Peak 10

Route: East Ridge from Ski Area
Posted On: 6/7/2025, By: HikesInGeologicTime
Info: Peak 9 Road now open to the gate above Mercury (which is also open but has snow immediately beyond). Some sections of road had unavoidable snow, but it was supportive enough for booting even when we descended a little before 11. Potential trouble starts around 12.4k, where I postholed hip-deep and had to dig myself out with my ski; my partner was also unable to stay entirely on top of it, but at least he was able to free himself while keeping his skis on his pack. We stuck to the rocky edges of the road as much as possible after that. Dropped in shortly above the radio towers because the combination of winds (both of us had our skis A-framed on our packs) and the steepness and solidity of the snow on either side of the ridgeline (although the group a few minutes behind us summited). Conditions up high were a bit crusty at 9 a.m. but more forgiving throughout the descent, then turned punchy/collapsible as we crossed the flats to rejoin the road. Not exactly the best conditions I have ever encountered, in other words, but I have absolutely no regrets about how I spent such a nice day. 

Route: East Ridge from Crystal Creek
Posted On: 12/8/2024, By: Veory
Info: Started at Spruce Creek TH. Pretty good skinning conditions up to the ridge crest. On the ridge took the skis off for a short carry once and put them on the pack towards the top, which ended in a cool snow ridge which I chose to boot. Went down the N face (not fun in ski boots, nor with strong winds pushing on my A-frame) and stayed mostly on rock with some snow to peak 9. Skied from the summit down the SE face, across the flats to the "peak 9 road". Shuffled/ skied on there until I dropped North on sastrugi, came out at the top of the Mercury superchair and skied to town where I had a car shuttle set up at the airport lot. Cold and windy, all sorts of snow and rock conditions but the ski off peak 9 was really fun despite it's shortness 

Route: Wheeler Trail to East Ridge
Posted On: 7/12/2024, By: cdgibbons
Info: As a lifelong Copper Mountain skier, I've wondered about accessing Peaks 9 and 10 from the west, as the hike out of the valley is directly across from Resolution Bowl and Spaulding Bowl. I parked at the Far East Lot at Copper, took the CT to the Wheeler Trail over the ridge to the road to Peak 10, then the ridge direct to 9, then back down the east ridge of 9 to the Wheeler trail. My devices recorded 11.5 miles RT and 4400'. Almost summer conditions. As previously noted, one unavoidable snowfield about 200' below the summit of 10. I didn't have spikes, but might have used them if I had, as staying away from the cornice means ascending at a bit of an angle. About 10 people on 10. No one else on 9 or the Wheeler Trail. 

Route: East Ridge up, Fourth of July Bowl down
Posted On: 7/6/2024, By: HikesInGeologicTime
Info: Tl;dr: might be two days late, but Fourth of July bowl is in fine shape and relatively painless to reach! Road to radio towers clear of snow, though theres just enough running water to cross to test how waterproof your hiking footwear is. Brief snow crossings along ridge to summit (where most skiers were dropping in) are well-tracked and easy to follow. As I did not feel like doing a dry talus downclimb while wearing ski boots, I went down skiers left along the ridge ~150-200 feet below the summit to ski the most continuous line. As unpleasant as rock-hopping with skis and boots attached to my pack was, choosing this line afforded me the opportunity to ski some fun slush bumps through the top of where the bowl opens up - totally worth the questionable distinction of my first face-in Class 2 downclimb on the ridge above, plus I was able to keep my skis on until reaching tundra in the flats then was able to put them back on for one last gasp of snow that lasted until a few feet from the road. Classic for a reason; glad I finally gave it a go! 

Route: East Ridge from Crystal Creek
Posted On: 11/28/2023, By: astranko
Info: In for time being. Snow on the ridge at 13k starting to get deep and a little steep. Last 300ft to summit has a cornice forming. 

Route: East Ridge from Ski Area
Posted On: 9/14/2023, By: MidsizeAl
Info: Went up super early to be back down before a work thing at 8. Light dusting of snow above 13k with verglas on the talus. Additional snow blew in later this morning and it looks like there is a fresh coating down to maybe 12.5k. Not much accumulation at this point though. 

Route: Tenmile Traverse
Posted On: 8/18/2023, By: Habret
Info: Summer conditions. Started on Frisco Main Street at 215AM and tagged Mt. Royal up to Peak 1 - rest was the standard traverse. Rock was very grippy on the scrambling sections (Peaks 2-4) so I screwed around with some class 4 and a class 5 pitch after the knife's edge between 3 and 4. Rest was easy walking, albeit steep in some sections. Easily the most rigorous yet beautiful hike I've ever done - an absolute blast of a day for a masochistic mountaineer. Traverse totaled 16 miles, with 7900' gain. A couple of kind souls offered a ride down the Peak 10 4wd road; thank you Ben and Joe! Saw some hikers chancing the summit with lightning approaching at 2pm - never worth it!! 

Route: Tenmile Traverse
Posted On: 7/10/2023, By: Camden7
Info: Full Tenmile traverse. Dry to Peak 10 from Frisco, one small patch coming down the east ridge. No traction or axe required. Beautiful day out and a fun scramble. 

Route: Combo with Helen / Father Dyer and Crystal
Posted On: 7/1/2023, By: sarahmariekirk
Info: Peak 10 had some easily avoidable and sporadic snowfields, coming from Crystal Peak. Other than that, the ridge is nearly summer conditions. 

Route: Tenmile Traverse - Frisco to Breckenridge
Posted On: 9/11/2022, By: ScottLovesRMNP
Info: Summit has a huge American flag that was blowing nicely; gave me a thoughtful moment to be up there on September 11. I wanted to comment on the widely varying trip reports both on this website and elsewhere regarding the Tenmile Traverse. I've seen it described as multiple knife edge cruxes requiring class 5 exposed moves, and I've also seen it described much more tame than that -- in particular, I'm referring to the ridges from Peaks 2 to 3, and from Peaks 3 to 4. While it is possible to do Class 4-5 climbing on these ridges, that's only if you stay ridge direct. On the ridge from Peak 3 to 4, I chose to divert down and around the difficulties, and many footprints and occasional trail segments through the dirt suggest I'm not the only one. It is possible to do that entire ridge at Class 2+ if approached that way. I chose to do some Class 3 on firm slab steps instead of the boulder gully in some places, but encountered no exposure whatsoever. The only place where I think Class 3 climbing is REQUIRED is while descending towards the Dragon on the ridge from Peaks 2 to 3. The terrain there is all steep. Anyway, be careful on the Tenmile Traverse between Peaks 2 and 4 if you do it. There are few cairns and some "mixed messages" in the form of mutually exclusive trail segment choices to be made. I didn't think the route was obvious and took quite a bit of time studying the terrain. After Peak 4, the rest of the route is much more mellow, and aside from the fact that it's a huge stats day to go all the way to Peak 10, it's a fun and reasonable point-to-point hike. After Peak 10, I descended the Beaver Run ski area to get back to Breckenridge and then took the free bus from Breckenridge back to Frisco to get my car. 

Route: East Ridge from Crystal Creek
Posted On: 7/13/2022, By: NotTimid
Info: A lot of water on portions of the 4WD road. There is snow covering a section of the ridge between the radio towers and the summit - I wish I had brought my microspikes and was very glad I had brought my poles. Previous footprints were icy. I was able to kick new steps with just my boots but it was tedious. The rest of the route is dry! 

Route: East Ridge from Crystal Creek
Posted On: 4/11/2022, By: k_fergie
Info: Skied/booted up the east ridge and rode down the south slopes back to Crystal Creek from Spruce Creek TH on Saturday. Continuous snowboard descent with no uphill walking sections from summit at 13,6XX to the TH at 10,3XX; as good as peak skiing gets. The snow is really wind hammered, but was still able to find some good quality corn, some sastrugi transitioning to corn, some cold pow up high, all intermixed with medium-good coverage. I bet the coverage will improve a little bit in the next 3 weeks with the incoming storm track, but will not change drastically. Fourth of July bowl was filled in real nice on the skiers LH side from NW winds. However, the drop in from the summit was totally dry, wind direction this spring has not been favorable to fill in the last 100 feet 

Route: East Ridge from Crystal Creek
Posted On: 12/5/2021, By: CaptainSuburbia
Info: Packed powder from packed parking to treeline. Mostly dry on Wheeler trail gaining ridge. A couple steep snowfields on lower ridge. Sustained consolidated snow on upper ridge to summit. I put spikes on for this last bit. Cornices forming on north side. 

Route: Crystal Peak
Posted On: 10/4/2021, By: CheapCigarMan
Info: From Crystal Peak's Northeast ridge to Crystal / Peak 10's saddle to Peak 10's Southwest ridge. Fresh snow from the night before. Early clouds burned off making this a windless, partly sunny, and spectacular day. Solid rock on the ridges and saddle. Snow was not an issue. No need for traction. Descended off of Peak 10's Eastern ridge to the electronics site then directly down 10's Southeastern slope to Spruce Creek upper 4WD / Lower Crystal Lake TH. 

Route: East Ridge from Crystal Creek
Posted On: 9/19/2021, By: LetsGoMets
Info: Summer conditions, pretty cold fall-feeling wind blowing. Ammo box register on the summit full of random stuff.