Twining Peak

Route: From Independence Pass
Posted On: 6/9/2025, By: HokieTom
Info: Unsupportive snow started immediately, sinking 2-3 feet at 8AM, a no go for me. 

Route: From Independence Pass/13,541 (LiDAR)
Posted On: 6/7/2025, By: d_baker
Info: No snowshoes used or carried, nor really needed (ie, wouldn't have been useful with poor snow). Did not use traction. Axes stayed on packs. Returned from Twining by re-ascending 13,541. When I did these peaks ~7-8 years ago, we had traversed below '541 (then it was 13,500'), but after today's re-ascent, I would recommend doing that every time. We drove to the Pass in the morning, arriving a little before 6am. We think we saw a wolf crossing Hwy 82 near LaPlata TH, so that was cool! Anyway, overnight lows weren't great, but had clear skies overnight, maybe starting after midnight. Snow conditions still were very punchy and postholey starting off from N side of Pass. Postholey higher on the mountains too in places. Overall, not great snow conditions but there's enough dry sections to avoid some of the snow if a good freeze doesn't happen. Definitely unavoidable snow sections though. Clocked ~5mi's RT. ~2300' gain. Per gaia. Pictures of surrounding peaks to come... 

Route: From Independence Pass / UN13541
Posted On: 8/18/2024, By: dr_j
Info: From UN 13541, stay on the ridgeline or close to it. Twining looks pretty far, but it's a very reasonable slope. It's a short scramble to the true peak with the USGS markers from the other summit block. Again, nobody else on the mountain today. The traverse from UN 13541 took around 40 minutes, summited a bit before noon, and hustled back via UN 13541 summit, getting back to the car shortly before the skies opened up. Total time around 3.5 hours. 

Route: From Independence Pass
Posted On: 7/13/2024, By: cloudust
Info: Hiked Twining and 13541'. All in summer conditions. Any snow is avoidable. Enjoy :-) PS - Definitely try to hit at least 13541' by sunrise. Outstanding views! 

Route: From Independence Pass
Posted On: 10/9/2023, By: Jan van Tilburg
Info: Via UN13,500. Totally dry. Last part just before summit some snow on the ridge. 

Route: 6-peak circuit from Independence Pass
Posted On: 7/13/2023, By: ScottLovesRMNP
Info: Everything is in good shape. The out-and-back to Point 13,001 (now 13,006) is time-consuming and lengthy, but it has dried out a lot since the previous report about getting soaked feet. I kept mine dry through this portion. The snow scenery and flower displays in the area are simply grand right now. I really liked this loop EXCEPT for getting back to Independence Pass after the Geissler's. I tried to follow reports suggesting to contour around the slopes of Twining and Pt. 13,500, but the side-hilling is horrendous and goes on forever. It is a lonnnnnng way back to the pass doing this, at least for my tired legs and feet. I thought I was going to break my ankles. I eventually gave up and bailed down to the road and walked back to the pass. This was hands-down easier than the side-hilling. If I had it to do again, I would've just taken the Independence Lake trail down to the parking area on the road and either walked the road back, hitched a ride back, or left a second car there for a point-to-point option. Seriously, I felt so good doing the 6 peaks and then HATED the never-ending attempt to contour back to the starting point. Still, setting this aside, this is a fantastic loop through gorgeous alpine scenery! 

Route: 6 pack: UN 13541 to Geisslers
Posted On: 7/7/2023, By: -wren-
Info: If you skip the spur to UN 13006 by Lost Man Lake, youll only have a tiny bit of inconsequential snow to deal with on the Geisslers. If you head over to the spur peak though, be prepared to get your feet soaked. A good bit of postholing through the basin and a lot of mud and running water. 

Route: East Couloir
Posted On: 6/19/2023, By: slawrence2011
Info: Due to feeling a little lacking on the endurance side, decided to start this tour from the Summit of Independence pass at 5:30. Followed SnowAlien's CR a month ago, as well as the Blue Colorado Skimo guidebook beta, skirted west side of Blarney, and summited Twining on the ridge. The guide said their were a couple couloirs that go, which I saw from the ridge, but they didn't look continuous. From the summit ridge, I even put on crampons and an axe to downclimb and verify, definitely not continuous. The one skier's left just below the summit looked like just a few rocks, so may have gone, but I didn't have vis on what was below that. So summited, dropped down the N ridge, and dropped when I could. Turned out to be an amazingly aesthetic line, but pretty E facing, and I released some loose wet of the new 1-2 inches, they were very slow like glide avalanches, I just watched them before proceeding then skied in the corn they left. Then traversed L side of the lake, gained the ridge, and climbed some snowfields to gain the next ridge that I presumed was between Twining and 13,545. Now looking at Caltopo, I don't think I made it all the way to 13,545, probably to one of the 13,400's between, I had about 30 minutes of loose class 2+ on the ridge in crampons, then when I got to what I thought was the summit, couldn't be sure there was a cairn there, and I saw a higher point well further N, which must have been the true 13,545. There was no continuous snow in any direction from the summit, so I scouted a strip starting down the E side of the ridge a little further N. About 150 feet sketchy but easy downclimbing dirt, loose rock, and thin snow to gain the very soft by this point E snow, cruiser ski down, climbed back up the ridge, managed to find one line to ski back to the lake, but I had to "ski through" some steep willows. Could ski even further below the lake in North Fork Lake creek drainage on the E aspect, then transitioned to boots, trail was fairly easy to follow, when I hit the main trail, it was such a gradual grade, I took it uphill for an hour instead of downhill, 2 extra hours of hiking! Thanks to the fellow dirtbag in the classic VW who picked me up, carried my skis on his bed platform, and offered me two leftover pieces of Dominos after having no food since breakfast! 

Route: NE face ski descent
Posted On: 5/29/2023, By: SnowAlien
Info: Like last time, I took off from the top of Independence pass, skirting under Blarney on the West side. Saw 4 other parties on the peak. Initially I was planning on skiing the west gully between the 2 summits (same gully I skied back in 2016), and then continue to UN 13,545 from the west side, but when I got to the summit around 10 am, nothing on the west side of 13,545 looked skiable. I hiked a bit down the north ridge and to my surprise, stumbled on the ski tracks directly off the summit dropping NE. Snow was looking good, but it was softening quickly. Once in the basin, I traversed left and continued to UN 13,545 (which turned out to be a much more demanding ski). It was great to ski another line on Twinning! 

Route: West Gully
Posted On: 5/27/2023, By: Chicago Transplant
Info: Skinned up from Upper Lost Man trailhead, snow starts right out of the parking lot, dry stretch just below the saddle with "Blarney" and part way up the south ridge. Able to ski off the summit but had to side step back up over the falsie, then skied down the ridge until continuous snow cuts into west facing gullies. The west gully direct off the summit is melted out at the top. Was able to ski summit to car with my route, it helps going up the west side so you can preview the connected snow. 

Route: Ridge from Indy Pass
Posted On: 8/26/2022, By: cdgibbons
Info: Having abandoned more ambitious objectives for the terrible forecast, hiked Twining and PT 13,500 from Indy Pass. Fun, short, sweet. Fog, Stonehenge like rocks, and mud by the pass made this feel more like England or Scotland. 

Route: Independence Pass to Twining Peak
Posted On: 8/8/2022, By: nickrulercreator
Info: Tough hike for sure, one of my hardest so far. The beginning and end were steep, and in the middle are huge rocks you gotta get through, but it's level. The push to the peak was very worth it, though the marker is in the wrong place! Should be about 30 feet further up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnFezpUDH88 

Route: Indy Pass
Posted On: 8/8/2022, By: kwhit24
Info: I got to Indy Pass at 5:15am and waited a little bit until it got a little lighter. There were only about 5 cars there at the time. The route up Pt 13,500 has a good trail most of the way and over to Twining wasn't any more difficult than class 2. It was still class 2 coming off Twining Pk to the saddle aside from one class 3 move towards the bottom. The route up Pt 13,545 had a little maneuvering and Class 2+ stuff with a little exposure in spots. Coming off Pt 13,545 had a few Class 3 area but I mostly tried staying close to the ridge. That was the most difficult part of the hike but Mav handled it with no help needed. Once at the saddle you can see the trail down to Lost Man Lake which you follow for like 3/4 of a mile. Saw 7 mountain goats past the lake. Picked my way up to Pt 13,001 (Now 13,006 and no longer the lowest ranked 13er) with no issues then back to the saddle. The route up East and West Geissler Mtns were pretty straight and lead to some great views of the surrounding areas. To get back to the car I just contoured between 12,400 and 12,500 to avoid too much extra up and down on the rolling slopes. (11.94 mi; 4,790' gain; 7:34:45 total time) Start at TH 5:45am; PT 13,500 6:40am; Twining Peak 7:15am; PT 13,545 8:00am; PT 13,001 9:25am; East Geissler Mtn 10:45am; West Geissler Mtn 11:35am; Back to TH 1:20pm 

Route: Independence Pass
Posted On: 7/24/2022, By: zootloopz
Info: Summer conditions! Loop of UN 13,500, Twining Peak, UN 13,545, UN 13,202, Deer Mountain, UN 13,736, and Mount Champion. Storms moved in earlier than we anticipated so we skipped adding on UN 13,300B and K49. Beautiful ridge as far as the Sawatch goes with some opportunities for class 3 and occasional 4th. Fun to get 4 bicents in one day!! 

Route: South Ridge
Posted On: 5/27/2022, By: Grover
Info: Reached the summit of Twining Peak from Independence Pass. I used the direct approach, avoiding the ridge/summit of Point 13,500, by staying to the west (left) of this unnamed point. Connected willows, snowfields, rocks, and bare ground to reach the summit. I used gaiters, microspikes and poles, and did not bring snowshoes. The snow was supportive enough, but I did posthole a handful of times. Ski/Splitboard?: I decided to hike this peak given the broken sections of snow. Other people were out on ski's today, but there is not a continuous line of snow and you will transition several times from sticks to hiking.