Route Description

Drive to the intersection of U.S. 285 and U.S. 50 in Poncha Springs. Go west on U.S. 50 for 6 miles and turn right on County Road (CR) 240. Note: Passenger cars cannot drive to the trailhead - the second half of the road is for 4WD vehicles with good clearance. After 3 miles, CR 240 turns to dirt. Drive 0.8 miles to the Angel of Shavano trailhead and picnic area. After another 1 mile, the road gets much worse. Continue 3 rough miles to the trailhead that is marked on the right. The total drive from U.S. 50 is nearly 8 miles. There is parking for 3 or 4 vehicles. If it is full, there is more parking on the road - 0.2 miles below the trailhead.

Details:

August, 2003 Update: The Jennings Creek route has been closed by the Forest Service as of September, 2002. The route had begun to exhibit severe erosion due to highly unstable soils. Multiple deep erosion gullies now scar the landscape around Jennings Creek. The Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (CFI) helped to close and stabilize this route in 2002. If you choose to hike this route, you are likely to undermine this important work. Walking near and around stabilization structures compromises their ability to hold fragile soils in place. The standard route to climb Tabeguache is now the Blank Gulch route via Shavano (from the Blank Cabin Trailhead). Hikers are urged not to climb Tabeguache using the closed Jennings Creek route.

From 10,500', hike up the hill through dense, young Aspen trees. The trail is thin but easy to follow. Before 11,200', the trees thin out a bit and the trail crosses a flat area near a small tarn before starting to climb up the steep hillside towards the ridge - Photo #1. You must gain 2,000' to get to the top of the ridge. Between 11,500' and 12,200' the slope is in bad shape. In 2002, the CFI installed log steps/dams here to reduce soil erosion. Gently hike toward the ridge above.

Reach the ridge near 13,200' where the trail will briefly go around the right side and avoid going over the highest point on the start of the ridge. Photo #2 and Photo #3 show much of the remaining route, but not the summit ridge. The trail then goes straight along the ridge (north). Go up and over a few rock piles and bypass others on either side. Take the easiest route you can find. At 13,300', you are on the north end of the ridge and the trail begins to climb towards the peak in front of you (north). After about 100' of gain, the trail turns right and begins to cross the south slope of an unnamed peak (13,935'). Photo #4 looks back down on the route. Traverse this slope on a trail that often disappears. Aim for the saddle between the unnamed peak and the false summit up to your right. The terrain never gets that difficult but watch out for loose talus. Reach the saddle near 13,800'. Photo #5 looks back down on this slope.

From the saddle, the remaining route is visible to the east - Photo #6. Hike along the ridge up to the top of the false summit seen on the right of Photo #7. From the false summit, you are only 0.2 miles from the Tabeguache summit - Photo #8. Hike over and around rocks along the summit ridge to a notch before the summit - Photo #9. Climb down a bit and then ascend the final summit pitch. Taken from the summit, Photo #10 looks back on the upper route.