Sawatch Range · Colorado 13er · No. 573 of the 13ers
South Ridge from Deadman Gulch
UN 13,014, 13,014'
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 · South Ridge from Deadman Gulch
Overview
UN 13,014 is a remote summit deep in the Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness, north of the Williams Mountains. It pairs with UN 13,033 on the same ridge.
From a camp in Deadman Gulch you cross a wet meadow and creek, then climb a broad, west-facing avalanche chute about 1,500 feet to the ridge. The ridge north has some rocky bumps, a 20-foot pointed rock, and an easy rocky finish. It is Class 2.
The round trip from the Lost Man trailhead is about 15 miles with 4,300 feet of gain. Mileage and gain are our estimates. It can also be reached from Marten Creek by long 4WD roads east of Ruedi Reservoir. 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 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
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.
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
Ridge 12,500' · 6.7 mi
Climb the steep chute about 1,500 feet to the ridge between UN 13,014 and UN 13,033; allow an hour or more.
9
Summit 13,014' · 7.5 mi
Follow the crest north past rocky bumps and a tall pointed rock, then scramble easy rock to a blocky top.
Getting down
Return the same way, or add UN 13,033, south along the same ridge.
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.