Sawatch Range · Colorado 13er · No. 107 of the 13ers
North Ridge from Beaver Creek
Mount Jackson, 13,675'
DifficultyClass 2
Round trip16 mi
Elevation gain6,150'
TrailheadBeaver Creek Ski Area
Trailhead elevation10,200'
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.
Mount Jackson stands in the very middle of the Holy Cross Wilderness, far from any road, along with its neighbor UN 13,443. Most people make it a 2- or 3-day backpack. Of several ways in, riding the Beaver Creek ski lift is the shortest walk.
From the top of the lift you hike to the top of the ski mountain and south along a long, mostly grassy ridge to a camp above Waterdog Lake. Next day you contour across Grouse Mountain's west slope, climb a boulder field and follow a long ridge south to the top. It's Class 2, with one short, narrow, blocky stretch.
The round trip from the top of the lift is about 16 miles with 6,150 feet of gain, about 9 miles of it from the camp. UN 13,443 is 0.65 mile south of the summit and takes about an hour there and back.
Plan of the day
Start by
Leave camp at first light.
Turnaround
Be on the summit by noon so you can catch the last lift.
Crux
A 100-yard stretch of narrow, blocky ridge below the summit.
Route-finding
Moderate. Mostly open ridges; follow the elk paths across Grouse Mountain's west slope.
Water
Little on the high ridges. Carry plenty and filter what you find.
This week on the summit
Conditions on the summit
LoadingFetching the forecast for 13,675'…
—Summit temp now
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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.
Leave I-70 at the main Avon exit and head south, through several roundabouts, to the one where old US 6 goes west, then follow it a short way to the big Beaver Creek parking lot (about 8,200 feet). Any car can make it. Ask the ski area and local police ahead of time whether you may leave a car overnight.
Take the shuttle bus up to the Beaver Creek base area with your pack. Buy a lift ticket that gets you as high as possible; in the past, hikers rode the Centennial lift to Spruce Saddle Lodge at about 10,200 feet, saving about 2 miles and 2,000 feet of climbing. Ski area rules and prices change, so check that the lift is running and that your ticket will still work for the ride down the next day.
There's no easy camping around Avon. Once on the ridge you're in the wilderness, where you can camp freely unless there's a fire ban.
Trail in the treesTundraRidgeTalus 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
Spruce Saddle Lodge (top of the lift) 10,200' · 0 mi
Hike up under the Cinch lift (lift 8) on moderate slopes to the top of the ski mountain. It takes about an hour.
2
Top of the ski mountain 11,440' · 1.5 mi
Just west of the lift station, take a dirt road into the trees to a microwave station. A faint path with cairns goes on south through the forest.
3
Wilderness boundary 11,560' · 2 mi
Stakes mark the boundary in a clearing. Soon you leave the trees and walk south along the ridge on tundra and some rock, with snow patches early in summer.
4
Camp above Waterdog Lake 11,950' · 3.5 mi
Pass Point 12,161, where the ridge starts to drop. Grassy spots below two small 12,000-foot bumps, about 400 feet above and south of Waterdog Lake, make a breezy camp; there are more sites in the trees at the saddle below. Allow about an hour from the top lift.
Watch for: Mosquitoes.
5
Grouse Mountain saddle 12,000' · 5.5 mi
Go down to the forested saddle at 11,540 feet, then up the ridge to open grass. Contour across Grouse Mountain's big west slope on elk paths to the saddle west-southwest of the peak. Watch for a large elk herd.
6
Point 13,202 13,100' · 7 mi
Climb southwest up the ridge. Tundra soon turns to boulders for about half a mile, then back to tundra above a steep valley on the east. Go around Point 13,202 and keep heading southwest.
7
Mount Jackson 13,675' · 8 mi
Where the ridge turns south, cross about 100 yards of narrow, rocky ridge with big blocks and some exposure; staying on top is best. Then cross a small saddle and finish on broken rock and boulders.
Watch for: Short narrow section.
Getting down
Retrace the route to camp, then hurry back to the lift before it shuts, likely around 4 p.m. Camp to the summit and back is about 9 miles, and the lift is about 3.5 miles past camp, so start early and keep moving.
If things go wrong
Head back north along the ridge toward camp and the ski area.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
Past the ski area the route follows a faint, cairned path and then open ridges with no set trail. 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 Mount Jackson we list, with its class.