9/28/2024 Route: 108->140->155 from 2 mi up Nellie creek Posted On: 9/29/2024, By: yaktoleft13 Info: Drove 2 mi up Nellie creek to a switchback, parked, crossed a creek, and followed an old 4wd road up above treeline and to the saddle between 108 and crystal. Passed the foot-shaped hoodoos and took talus to summit. Descended toward 110, around to the right, then around to the left to maximize grass. Descended off w ridge of 110, crossed unc trail, and went over grassy mounds and ascended loose, steep dirt/grass/rocks to saddle between UNC and 155. Rocky ridge to summit. Descended the west side talus, then headed south and picked up a good trail that led to the Nellie creek road about a mile above our car. 11.6 miles, 4200 vert, 6:45 car to car |
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9/23/2023 Route: Northeast Slopes from Nellie Creek Posted On: 9/25/2023, By: HikerGuy Info: I hiked a clockwise loop of 13,155 (13,158), 13,110 (13,106), 13,108 (13,091) and Crystal Peak. Completely dry. Tundra colors are nice, probably another week for the trees to peak. I parked at the end of a spur between the creek crossings off Nellie Creek Road (see photo). I was able to get my Hyundai Santa Fe up the road, but it was at its limit. 13.46 miles, 4,774 feet and 7h 59m roundtrip. |
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7/24/2023 Route: 158/106/091 Posted On: 8/6/2023, By: SnowAlien Info: Started from the bottom of the road, so this trio made it for a longer day that Redcloud/Sunshine/Sundog the next day ~5.5k and 14 miles. Took the El Paso creek trail towards 13,158 after 4 road miles. Pleasant approach from the south and easy NW ridge. Continued to 13,106, then 13,091. From the final peak took the old mining road back to Nellie creek. |
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7/1/2023 Route: 158/106/091 Posted On: 7/5/2023, By: 9patrickmurphy Info: The area is basically dry, almost all snow avoidable. Some snow to gain 13158s ridge, but trailrunners were fine for the way up. I appreciated an axe for the glissade. Inconsequential snow on the other unnameds. |
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8/8/2021 Route: Northwest Ridge, South Slopes to El Paso Creek Posted On: 8/8/2021, By: supranihilest Info: I started at the bottom of Nellie Creek Road and hiked the four miles to the 4WD trailhead. Tons of four wheeling going on, but word to those who drive Outbacks - save yourself the damage to your vehicle and walk the road. You won't make it to the upper trailhead. Follow the Uncompahgre trail to where it begins switchbacking up the slope to your right and stay straight on grass, following the creek to a grassy bowl with a huge talus field to your left. Climb on grass up the bowl and eventually you'll get better views of 13,158. Hike across mostly grass and some talus to the obvious saddle below the peak, then up the saddle on steep, loose terrain (Class 2) and then hike up the shockingly easy ridge to the summit. The ridge is like 95% Class 2 with maybe a couple of Class 2+ moves at the start. Either descend the way you came, or go down the south slopes on horrible, steep, loose talus, then southeast to a trail visible from the summit. This is the El Paso Creek trail. If you intercept it early enough you'll be reassured it actually goes somewhere since you'll hit the Wilderness boundary sign. Stay on the trail as it switchbacks down the slope through the forest and back to Nellie Creek Road. There's between one and two dozen small, muddy stream crossings and the trail I took barely followed what was marked on my Forest Service map (see the GPX I uploaded to the library), but it's obvious most of the time. It follows an old road and there's ample evidence of maintenance in the form of sawed up trees. You'll pop out near Nellie Creek and have to cross it back to the road. For reference, the point you'll come out on IS marked but with a "Closed" sign (see photo), yet there's a brand spankin' new "El Paso Creek" sign a mere 100-200 feet away at the start of the old road, which is bizarre. |
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10/31/2020 Route: Northwest Ridge via Nellie Creek Posted On: 11/1/2020, By: supranihilest Info: Note: we did not summit. The road is easy enough to hike, even from the bottom. The Uncompahgre trail is then easy to follow, and we turned off heading south at an arbitrary point and crossed a couple of boulderfields and some lumpy tundra bumps. There was tons of snow up to knee deep, all of it super sugary and unconsolidated and just awful to walk through. Ultimately we turned around before summiting and went for Point 13,106, which was much drier. Wear boots if you go for this peak. |
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8/14/2019 Route: Nellie Creek Posted On: 8/17/2019, By: JasonKline Info: Summer conditions. Snow completely avoidable. |
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8/30/2018 Route: Northwest Ridge Posted On: 9/1/2018, By: TravelingMatt Info: I combined 13158 with Broken Hill, but it can be easily combined with Uncompahgre as well. Easiest way to climb it is to avoid the towers along the ridge and climb up to the 13158/12932 col from the southwest. From the standard route up Uncompahgre, drop down the ridge to the south to about 12,600' and pass southeast under the towers. The slope up to the col is somewhat steep but grassy. From the col, stay close to the ridge all the way to the summit. The views are worth it. Second pic is from Broken Hill to west. |
