3/9/2025 Route: 13115 -> baldy lejos -> 13308 Posted On: 3/10/2025, By: yaktoleft13 Info: Climbed 13115, baldy lejos, and 13308 from the road up to Willow Creek trailhead. Plowed to 504/503 junction. Able to boot to equity mine, then snowshoe to the ridge. Dropped snowshoes here, climbed easy ridge/face of 115. Baldy lejos is indeed lejos. Dodged the first two points on the left, then dropped down to the left to avoid steep, wind-affected snow and climbed talus and scree back to the ridge. Tagged 13005 on the way by, then climbed the exposed dirt and rocks up to lejos. Returned the way I came back to the snowshoes, put them on, and dropped to San Luis pass. Climbed out the other side and dodged the tower to the left. Took off snowshoes and climbed the exposed rock/grass and snow near the ridge up to 308. Finding the real summit of 308 was annoying. It's not the cairn, and it's not the scrambly point I went to off to the east. It's the high point of the blob of tundra. For the descent, took the S/SW ridge of 308 down to treeline, where I hit the worst trenching of my life. Managed less than a quarter mile in an hour, but eventually got out and the snow improved, though still was inconsistent. The S/SW ridge terminated 50 feet from my car. 18.1 mi, 6300 vert, 12:40 car to car |
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7/18/2024 Route: 13030/13115/13005/Baldy Lejos from West Willow Cre Posted On: 7/18/2024, By: JasonKline Info: The 13030/13115/13005/Baldy Lejos loop from West Willow Creek Trailhead is in full summer conditions with no snow/ice. Many people have reported 13030 as involving Class 3, but we thought it was only Class 2. |
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7/9/2023 Route: From 13,111 Posted On: 7/10/2023, By: ScottLovesRMNP Info: There are some small snow patches remaining here and there along the ridge 13111 ---> 13020D ----> Baldy Lejos, but they can all be avoided. Almost summer conditions. My sources suggested that upon retracing the route along the ridge after visiting Baldy Lejos, I could reduce the elevation gain on the way back to 200 feet by contouring around the many high points along the ridge. This was easier said than done and not intuitive. The side-hilling on loose San Juan rock was not worth the effort in most places, and re-climbing most of the way up most of the bumps, I must have gained more like 800 feet on the way back. It's a big elevation day for peaks that are very low 13ers. |
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6/10/2023 Route: South Ridge Posted On: 6/11/2023, By: Kiefer Info: The south ridge is 95% free of snow. And what snow there is, is predominantly down low in the valley still. Hiked in boots. But doable with tennis. Summer conditions up top. Moose are in the area too. So pay attention. |
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4/30/2023 Route: Willow Creek Posted On: 5/1/2023, By: Sbenfield Info: Hiked along with 13111 & 13020D. Parked at the 503/504 intersection from Creede. We used snowshoes all the way to 13111 summit, and ditched them right after. Several ups and down to reach 13020D & Lejos, microspikes helpful at times, but mostly gentle terrain. Repeated route back. 16mi, 5000 RT |
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6/27/2020 Route: South Ridge Posted On: 6/27/2020, By: Flyingfish Info: Summer conditions along the ridge. One small patch of snow along the CT right below the top of the pass. |
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8/31/2019 Route: South Ridge Posted On: 9/3/2019, By: supranihilest Info: Lejos means far in Spanish and they weren't kidding with this one. It's far away. It's all Class 1 grass and Class 2 talus but there is significant skirting of other rocky points along the way and significant amounts of elevation loss and re-gain. Keep an eye on the skies on this one, you're way, way out there on a long, high ridge with no shelter if weather comes in. |
