Mount Spalding

East Ridge

Difficulty Class 2

Risk FactorsExposure: Moderate
Rockfall: Moderate
Route-Finding: Moderate
Commitment: Low

TrailheadBlue Sky Summit Lake

Start12,850 feet

Summit13,863 feet

Total Gain1,025 feet

RT Length2.5 miles

AuthorBillMiddlebrook

Last UpdatedMay 2023

Reservation Required

A reservation is required to park at Summit Lake and must be purchased through recreation.gov PRIOR to the day of your hike. It's $22. Tickets are based on a 2-Hour entry window that you select; however, the earliest entry window you can select is 7:00-9:00am. If you want to start a hike earlier, you still need to have a ticket, so reserve a 7:00-9:00am slot, print it out and display it on your dash when you drive in early. Prior to 7am you should find the gate open unless the weather is bad and they close the road.

More Information at the USFS

Trailhead

Take Exit 240 at Idaho Springs on Interstate 70. Drive south on Colorado 103 for 13.5 miles to Echo Lake. Show your reservation and drive 9 miles up the Mt. Blue Sky road (Colorado 5) to the signed Summit Lake parking area.

Route

From the Summit Lake parking area, walk north past an old rock building to locate the trail which leads toward the north end of the lake - 1 and 2. Hike to the north end of the lake and locate a signed trail that climbs up Spalding's east ridge - 3.

Follow the steep trail up through rocks ( 4) to reach easier terrain on the ridge - 5. Continue on the trail and, near 13,200', stay left of the ridge crest in order to bypass more difficult terrain up to the right. Near 13,300' ( 7), climb back toward the ridge crest. Taken from the summit of Blue Sky, 8 provides a broad view of the route. Pop out on the ridge crest near 13,400' to reach easier terrain - 9. Cross a small trough and continue along the rocky ridge ( 10) to reach the summit - 11 and 12.

Notes

None

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