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Challenger Point

 North Slope
Difficulty Difficult Class 2 
Risk FactorsExposure: Considerable
Rockfall Potential: Considerable  
Route-Finding: Considerable  
Commitment: Moderate  
 
TrailheadWillow Creek
Start8,850 feet
Summit14,086 feet
Total Gain5,400 feet from TH
2,600 feet from Willow Lake
RT Length13.5 miles from TH
4 miles from Willow Lake
AuthorBillMiddlebrook
Last UpdatedApr 2025
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Trailhead

Take Colorado 17 to the town of Moffat. On the south side of town, look for the sign for Crestone and turn east on the "RD T" road. Drive approx. 11.5 miles to Crestone. Continue straight and turn left on Alder Street. Drive through town a bit and turn right onto Galena. Follow Galena out of town and it turns to dirt. Now on Forest Service road #949, it's approx. 2 miles to the trailhead.

Route

Taken from near the town of Crestone, 1 provides a view of Challenger from the west. Begin by following the Willow Creek Approach to Willow Lake. If you're camping, there are campsites located below the lake. From the campsites, follow the trail past a small waterfall and ascend briefly to a hill beside the lake ( 2). Turn left and hike out of the trees to reach a boulder field ( 3). Continue through it as you approach the large waterfall at the east end of the lake ( 4, 5, and 6). Cross the stream above the waterfall, then follow cairns and intermittent trail segments across the flat area above the lake ( 7).

At a trail junction , turn right and continue toward Challenger and Kit Carson on the defined trail ( 8 and 9). Follow the trail as it zigzags through ledges and a boulder field ( 10). Near 12,300', swing left onto more moderate terrain ( 11). Next, follow the left side of a prominent rock rib as the trail becomes less distinct ( 12). Stay near the rib, continuing upward as the steepness increases ( 13, and 14). Near 13,200', at the upper section of the rib, veer left and traverse toward more challenging terrain ( 15). Ascend through rock slabs to reach the crux of the route: 600 feet of steep, loose, talus-covered terrain. This section can be a bit confusing, so take your time. Look for cairns and use your route-finding skills to keep the difficulty under Class 3 ( 16, 17, and 18). Stay to the right of the snow-filled gully (typically lingering into August) as you work your way up to a notch in the ridge ( 19 and 20).

Pass through the notch , then turn left to gain the summit ridge ( 21 and 22). Follow the ridge southeast toward the summit ( 23). Some sections of the ridge are narrow, so if exposure becomes uncomfortable, stay slightly left of the ridge crest. The final 0.1 mile steepens slightly as you approach the summit ( 24, 25, and 26).

Notes

IMPORTANT: This route enters the Sangre De Cristo Wilderness area. Designated wilderness areas have special regulations and restrictions for party size, dispersed camping, campfires, etc. Also, dog owners should read the wilderness information carefully because some wilderness areas prohibit dogs to be off-leash and/or limit how close dogs can be to lakes and streams. If you have questions about the wilderness area, please contact a U.S. Forest Service office for the National Forest(s) listed above.
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