Sawatch Range · Colorado 13er · No. 68 of the 13ers
South Ridge from UN 13,738
Deer Mountain, 13,763'
Class 2+ notch
The ridge to Deer Mountain has a real notch you must climb down into and out of, on steep rock. From the north side (North Halfmoon Creek), the route has a short, loose Class 3 pitch. This page is an outline, not a move-by-move guide.
DifficultyClass 4
Round trip10 mi
Elevation gain4,485'
TrailheadNorth Fork Lake Creek
Trailhead elevation10,794'
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.
Deer Mountain caps the upper North Fork of Lake Creek valley, above an unnamed lake and the long Class 3 ridge to Mount Oklahoma. It is usually the last of three summits on a ridge day with Mount Champion and UN 13,738.
Past UN 13,738 the ridge is rocky and slow over Point 13,445, with steep drops on the east. A notch below Deer takes Class 2+ moves; game trails on the west side help. The descent is a nice loop past the lake and on a trail.
The loop is about 10 miles with 4,485 feet of gain.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 6 a.m.
Turnaround
Be on UN 13,738 by 10 a.m.
Crux
The notch below the summit.
Route-finding
Moderate. On the way down, stay on the northwest ridge until about 13,200 feet before dropping south.
Water
North Fork Lake Creek and Lackawanna Gulch. Filter it.
This week on the summit
Conditions on the summit
LoadingFetching the forecast for 13,763'…
—Summit temp now
—Sustained wind
—Gusting to
—Freezing level
Today
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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 Aspen, drive east on Highway 82 over Independence Pass. On the east side, just below the final switchback as the road comes down into the North Fork Lake Creek valley, turn left onto a short dirt road to a small lot with a wood rail fence, just under 5 miles below the top.
From US 24, take Highway 82 west past Twin Lakes up the Lake Creek valley about 18.5 miles; the turn is on the right just before the first big switchback. Any car can make it. Camping at the lot is poor; there are campgrounds toward Twin Lakes.
Trail in the treesTundraTalus and screeRidgeScramblingExposed 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
North Fork Lake Creek trailhead 10,794' · 0 mi
Follow the old road north a short way, then pick a spot to wade across.
Watch for: Can be high in June.
2
Tailings clearing 10,900' · 0.4 mi
Follow an old jeep track north to a clearing with old mine tailings.
3
Lackawanna Gulch 11,300' · 1 mi
Find the trail that heads north, then east into the trees, and follow it up the north side of Lackawanna Gulch. Don't head straight up Champion's southwest ridge.
4
South slopes 12,000' · 1.4 mi
Where the trees thin, turn northeast and climb steeply up Champion's south slopes.
5
Champion Mine 12,900' · 1.7 mi
Grass and tundra turn to scree near the old mine buildings.
6
Mount Champion 13,646' · 2.1 mi
Meet the southeast ridge near 13,500 feet and walk north to the top, 2,000 feet above the North Fork.
7
Saddle 13,160' · 2.45 mi
Go down the north-northwest ridge on low tundra and small rubble.
8
UN 13,738 13,738' · 2.8 mi
Continue north over a few rockier bits, then tundra, to a false summit and the blocky true summit.
9
Point 13,445 13,445' · 3.6 mi
Walk north, then northeast, over rubble past a false summit to Point 13,445.
10
Notch 13,300' · 4.2 mi
Stay on the west side past steep drops, down to a saddle, then drop into a notch and climb out on its north side.
Watch for: Class 2+.
11
Summit 13,763' · 4.6 mi
Swing west around another small notch and scramble rubble up the summit cone.
Getting down
Head northwest down the ridge. Don't drop south before about 13,200 feet or you'll get into cliffy gullies. Then contour down on talus or tundra to the nameless lake (about 12,380 feet) and follow Trail 1483 down the North Fork to the trailhead.
If things go wrong
Retreat south to the Champion saddle.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
Past Lackawanna Gulch the route is 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 Deer Mountain we list, with its class.