Santa Fe Peak

Route: Silver Wave
Posted On: 5/1/2022, By: colin j
Info: Crampons up and glissade/downclimb down. The left fork is still pretty filled in; however, the small grass patch from a few weeks ago is maybe 150 yards long now and could complicate a ski descent. Entered the couloir at 0625 and topped out 0745 and found good snow conditions outside of the dry patch. There is also a cornice starting to form to the NW of the gully; if it goes I wouldn't want to be anywhere near it. Started 0505 and back to the trailhead at 1025. 

Route: Silver Wave Gully
Posted On: 4/15/2022, By: ClimberSkierDave64
Info: Skinned up the Silver Wave Gully today and skied back down it. Parking is available just past the Webster Pass Rd./Montezuma Rd. junction. The gully has a 50 ft grass patch in the middle that makes it disconnected but it's no big deal. The lookers right fork is not in and looked bare. We skied the lookers left fork and it was all good except for that one bare spot at around 11,700 ft. A mixed bag of crunchy scoured snow and powder today, but the new snow seemed to be bonding to the old snow pretty well, even in places with isolated wind slabs. Overall a very fun route and the skiing was excellent! 

Route: North Slopes
Posted On: 9/9/2021, By: joannalee07
Info: Combined Santa Fe, Sullivan & Morgan on 9/8. Full trip report on my blog since there aren't many reports about these mountains in the summer: https://www.coloradomountainpack.com/post/santa-fe-peak-sullivan-mountain-morgan-peak I was able to drive to around 11,900 feet comfortably. I have 4Runner and probably could've gone further but it got a little intense and I wanted to hike anyway! Absolutely beautiful area with 360 degree views, would add on Geneva next time too! 

Route: From Geneva Creek
Posted On: 8/15/2021, By: yaktoleft13
Info: Road in is pretty rough. Can be done in a Subaru until about 5 miles in, then the high road has a couple of rock obstacles I wouldn't have tried in my Subaru. Luckily, the new 4Runner had no problems. Probably a 4/6 on this site. Followed the road to the mine under Sullivan/Santa Fe, then turned up and just climbed what looked easiest to the ridge. Turned right for Santa Fe, then traversed across Sullivan and Geneva to Landslide. For the descent, I went east off of Landslide a few hundred feet, then went straight down the north slopes to the lake and a defunct mining road. If I were to do it again, I'd probably give the slope in between Geneva and Landslide a shot. Short day, a little over 3 hours roundtrip. Saw a coyote (I think, looked too big to be a fox) at 13k on Landslide. 

Route: North Slopes
Posted On: 6/10/2021, By: cougar
Info: Parked Subaru Outback at 10800 on santa fe rd (see TH status). Dry to 11600, but most snow on route is avoidable. Almost summer conditions, just a few snowfields and melt off which can mostly be bypassed. Had to bypass a couple snowed in road sections. 

Route: North Slopes
Posted On: 5/20/2021, By: WildWanderer
Info: Parked at snowmobile staging area. I'd recommend parking there as well, as there isn't any parking past this area except on private property. As I was leaving the homeowner of the house just before this spot was standing in his window, watching me. I got barked at by the dog up the road on my way back as well (on the 4WD road by the Marlo Roberts Tunnel house). He was all bark and no bite though, and stayed on his side of the street. Postholing started at 5am. I should have put on snowshoes from the beginning but was stubborn. After about 1.5 miles on the road they became absolutely necessary, as most of the snow left is on the road and punchy. Cornice forming near the summit. Ice axe/microspikes not needed/not helpful. 

Route: North Slopes
Posted On: 5/1/2021, By: ScottLovesRMNP
Info: Montezuma is an interesting place -- they seem to carefully guard against any outsider parking anywhere in the town! Large dogs roam through the streets, and I was unfortunately accosted by one who seemed deterred only by my possession of trekking poles. Another good reason to hike with poles! I did the standard loop up Santa Fe, then Sullivan, then Geneva Peak, then Landslide Peak, and then up-and-over an unnamed point to reach Webster Pass. Got a late start around 9 AM on the warmest day of the year so far, so I actually needed snowshoes early on when heading up the road. (If you start 2 hours earlier or go on a cooler day, you probably won't need them on the ascent.) Snow was good consistency during the steep climb past the Morgan-Santa Fe saddle. Less snow higher up, with a lot of it avoidable, so I took the snowshoes off before I got to Santa Fe's summit. Beautiful summit views today! Short trip over to Sullivan from there, and then slightly longer from Sullivan to Geneva, but most snow was avoidable and it was all straightforward. Landslide Peak is a curious name, since the peak area is nearly flat as a pancake; one of the least likely places I've been in Colorado to see a landslide! Anyway, it's a short stroll to Landslide from Geneva. To avoid a descent through steep snow, I elected to proceed to Webster Pass - minimal snow to get there from Landslide. Below Webster Pass, the initial descent was on grass, but soon became 100% snow. Snowshoes were mandatory in the afternoon heading down and through the basin. They held me up fairly well considering the soaring temperatures. The basin is gorgeous and gives a nice view of the peaks climbed. It was a warm, bright day with little breeze. Didn't cross paths with a single soul on the entire loop today. Well worth the effort expended, and I highly recommend this loop! 

Route: North Slopes
Posted On: 12/5/2020, By: HikesInGeologicTime
Info: Surprising amount of snow on Santa Fe Peak Road - snowmobiles have packed it down up through the last of the residences, then it's deep and powdery enough up to where you can cut up to the ridge that flotation is a really good idea. Still not enough the whole way up to ski from the summit, but there were a few skiers making good use of what was there. 

Route: Warden Gulch
Posted On: 10/11/2020, By: madmattd
Info: Parked at 10,500' in an empty campsite just above the powerlines - stream crossing was shallow and not an issue in my crossover, low clearance might have issues with the entry/exit. Road above is a Jeep road, difficulty 4 I'd say (4 Runners and such can probably manage to the mine, I wouldn't try a Subaru as the first 1/2-3/4mi is pretty rough). Trail (which maps suggest is an alternate CDT route) is unsigned but fairly easy to pick up just above and climber's right of the collapsed mine entrance. It swings around out past Morgan Peak, not straight up a terrible-looking gully like my map suggested (other maps have a better approximation I later discovered). Trail comes and goes, but fades heavily on the NW side of Morgan Peak (I found some segments on my return). Traverse below the talus field on the W side of Morgan Peak if you miss the trail down below it even further, the talus is not all that stable in places. Once meeting up with the road from Montezuma the rest of the ascent is simple (stay on the main road at a signed fork). There is a cairn and a good trail up from the road on the S side of the peak versus the dirt hillside on the W side where it is tempting to ascent. I continued to Sullivan and Geneva before retracing my steps, this ended up being 12.9mi and just shy of 5000ft of gain in all due to a couple brief mistaken detours. Add ~1/2mi (total) and 40' if starting before the stream crossing on the Warden Gulch Road. 

Route: North Slopes
Posted On: 6/12/2020, By: mtngoatwithstyle
Info: Road up to peak is currently closed to motorized vehicles (not sure when they will open it) so I had the whole place to myself. Continuous snow on the road from 11,000 until 12,800 . A few snowfields to cross, I brought microspikes and used them to cross them as well as to walk on the snow on the road. At 12,800 no more snow and road is clear to the peak & summit. Remember that there is no parking in Montezuma, so you will have to park in Peru Creek and walk the extra 2 miles (RT). 

Route: North Slopes
Posted On: 3/6/2020, By: dereks95
Info: Boot pack is in great shape up to about tree line. From there we were breaking trail (but it's broken now!) up to Morgan Pass. We left our snowshoes at Morgan Pass as the rest of the route was windblown dry. 

Route: North Slopes
Posted On: 2/22/2020, By: AnnaG22
Info: flotation necessary to about 12,500. Once close to the saddle with Morgan, can boot the rest of the ridgeline all the way to Landslide (pretty dry). Skiable from the Morgan saddle. 

Route: Warden Gulch Ascent and Santa Fe Peak Road Descent
Posted On: 10/29/2019, By: mjlucarelli
Info: Winter conditions. Started at the 2wd Warden Gulch trail head off of the Peru Creek Rd. Snowshoes were helpful below treeline but most of the group took them off once we got above treeline since the wind was blowing quite a bit of the snow off the route. One member of the group chose to keep hers on so she stuck mainly to the snow drifts while the rest of us stuck to the exposed rocks. We then descended the Santa Fe Peak Rd (Standard Route) and used our snowshoes all the way down to the town of Montezuma. 

Route: North Slopes
Posted On: 7/13/2019, By: shaunblair
Info: Summer conditions, dry. 

Route: North Slopes, all the way to Landslide Peak
Posted On: 5/14/2019, By: supranihilest
Info: Good snow below treeline; microspikes were enough. Above treeline I wore snowshoes all day, all the way to Landslide Peak and down into the valley until Webster Pass Road. The snow in the descent gully was a little bit soft but stable.