Milwaukee Peak's summit is guarded by a short Class 4 wall and a narrow, exposed ledge. A fall there would be serious. This page is an outline, not a move-by-move guide.
DifficultyClass 4
Round trip10.3 mi
Elevation gain3,165'
TrailheadMusic Pass
Trailhead elevation10,680'
Conditions on the summit
LoadingFetching the forecast for 13,526'…
—Summit temp now
—Sustained wind
—Gusting to
—Freezing level
Today
—
Tomorrow
—
Day three
—
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
Overview
Milwaukee Peak stands at the head of upper Sand Creek, west of Music Pass. It lost its ranked status with new mapping, but most climbers still go over it on the way to Pico Aislado.
The walk to the Marble-Milwaukee saddle is easy tundra. The last stretch is not: a notch, a short Class 4 wall, and a narrow, exposed ledge on the east face. Early in summer snow can linger, so an ice axe is wise.
The round trip from the upper Music Pass trailhead is about 10.3 miles with 3,165 feet of gain. Most people backpack over Music Pass and camp in upper Sand Creek, then climb the next day.
Plan of the day
Start by
Leave camp by 6 a.m.
Turnaround
Be at the notch by 10 a.m.
Crux
The Class 4 wall and exposed ledge just below the summit.
Route-finding
Moderate. The old trail to 'Milwaukee Pass' on the map is mostly gone; aim for the Marble-Milwaukee saddle.
Head south out of Westcliffe on Colorado 69 and take Colfax Lane right after 4.5 miles. Where it ends, 5.5 miles along, go left on Music Pass Road (County Road 119). About 5.2 miles of good dirt brings you to the Grape Creek trailhead, the end of 2WD.
A 4WD can ford Grape Creek and climb almost 3 more miles of narrow, rocky road to the upper Music Pass trailhead, about 10,680 feet.
RidgeTrail in the treesTalus 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
Music Pass trailhead 10,680' · 0 mi
From the north end of the upper lot, take the trail to Music Pass.
2
Music Pass 11,400' · 1.25 mi
Enjoy the view over Sand Creek to Tijeras Peak and Music Mountain.
3
Sand Creek flats 10,950' · 2 mi
Descend about 450 feet northwest to the flats.
4
Meadow camps 11,060' · 2.6 mi
At the top of the long meadow, just before the trail enters the trees, there are good campsites. Most people base here or at Lower Sand Creek Lake.
5
Upper Sand Creek 11,700' · 3.4 mi
From the meadow camps, head north through the trees, then follow the forest edge in a wide arc to the northwest, climbing on mostly tundra. A trail now runs up the headwaters of Sand Creek.
6
Marble-Milwaukee saddle 12,900' · 4.3 mi
Cross some talus and rubble, climb more steeply into the head of the creek, and walk tundra up to the saddle.
7
False summit 13,350' · 4.7 mi
Head south-southwest up the steepening ridge on tundra and rock to the false summit north of Milwaukee.
8
Notch 13,300' · 4.95 mi
Keep to the ridge to a small saddle, then downclimb into a notch.
9
Summit 13,526' · 5.15 mi
Climb a short Class 4 wall out of the notch, then traverse south on a narrow, exposed ledge across the east face. This is the crux. A steep path zigzags up about 20 feet onto tundra ledges; another 30 feet of scrambling brings you back to the ridge and the top.
Watch for: Class 4 with real exposure on the ledge.
Getting down
Return the same way, carefully reversing the ledge and wall. From the Marble-Milwaukee saddle you can walk the ridge east over Marble Mountain and drop back to camp.
If things go wrong
The Marble-Milwaukee saddle is the last easy place to turn back.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
Above Sand Creek the route is mostly trailless ridge scrambling. 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 Milwaukee Peak we list, with its class.
Milwaukee Peak North Ridgethis routeClass 4 10.3 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.