell signal
Most trailheads and many summits have little or no signal. Check coverage near the trailhead and carry a satellite messenger or beacon if you can.
FCC coverage map →