Sawatch Range · Colorado 13er · No. 436 of the 13ers
Northeast Face from South Fork Pass
UN 13,204, 13,204'
Technical climb: brief Class 3
Near the top of UN 13,204 the tundra gives way to big blocks that take some easy Class 3 scrambling. This page is an outline, not a move-by-move guide.
DifficultyClass 3
Round trip12.5 mi
Elevation gain3,100'
TrailheadLost Man
Trailhead elevation10,500'
Conditions on the summit
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—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.
Colorado 13er · Northeast Face from South Fork Pass
Overview
UN 13,204, also called Williams South B, is the most sporty of the Williams summits, south of Williams Mountain.
From South Fork Pass you cross meadows to a basin with a small lake, then climb rock ledges and tundra to a short, brief Class 3 section of big blocks just below the top. It is more interesting than hard.
The round trip from the Lost Man trailhead is about 12.5 miles with 3,100 feet of gain. Mileage and gain are our estimates. Many people backpack to South Fork Pass or Deadman Gulch and climb several of the Williams Mountains over two or three days. The ridge north to Williams Mountain is short but complex; the ridge southwest to Williams Benchmark is long, with fewer problems.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 6:30 a.m.
Turnaround
Be in the basin below the peak by 10:30 a.m.
Crux
The blocks near the summit.
Route-finding
Moderate. Aim for the saddle between Williams and UN 13,204, then turn south before reaching it.
Water
Lost Man Creek, Deadman Gulch and small streams. Filter it.
The Lost Man trailhead is on Highway 82 about 14 miles east of Aspen, on the west side of Independence Pass, across the highway from Lost Man Campground. From the east, it's about 5.5 miles below the top of the pass.
The paved road is fine for any car. The highway over the pass is closed in winter, usually from early November to late May.
Trail in the treesTundraRidgeScramblingExposed 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
Lost Man trailhead 10,500' · 0 mi
Hike north on the Lost Man trail. Just over 0.3 mile in, the Midway Pass trail goes left; stay right.
2
Lost Man Reservoir 10,700' · 0.5 mi
Continue north up the valley on the fairly level trail. Good campsites are scarce.
3
Lost Man Lake junction 11,600' · 4.2 mi
Where the Lost Man trail turns east toward Lost Man Lake, keep going north.
4
South Fork Pass 11,840' · 4.5 mi
The trail steepens just before the pass. A small pond west of the trail has a few tent spots.
5
Pond 11,750' · 4.6 mi
Walk a little downhill to the west to a small pond, a good place to camp or drop gear.
6
Basin lake 12,200' · 5.3 mi
Climb west across lush meadows, low trees and willows to a basin east of the peak with a small lake.
7
Turn south 12,700' · 5.8 mi
Head toward the Williams saddle, then turn south up sweeping slopes of rock ledges and tundra.
8
Summit 13,204' · 6.25 mi
Near the top, work up through big blocks.
Watch for: Brief Class 3.
Getting down
Return the same way.
If things go wrong
Back down to the basin lake and the pass.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
Past South Fork Pass 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 UN 13,204 we list, with its class.
Williams South B NE Face Approachthis routeClass 3 14.5 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.