Sangre de Cristo Range · Colorado 13er · No. 151 of the 13ers
North Ridge from Horn Peak
Fluted Peak, 13,576'
DifficultyClass 2
Round trip12 mi
Elevation gain5,500'
TrailheadHorn Creek
Trailhead elevation9,100'
Conditions on the summit
LoadingFetching the forecast for 13,576'…
—Summit temp now
—Sustained wind
—Gusting to
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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.
Colorado 13er · North Ridge from Horn Peak
Overview
Fluted Peak lies west of Horn Peak on the main crest, looking down on North Crestone Lake and across to Mount Adams and the Crestones. It is usually climbed with Horn Peak, and often Little Horn Peak, as a long loop around the Dry Lakes.
From Horn Peak, rough rock takes you down to a saddle, then easy tundra up to Point 13,320 on the crest and south to Fluted's rocky summit. It is Class 2.
Going out and back over Horn and down by the Dry Lakes, it is about 12 miles with 5,500 feet of gain. Mileage and gain are our estimates. The full loop with Little Horn is a little longer.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 5:30 a.m.
Turnaround
Be on Horn Peak by 10:30 a.m.
Crux
Short cliffs on the ridge down from Horn Peak.
Route-finding
Easy. At the second junction on the Rainbow Trail, turn left onto the Horn Peak trail.
Go south from Westcliffe on Colorado 69 about 3.4 miles to Schoolfield Road and head west. In 1.7 miles go south on County Road 129; in about 2 more, go west on Horn Creek Road (County Road 130). Sky Ranch comes up 2.4 miles along; turn right there, and the big Horn Creek lot (9,100 feet) is half a mile ahead.
Trail in the treesRidgeTundraScramblingTalus and screeExposed 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
Horn Creek trailhead 9,100' · 0 mi
Take the trail by the restrooms up to the Rainbow Trail (or a shorter 4-wheeler path from just down the road).
2
Dry Lakes junction 9,500' · 1.3 mi
Turn right on the Rainbow Trail and pass the Dry Lakes trail.
3
Horn Peak trail 9,600' · 2 mi
About 0.7 mile farther, turn left onto the rocky Horn Peak trail.
4
Small creek 10,400' · 3 mi
Climb to a ridge at 10,000 feet, then another 400 feet to a small creek.
5
Northeast ridge 10,700' · 3.4 mi
Cross the creek, go a little way along it, turn sharply right and climb to the ridge crest.
6
Treeline 11,600' · 4 mi
Hike a long way southwest to treeline.
7
Point 12,665 12,665' · 4.4 mi
Continue on or near the crest.
8
Slabs 13,000' · 4.7 mi
Near 12,900 feet, stay just left of the crest and zigzag up through rock slabs.
9
Summit 13,454' · 5 mi
Climb the last 450 feet of steep, rocky ground to the top.
10
Saddle 12,850' · 5.6 mi
Head west along the ridge, dropping about 600 feet over rocks and rubble. Near the saddle, short cliffs may push you onto the south side.
11
Point 13,320 13,320' · 6.15 mi
Walk up easy tundra, about 500 feet.
12
Summit 13,576' · 6.9 mi
Turn south and walk 3/4 mile, tundra turning to rubble and boulders at the top.
Getting down
Continue to Little Horn Peak, or walk back north along the crest and find a way east down to the Dry Lakes and the Dry Lakes Trail, which leads back to the Rainbow Trail.
If things go wrong
Drop east from the crest north of Fluted toward the Dry Lakes.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
Past Horn Peak the route follows a trailless ridge. 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 Fluted Peak we list, with its class.
Horn Peak to Fluted - North Ridgethis routeClass 2 12.2 mi
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.