First, use the
Chicago Basin Approach to reach Chicago Basin where dispersed camp sites can be found between 10,800' and 11,100'. From your high camp, follow the well-established trail northeast toward the end of the basin
1. Near 11,200', turn left toward Twin Lakes at a signed junction
2. This trail provides access to Windom, Sunlight, and Eolus. Ascend through remaining forest
3 until the trail becomes less defined as you navigate over and around some rocky slabs
4. Near 11,400', exit the trees to see two streams on the slope beneath Twin Lakes
5. At 11,700', cross the first stream, veer right, and follow switchbacks up steeper terrain
6. Continue to the second stream crossing, near 12,300'
7. Haul a bit higher to reach Twin Lakes at 12,500'
8.
Stay right and follow the trail east around the first lake
9. Shortly after, veer right again and ascend via switchbacks up a slope
10. After the trail swings back toward the middle of the basin and levels off, continue to a prominent cairn above 13,000'
11. Continue a bit further east to another cairn
12. At this point, cairns diverge left toward Sunlight Peak. If aiming for Windom, take time to carefully study the route options, as no continuous trail exists
13. Next, aim to reach the saddle between Windom and 13er Peak 18. Descend slightly and traverse angled slabs just right of the basin's center to avoid loose rock to your right, which some hikers use as a more direct route to/from Windom. Continue east along these slabs until you reach approximately 13,300', then turn right and ascend toward the saddle
14.
From the 13,450-foot saddle
, 650 feet of climbing along Windom's west ridge remains
15 16 17. While primarily staying on the left side of the ridge, follow cairns leading to a small notch at 13,800'
18. Here, the summit remains out of view, and navigating larger rocks becomes slightly more challenging. Near 13,900', stay left of the ridge as you approach the top
19. Just before the summit, find one of two breaks in the ridge providing easy Class 3 access to the final pitch
20. Pick your line and scramble onto the summit blocks
21.
If you plan to climb Sunlight Peak after Windom Peak... In summer, when Windom's northwest face is mostly snow-free, DO NOT descend it directly toward Sunlight. The face is steep, loose, dangerous, and descending it adds a lot of unnecessary risk. Instead, the standard way to traverse to Sunlight is to backtrack along Windom's west ridge
22, and traverse lower. Return to the saddle, then descend north
23 for approximately 150 feet to reach flatter terrain near 13,300'. From here, traverse northeast across slabs and angle up an easy slope to intersect the standard Sunlight route near 13,500'
24. Finish by following the upper portions of the
Sunlight Peak South Face route description.
25 is another look at the crossover. Combining Windom and Sunlight via this basin crossover totals nearly 7 miles of round-trip distance and 4,000 feet of elevation gain from a camp in Chicago Basin.
GPX
KML
