Sawatch Range · Colorado 13er · No. 563 of the 13ers
North Ridge from Deadman Gulch
UN 13,033, 13,033'
DifficultyClass 2
Round trip15 mi
Elevation gain4,300'
TrailheadLost Man
Trailhead elevation10,500'
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 · North Ridge from Deadman Gulch
Overview
UN 13,033 is a remote summit on the ridge south of UN 13,014, in the Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness, with fine views of the Williams Mountains.
From a camp in Deadman Gulch you cross a wet meadow and climb a broad avalanche chute to the 12,500-foot saddle between the two peaks, then walk south along the ridge with a few rocky spots. It is Class 2. Doing both summits from the saddle adds a false summit and some rocky ground; you can bypass it in the flowery basin east of the ridge.
The round trip from the Lost Man trailhead is about 15 miles with 4,300 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.
Plan of the day
Start by
Leave camp by 7 a.m.
Turnaround
Be on the ridge by 10:30 a.m.
Crux
The steep avalanche chute.
Route-finding
Moderate. Cross the creek in the meadow below 11,000 feet, then go north along its edge to the chute.
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 treesTundraRidgeExposed 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
Deadman Gulch camp 11,400' · 5.25 mi
Continue north down into Deadman Gulch about 0.75 mile to rough campsites west of the trail.
6
Meadow 10,950' · 5.8 mi
Walk down to the big wet meadow and cross through low willows to the east side of the creek. Cairns may mark a log crossing.
Watch for: Wet feet likely.
7
Avalanche chute 11,000' · 6 mi
Head north along the meadow's edge to the foot of a broad, west-facing avalanche chute.
8
Saddle 12,500' · 6.7 mi
Climb the steep chute about 1,500 feet to the saddle.
9
Summit 13,033' · 7.4 mi
Follow the ridge south on mostly easy ground with a few rocky sections.
Getting down
Return north to the saddle area and let the chute lead you back down to the meadow. Then it's about 20 minutes back up the trail to camp.
If things go wrong
Back down the chute to the meadow.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
Past Deadman 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.
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.