North Ridge from Tabor Lake

Overview

Tabor Peak is a remote, seldom-climbed summit above a beautiful shelf lake, reached from the Lincoln Creek road below Grizzly Reservoir.

A trail climbs Tabor Creek; you cut up to a flowery bench with a waterfall, follow a trail to Tabor Lake, and climb to the ridge. The ridge south has a couple of narrow, exposed sections, one about a foot wide. Hands aren't needed, so it is rated Class 2+, but some will call it Class 3, and it's much scarier when wet.

The round trip is about 7 miles with 3,050 feet of gain from the Tabor Creek trailhead, about 1.8 miles past the New York Creek trailhead on the Lincoln Creek road. Without 4WD, you'll walk or bike those road miles.

Plan of the day

Getting to the trailhead

From Aspen, drive east on Highway 82 toward Independence Pass. About a mile past the Grottos trailhead, turn right at an information kiosk onto the Lincoln Creek road, which crosses the Roaring Fork right away. From the east, it's just under 4 miles below Lost Man Campground on the west side of the pass.

Cars should park at the kiosk or at Lincoln Gulch Campground. With a high-clearance 4WD, take the Grizzly Reservoir road, which branches left just before the campground. It is slow going over potholes and rock slabs: about 6 miles and more than half an hour to Grizzly Reservoir and the small Portal Campground (about 10,570 feet; toilets, first come, first served). The first 3 miles have 22 numbered campsites with bear lockers.

A gate just past Portal Campground is often locked until early July and may close again in fall; there is private land up the valley. When it's open, a high-clearance 4WD can go on toward the old Ruby Mine. Otherwise, walk or bike the road; a bike makes the ride back much faster.

Next: the route, step by step →

The route

1. 1

   Tabor Creek trailhead 10,290' · 0 mi

   Cross Lincoln Creek on logs or by wading, then take the trail up the east side of Tabor Creek.

   Watch for: No bridge; high in June.

2. 2

   Canal 10,450' · 0.4 mi

   Cross the New York Collection Canal, then cross Tabor Creek to its west side.

3. 3

   Leave the trail 11,600' · 2 mi

   Follow the trail south on the west side of the drainage to the south end of a group of trees.

4. 4

   Bench 12,000' · 2.4 mi

   Climb northwest up a steep slope through open trees to a flowery bench east of the lake, where the outlet pours past two caves in the cliff. Join a trail there.

5. 5

   Tabor Lake 12,300' · 2.7 mi

   Follow the trail up to the lake on the edge of the shelf.

6. 6

   Saddle 12,850' · 3.05 mi

   Walk up an easy tundra and scree slope west to the Tabor-Point 13,026 saddle.

7. 7

   Summit 13,282' · 3.5 mi

   Follow the ridge south on broken rock and boulders, mostly on the crest. A few narrow sections are exposed. About an hour from the lake.

   Watch for: Class 2+, exposed.

Getting down

Return the same way to the bench. You can follow the trail south along the bench past a small tarn to meet the main trail below the lake at 11,820 feet.

If things go wrong

Back to the saddle and down to the lake.

3D flyover

See the trail on video

Other routes

Every way up Tabor Peak we list, with its class.

• Tabor Peak North Ridge this routeClass 2+ 7.0 mi