Sawatch Range · Colorado 13er · No. 60 of the 13ers
South Slopes from Willis Gulch
Rinker Peak, 13,789'
DifficultyClass 2
Round trip11.5 mi
Elevation gain4,550'
TrailheadWillis Gulch
Trailhead elevation9,285'
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 Slopes from Willis Gulch
Overview
Rinker Peak is a Class 2 summit south of Twin Lakes, with wide views of this part of the Sawatch, including Mount Hope. Older guidebooks list it as an unnamed 13er.
You follow the Willis Gulch Trail most of the way, then climb a long grassy slope and gully to the Rinker-Twin Peaks saddle, and walk the east ridge to the top. Kids who can handle the big gain have done it.
The round trip is about 11.5 miles with 4,550 feet of gain. Rinker and both Twin Peaks summits make a loop of about 12.75 miles with 4,917 feet of gain, coming down a grassy drainage instead of the long, loose northeast ridge. You can also go up or down the forested northeast ridge over Twin Peaks, but it means bushwhacking.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 6:30 a.m.
Turnaround
Be at the saddle by 11 a.m.
Crux
The steep 1,500-foot gully to the saddle.
Route-finding
Easy. Leave the trail at the grassy slope near 11,700 feet.
Between Leadville and Buena Vista, about 15 miles south of Leadville, turn west from US 24 onto Highway 82 toward Twin Lakes and Independence Pass. Drive about 8.5 miles; the Willis Gulch trailhead is signed, on the left (south). From Aspen, go over Independence Pass; the turn is on the right about 0.65 mile past the Parry Peak Campground turnoff.
Any car can make it. Campgrounds nearby include Twin Peaks and Parry Peak (first come, first served) to the west, and White Star and Lake View (reservations) near Twin Lakes. There are also many dispersed spots beside the Lake Fork above Twin Lakes. The area is busy on weekends.
Trail in the treesTalus and screeTundraRidgeExposed 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
Willis Gulch trailhead 9,285' · 0 mi
Cross the footbridge over Lake Creek. Go right, then left, then left again on the trail signed for Big and Little Willis creeks. Pass beaver ponds and climb to a junction; stay right.
2
Willis Creek bridge 9,700' · 1.3 mi
About a mile on, cross a footbridge to the creek's east side and turn right at the junction.
3
Big Willis junction 9,900' · 1.7 mi
In about 0.4 mile, stay right for Big Willis. The trail gets fainter.
4
Log bridges 10,400' · 2.6 mi
Use a flimsy log bridge over a side stream, then about half a mile later cross back to the north side on another.
5
Open terrain 11,000' · 3.6 mi
Leave the trees and walk southwest through boulder fields. Rinker's top stays hidden up to the right.
6
Base of the gully 11,700' · 4.6 mi
Stop below a big grassy slope that turns into a broad gully to the north. Leave the trail here.
7
Rinker-Twin Peaks saddle 13,200' · 5.5 mi
Climb northwest, nearly 1,500 feet. A faint old zigzag path helps up to about 12,400 feet; above that the gully gets steeper.
8
Rinker Peak 13,789' · 5.75 mi
Turn left and follow the Class 2 east ridge to the top.
Getting down
Return the same way, or add the Twin Peaks summits and come down the grassy drainage southeast of them.
If things go wrong
The gully leads straight back down to the trail.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
Past the Willis Gulch Trail the route climbs a trailless gully. 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 Rinker Peak we list, with its class.
South Slopesthis routeClass 2 11.5 mi
Rinker Peak NE Ridge/Willis GulchClass 2 10 mi
Twin Peaks B Saddle Descent after Rinker PeakClass 2 12.75 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.