San Juan Range · Colorado 13er · No. 523 of the 13ers
South Ridge from Garfield Lake
Mount Garfield, 13,087'
Class 3 ridge
The last stretch of the south ridge is a long Class 3 scramble over rock, boulders and outcrops, past a false summit. Wet or snowy slabs on the way to Garfield Lake are tricky. This page is an outline, not a move-by-move guide.
DifficultyClass 3
Round trip21 mi
Elevation gain6,550'
TrailheadMolas Pass - Elk Park
Trailhead elevation9,950'
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.
Mount Garfield is the western Grenadier summit, rising some 4,000 feet above the Animas River and the train tracks. It's a long, rugged trip, usually done as part of a backpack from Molas Pass or the Elk Park train stop.
You follow the Electric Peak route to the saddle between Electric and Graystone, then contour about a mile west over rubble and north-sloping slabs to Garfield Lake. From the lake, a green ramp and a gully lead to the south ridge, and a long Class 3 scramble follows the ridge north to the small, rocky summit.
From the beaver ponds it's about 8 miles round trip and 3,750 feet. The beaver ponds camp on Elk Creek is about 6.5 miles from the Molas trailhead: the Colorado Trail drops about 1,700 feet on 30-plus switchbacks to a footbridge over the Animas, then the Elk Creek trail climbs gently east to the ponds just below 10,000 feet. Remember that 1,700-foot climb on the way out. From the Molas trailhead the whole trip is about 21 miles and 6,550 feet. It pairs well with Electric and Graystone. Mileage and gain are our estimates.
Plan of the day
Start by
Camp at the beaver ponds or higher; leave by 5:30 a.m.
Turnaround
Be at Garfield Lake by 10:30 a.m.
Crux
The Class 3 scramble along the south ridge.
Route-finding
Hard. On the traverse, don't drop toward the lake you see first; it's not Garfield Lake.
Water
Elk Creek, the beaver ponds and Vestal Creek. Little or none up high. Filter it.
This week on the summit
Conditions on the summit
LoadingFetching the forecast for 13,087'…
—Summit temp now
—Sustained wind
—Gusting to
—Freezing level
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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.
From Silverton, drive south on US 550 toward Molas Pass. About 5.3 miles from the Silverton turnoff, and a little past the Molas Lake road, turn left into the Molas trailhead lot. From Durango, cross Coal Bank and Molas passes; the lot is about 1.1 miles past the top of Molas Pass on the right. The dirt lot is fine for any car but can be muddy and have potholes.
You can also ride the Durango and Silverton train to the Elk Park stop and skip the descent from Molas Pass; check the railroad's current schedule and stops. Camping is available near Molas Lake and Little Molas Lake. Protect your food and gear in Vestal Creek: the marmots there are known to chew through tents, packs and anything salty.
Trail in the treesTalus and screeScramblingExposed 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
Beaver ponds camp 9,950' · 0 mi
Follow the path along the east edge of the main pond, below a boulder field, and through willows past the campsites. Drop down a steep bank and cross Elk Creek, often on logs. Follow a bench west to the foot of the Vestal Creek trail. The Vestal trail then climbs steeply south, with branches and fallen logs; at the second avalanche chute, keep to the main trail on the chute's east side.
Watch for: Log crossings change from year to year.
2
Vestal Creek crossing 11,100' · 1.7 mi
The trail drops close to the creek in an open meadow with a big rotting log beside it. Looking south-southwest you see up the valley between Electric and Arrow. Cross the creek here.
3
Arrow-Electric valley 11,800' · 2.1 mi
Wade through hip-high plants and hidden rocks toward the talus cone at the valley's mouth. Either climb the boulder slope up the middle, or go left up a flowery open slope to a cliff band, then left along a green ramp and over it with one short Class 3 move.
Watch for: Snow may linger in the narrow middle.
4
Electric-Graystone saddle 12,700' · 2.5 mi
Walk south-southwest up the valley over tiresome talus and boulders (snow early in the season can make this faster). Near the head, move to the west side for easier scree and tundra to the saddle.
5
Slabs below Graystone 12,550' · 3 mi
Head west, dropping 150 to 200 feet over rubble, and cross Graystone's northwest ridge. Then cross big rock slabs that tilt north, following a grassy ramp. Climb a bit higher if a drop blocks the way.
Watch for: Slabs are slick when wet or snowy.
6
Garfield Lake 12,100' · 3.5 mi
Round one more small ridge and walk down slabby outcrops with grass between them to the lake. It's no harder than Class 2+.
7
Garfield's south ridge 12,600' · 3.75 mi
Cross the outlet at the north end and walk over big talus to a large flat-sided boulder below cliffs. A green ramp leads toward the saddle on the south ridge; a gully on the right shortcuts straight to the ridge.
8
Mount Garfield 13,087' · 4 mi
Follow the ridge north over rock, boulders and outcrops, mostly Class 3, and get around one false summit. At one point you can drop to the east side and come back up a steep, sandy gully. The top is small and rocky.
Watch for: Class 3.
Getting down
Go back the same way. The traverse on to Point Pun from the Garfield-Pun saddle is not described here.
If things go wrong
Return to Garfield Lake and back east to the saddle.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
The route leaves the Vestal Creek trail at about 11,100 feet and is off-trail above. 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 Mount Garfield we list, with its class.