Windom Peak

The peak was named in honor of William Windom, a prominent 19th-century U.S. Congressman and Senator from Minnesota who also served as the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury under presidents James A. Garfield and Benjamin Harrison. The mountain was named during the late-1800s mapping expeditions of the San Juan Mountains by the Wheeler and Hayden surveys, which frequently named prominent peaks after influential federal politicians of the era.

Yes, it is entirely possible to link Windom Peak, Sunlight Peak, Mount Eolus, and North Eolus in one massive pushing day from a high camp in Chicago Basin. However, doing so requires superb physical endurance, high-level alpine route-finding skills, and a perfectly clear weather forecast. The order matters immensely: most hikers choose to tackle the spicier, more technical Class 3/4 moves on Mount Eolus and Sunlight first, saving the relatively straightforward Class 2 standard West Ridge of Windom for last so they can grind it out even if fatigue has set in.

The most efficient and widely used strategy relies on riding the historic Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad to the remote Needleton Flag Stop. Friday: Take the morning train to Needleton, then complete the scenic 6-mile, 2,600 vertical foot backpacking approach into the Weminuche Wilderness to set up a base camp in Chicago Basin. Saturday: Start early and to climb Twin Lakes, knock either Eolus and North Eolus OR Sunlight and Windom, and return to camp. Sunday: Start early again and climb the other two and get back to your camp by 11am. Then, hustle 6 miles back to the tracks to catch the 3:00pm afternoon train returning to Durango.