Ptarmigan Peak

Route: Ptarmigan and Weston from Weston Pass
Posted On: 6/8/2025, By: zackj99
Info: Trail Runners were all that was required. Was hanging around Weston Pass and decided to hit this peak, super fun! Not much in way of a trail (and by that I mean there is no trail). All snow was avoidable and a blue bird day! 

Route: Ptarmigan and Weston from Weston Pass
Posted On: 7/3/2024, By: LetsGoMets
Info: Dry and full summer. Summit register needs to be replaced. 

Route: Ptarmigan and Weston from Weston Pass
Posted On: 6/24/2024, By: mijoflynn
Info: Summer conditions; snow persisting on the east face, but nothing on the route itself. 

Route: Ptarmigan and Weston from Weston Pass
Posted On: 6/22/2022, By: mtngoatwithstyle
Info: Both Weston and Ptarmigan are snow free.There is still a cornice hanging by Ptarmigan's ridge and summit but easily avoidable. Ascend from Weston Pass to the ridge is steep but grassy enough to get traction coming down. Not one soul today except myself and the pikas. 

Route: Ptarmigan and Weston from Weston Pass
Posted On: 6/12/2022, By: mnk219
Info: Pretty clear! Submitted Sherman and traversed across to Weston (Sherman - Sheridan - Peerless - Horseshoe - Ptarmigan - Weston) and back down to the Fourmile trailhead on the path north of Horseshoe. There was a short patch of snow on the climb up to the saddle between Sherman and Sheridan, but no traction was needed. Otherwise snowfields were avoidable on this stretch. 

Route: Ptarmigan and Weston from Weston Pass
Posted On: 6/5/2022, By: kwhit24
Info: Hiked Weston Pass group today. Overwhelming majority of the route is snow free or the snow can be avoided. There are some snow patches to cross under the Finnback Know/Horseshoe saddle but snow was firm and rock hopped the rest. There is shallow snow going up and down Horseshoe and also some coming off Ptarmigan and between Ptarmigan/Weston Ridge was pretty windy today and working around snow forced into some rock fields but it was manageable. Amazing views of the Sawatch. Probably the best I've ever had. Saw one person while coming off Weston and a couple people on Sheridan towards the beginning. Only saw 10 or so vehicles on Weston Pass road. I easily made it to the 4wd road with my Ford Edge and could've made it all the way to the Pass if I wanted to Started at 7:30am. Finnback Knob 9:15am. Horseshoe Mtn A 9:50am. Ptarmigan 11:00am. Weston Peak 11:45am. Car by 1:30pm 

Route: Ptarmigan and Weston from Weston Pass
Posted On: 10/2/2021, By: ScottLovesRMNP
Info: Drove in towards Weston Pass from the east (Fairplay) side with my Toyota Corolla and decided to call it about a mile short of Weston Pass. The road gets steeper and rockier near the end. I probably could've made it up to the pass if I'd really tried -- there was only one sketchy section of a combination of several large rocks and some deep ruts in the same span of road. Anyway, the hike is quite short, so the extra mile each way on the road just added a little extra exercise. There was no snow all the way up to the Ptarmigan-Weston ridge, and just minor snow on gentle terrain on the ridge. No special gear needed. It rained lower on the road during my climb, so driving out on that road in muddy conditions with several deep puddles on the road wasn't particularly fun either, but it all turned out fine. 

Route: Ptarmigan and Weston from Weston Pass
Posted On: 6/20/2021, By: Chelsea
Info: Summer conditions, no snow on route. 

Route: NE Slope
Posted On: 12/8/2020, By: angry
Info: Parked at -11, 300 (2 miles below th). Rather than walk the snow covered road to th, took a direct line up from where parked heading NE on snow covered tundra and some exposed rock to summit. Did not use traction or flotation. 

Route: Ptarmigan and Weston from Weston Pass
Posted On: 6/28/2020, By: CaptainSuburbia
Info: All clear. Weston Peak too! My dog found snow though. 

Route: Ptarmigan and Weston from Weston Pass
Posted On: 7/8/2019, By: Tony1
Info: Summer conditions; no snow gear needed whatsoever. 

Route: Ptarmigan and Weston from Weston Pass
Posted On: 3/14/2018, By: kingshimmers
Info: Coming from the west (Leadville side), winter road plowing stops ~6.5 miles below Weston Pass. There is a pullout for parking at this point; see the Weston Pass TH condition report for more details. The road starts off patchy and icy and becomes gradually deeper and still mostly icy. The pass itself is windblown with patchy snow coverage. The west side of Weston/Ptarmigan is extremely windblown with almost no snow all the way up to the ridge, and little beyond that. No traction or flotation are needed from the pass up. 

Route: Ptarmigan and Weston from Weston Pass
Posted On: 10/23/2016, By: mikemalick
Info: No snow at all heading up to Weston Peak. Just a couple small patches on the way up to Ptarmigan Peak which could have been avoided, but there was no reason to avoid them considering how short they were. All-in-all pretty dry up there considering the time of year. 

Route: Ptarmigan and Weston from Weston Pass
Posted On: 3/7/2016, By: kingshimmers
Info: The Weston Pass road is snowy coming from Leadville. Small cars will need to park at the winter closure. Larger vehicles can make it further, but watch out as there were many places where it looked like vehicles had to be dug out when they slid slightly off the road. No vehicles got past the point where the road turns from east to south (heading toward the pass). Past this point, either skis or snowshoes are useful (the snow if pretty hard, but postholing still happened in just boots). The snow is sparse to nonexistent on the peaks up there right now, and the hike to Ptarmigan Peak can be done in just boots from Weston Pass. There is some snow so make sure you're wearing something waterproof, but most of it is hard and crusty. 

Route: Ptarmigan and Weston from Weston Pass
Posted On: 10/14/2015, By: JasonKline
Info: Still clear of snow. My Elantra had no problem reaching Weston Pass from the east (285).