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Home » Destinations » Colorado » Uncompahgre & Wetterhorn Peaks
ColoradoFourteenersHikingScrambling

Uncompahgre & Wetterhorn Peaks

Posted on20 Jul 20186 Apr 2021 14er, mountain, mountains Leave a Comment 2268 Views
Wetterhorn Peak

For the first Fourteeners of the 2018 season we traveled across Colorado to the San Juan mountains. Uncompahgre & Wetterhorn Peaks are relatively close together and near the town of Lake City, which we had not visited. One of the reasons why I like to do Fourteeners is that the mountains take you to parts of the state that you might not usually travel to. A little camping, a little towning, a little mountaining — a good plan for a long weekend.

Uncompahgre Peak, Thursday 12 July 2018

First up was Uncompahgre Peak. We camped near the end of the Nellies Creek 4WD road. Monsoon rains had contained the nearby fires, but also made for a slippery trip up the road the day before. We started at 05:30, which was early enough to catch the sunrise light on Uncompahgre.

Uncompahgre Peak
Uncompahgre Peak

The hike itself was a wonderfully scenic walk-up, but the overcast sky prevented any remarkable photos of the verdant & varied San Juan landscape.

  • Uncompahgre Peak & Wildflowers
    Uncompahgre Peak & Wildflowers
  • Uncompahgre Peak Steep Section
    Uncompahgre Peak Steep Section
  • Wetterhorn Peak from Uncompahgre Peak
    Wetterhorn Peak from Uncompahgre Peak

The view from the summit didn’t disappoint, with the jagged peaks of the rest of the San Juans to the south and the long green valleys to the north. Spent about thirty minutes taking photos & eating lunch, then headed back down.

View North from Uncompahgre Peak
View North from Uncompahgre Peak

Got back to camp at 11:00, then packed up & headed for Lake City for lodging, food, beer and as many OHV (Off Highway Vehicles) driven by Texans as you could ever want.

  • When: 12 Jul 2018
  • Distance: 8 mi RT
  • Total Elevation: 2,849′
  • Time to Summit: 3:00 hrs
  • Total Time: 5:30 hrs
  • Colo 14er Rank: #6

Wetterhorn Peak, Saturday 14 July 2018

We spent a leisurely Friday provisioning in Lake City and playing tourists on the Alpine Loop. We took the spur leading to Matterhorn Creek and camped just below the trailhead.

Another early start assured us morning light on Wetterhorn Peak. Wetterhorn proved to be a more enjoyable mountain with much better light.

  • Morning Light on Wetterhorn Peak
    Morning Light on Wetterhorn Peak
  • View from Wetterhorn trail
    View from Wetterhorn trail

Much like Uncompahgre, it’s a curving trail that gives you an unobstructed view of the surrounding landscape. It’s all pretty easy-to-follow trail walking. And then you come to the ‘yellow dirt’. After this section the easy scrambling begins. So we put on our helmets (primarily for rockfall from those above us) and started the steeper part.

Wetterhorn Peak Ridge
Wetterhorn Peak Ridge

This was our first Class 3 Fourteener, and it proved to be a fun and easy scramble, with only a wee bit of exposure.

  • Wetterhorn Scrambling
    Wetterhorn Scrambling
  • Summiting Wetterhorn
    Summiting Wetterhorn
  • Wetterhorn Prow
    Wetterhorn Prow
  • Pika and Columbine
    Pika and Columbine

The summit may have been the best view from a Fourteener I’ve yet seen. The sun was out, showing the San Juans in all their dramatic glory.

  • View North from Wetterhorn Peak
    View North from Wetterhorn Peak
  • Wetterhorn Summit
    Wetterhorn Summit
  • Uncompahgre from Wetterhorn
    Uncompahgre from Wetterhorn

The down climb wasn’t bad either. Overall it’s the most fun I’ve had so far on a Fourteener.

On our way out of Lake City and en route to Creede, we stopped at Windy Point on Rt 149 near Slumgullon Pass. The view afforded us a nice panorama of our recent accomplishments.

Uncompahgre & Wetterhorn from Windy Point
Uncompahgre & Wetterhorn from Windy Point

Uncompahgre & Wetterhorn are a great introduction to both the San Juans and a more challenging mountain.

  • When: 14 Jul 2018
  • Distance: 7.3 mi RT
  • Total Elevation: 3,295′
  • Time to Summit: 3:00 hrs
  • Total Time: 6:00 hrs
  • Colo 14er Rank: #49
]
Previous Article Annapurna Circuit: How Much Does Trekking the Annapurna Circuit Cost?
Next Article Crestone Peak

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Fourteener Maps

I also make maps of all the Fourteeners. The link below takes you to my Etsy store. [etsy-shop shop_name="FlatWorldStudio" section_id="31906964" limit="1" offset="0"]

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Greg WillisThanks for stopping by! This site is about my travels both in the US and abroad. I try to be entertaining, but if not at least there’s plenty of photos! Find out more about me

 

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