Sangre de Cristo Range · Colorado 13er · No. 422 of the 13ers
South-Southwest Ridge from Thirsty Peak
Eagle Peak, 13,215'
DifficultyClass 2
Round trip10.4 mi
Elevation gain3,745'
TrailheadSilver Lake - Cloverdale Basin
Trailhead elevation11,300'
Conditions on the summit
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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 · South-Southwest Ridge from Thirsty Peak
Overview
Eagle Peak's cliffs tower over the upper Cloverdale Basin. It is usually the last summit on a ridge loop over UN 13,128, Thirsty Peak and Lakes Peak.
The ridge from Thirsty Peak down to the Thirsty-Eagle saddle and up to Point 12,907 is rocky, broken and slow, with some route-finding; there is no good way around it. Past the point it is a long, pleasant tundra walk. It is Class 2, maybe 2+ for a short stretch.
The full loop is about 10.4 miles with 3,745 feet of gain. If you can't drive past Rainbow Lake, you'll walk the road, which adds several miles each way. If you park near Rainbow Lake, a climbers' trail goes up Eagle's north-northeast ridge.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 7 a.m.
Turnaround
Be on Thirsty Peak by 11 a.m.
Crux
Rough, broken ridge between Thirsty and Point 12,907.
Route-finding
Moderate. Cross the stream and beaver dam near the trailhead, then stay on the ridges.
About 11 miles north of Westcliffe on Colorado 69, just before the settlement of Hillside, the highway makes a big curve. Turn west there on County Road 198 (Lake Creek Road); the turn is easy to miss. Three miles of good dirt bring you to Lake Creek Campground (fee) and a Lutheran camp.
Past the camps you need a high-clearance 4WD. The road climbs past Balman Reservoir and Rainbow Lake, then gets narrower and much rougher: loose cobbles the whole way, a crossing of a boulder field, and a tight switchback near some old cabins. It has been getting worse, and a 2024 report warned of likely damage to stock 4WDs. Allow close to two hours from the campground. There are camp spots along the road, at Rainbow Lake, near the cabins at 11,260 feet, and at the road's end by old beaver ponds.
ScramblingTundraRidgeTalus 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
Road's end 11,300' · 0 mi
Hop across the stream to the south, follow a faint path up the bank and walk south along the edge of the forest, above the willows.
2
Beaver dam 11,350' · 0.3 mi
Where the meadow narrows, cross on a beaver dam and a faint path through the marsh to the forested foot of the valley between UN 13,128 and Eagle Peak.
3
Upper valley 11,600' · 0.5 mi
Climb about 200 feet through the trees into a wide valley of grass, low willows and flowers.
4
Creek crossing 12,000' · 0.75 mi
Wander up the valley to about 12,000 feet and cross the small stream on its west side.
5
UN 13,128 13,128' · 1.1 mi
Climb a shallow valley that comes down northeast from the summit. It is grassy and moderately steep, with rock only near the top.
6
Saddle 12,700' · 1.35 mi
Walk southeast down mostly rocky ground to the saddle, about 15 minutes. The Garner Creek Trail crosses here.
7
Thirsty Peak 13,200' · 1.8 mi
Climb about 500 feet of rubble, southeast then east, to this unranked summit.
8
Lakes Peak 13,384' · 2.8 mi
Drop south-southeast to a saddle, then follow a longer, flatter ridge south-southeast and southeast. It is easy tundra and embedded rock; a grassy strip just east of the crest helps. The top is rockier.
9
Below Thirsty Peak 13,000' · 3.6 mi
Walk back north-northwest. Near Thirsty, contour across its east face about 200 feet below the top to reach the ridge to Eagle.
10
Thirsty-Eagle saddle 12,600' · 4.1 mi
Work down the rocky, broken ridge, often a little below the crest on the north side.
Watch for: Slow, loose rock.
11
Point 12,907 12,907' · 4.5 mi
Climb back up. Contouring north of the point doesn't save much.
12
Summit 13,215' · 5.55 mi
Walk the long tundra ridge, with big flat rocks near the top.
Getting down
Walk the ridge back toward Thirsty Peak, working through the rubble below Point 12,907. Walk back to the low point of the Thirsty-Eagle saddle. Drop north down a shallow gully, then along a band of light-colored rock between two gullies to a loose scree slope. About 600 feet down you reach tundra and flowers in the basin. Follow your morning route back to the road.
If things go wrong
The Thirsty-Eagle saddle has the descent line into the basin.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
The route is trailless. 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.
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.