Sawatch Range · Colorado 13er · No. 414 of the 13ers
La Plata Trail and West Couloir
Ellingwood Ridge, 13,222'
DifficultyClass 2+
Round trip8 mi
Elevation gain3,900'
TrailheadLa Plata Gulch
Trailhead elevation10,150'
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 · La Plata Trail and West Couloir
Overview
The high point of Ellingwood Ridge became a ranked 13er in 2022. It sits on the long, jagged ridge north of La Plata Peak, with a great view of La Plata and the rest of the ridge.
You follow the La Plata trail up La Plata Gulch, climb a steep wooded slope, contour southeast into La Plata Basin, and slog 1,200 feet up a big, loose couloir to a saddle. A short scramble over rock blocks, with maybe a Class 3 move, reaches the top.
The round trip is about 8 miles with 3,900 feet of gain. Fast hikers do it in half a day.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 6:30 a.m.
Turnaround
Be at the foot of the couloir by 10:30 a.m.
Crux
The long, loose couloir.
Route-finding
Hard. Leave the trail near 11,025 feet where it flattens by the creek; contour at about 11,800 feet.
Water
La Plata Gulch creek and La Plata Basin. Filter it.
From U.S. 24 south of Leadville, turn west onto Colorado 82 toward Twin Lakes and Independence Pass. Drive about 14.6 miles on the highway. The signed trailhead parking area is on the left (south) side of the road, at the South Fork Lake Creek road.
The drive is all pavement and any car can make it. The lot is at about 10,150 feet. It is a popular peak, so on summer weekends the lot can be full early. Do not block the South Fork road.
Trail in the treesOff-trail, no set pathRidgeTalus and screeScramblingExposed 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
La Plata trailhead 10,150' · 0 mi
Walk the South Fork road across the bridge about 0.3 mile to where the La Plata trail heads east.
2
Bridges 10,200' · 0.8 mi
Cross the South Fork on a steel bridge, then the La Plata Gulch creek on logs.
3
Leave the trail 11,025' · 1.8 mi
The trail now stays near the creek, climbing steeply at times. Where it levels beside the stream, leave it.
4
Ridge meadow 11,800' · 2.2 mi
Climb about 800 feet up a steep slope of open trees to a flat meadow on the ridge.
5
Creek crossing 11,700' · 2.9 mi
Contour southeast at about the meadow's height into La Plata Basin, over tundra and talus. Cross the willow-choked creek near the last trees, at the foot of a bouldery rock glacier.
6
Couloir saddle 12,900' · 3.6 mi
Walk north along the creek to a grassy slope, then climb the great couloir about 1,200 feet. A rock outcrop splits it a third of the way up; the left side has less loose scree.
Watch for: Loose rock and scree.
7
Summit 13,222' · 4 mi
Turn south and scramble rock blocks to the top.
Watch for: Class 2+; maybe a Class 3 move.
Getting down
Return the same way. From the saddle, the other summit point just south can be reached by contouring the east side and climbing a shallow gully, with one short Class 3 move.
If things go wrong
Back down the couloir to the basin.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
Past La Plata Gulch 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.
Other routes
Every way up Ellingwood Ridge we list, with its class.
Ellingwood Ridge via La Plata Trailthis routeClass 2+ 8 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.