San Luis Peak Trip Report 10/24/2021

Report Type	Full
Peak(s)	San Luis Peak - 14,023 feet
Date Posted	10/24/2021
Date Climbed	09/26/2021
Author	eaagaard

San Luis Northeast Ridge 09/26/2021
Intro I had ten days in Colorado, and I was committed to Chicago Basin on the fourth day. Coming from nearly sea level, I figured I should get at least a little bit of higher-altitude exertion under my belt before embarking on Chicago Basin. I had looked at San Luis Peak for a while, and the fact that it's so far from anything boded well for a solitary experience. Also, while no 14er is "easy" or a "slam dunk," this one appeared to be about as mellow as is possible for a mountain that pokes that far up into the atmosphere. So two days after I landed in Denver, I found myself leaving the South Fork area (highly recommend North Clear Creek Falls, and in fact the entire area, by the way!) The 40+ miles of dirt road to the Stewart Creek trailhead went quickly in the dark. In late September, neither creek crossing was an issue, although the first one comes up immediately past a sharp turn and feels just .. awkward. The Hike At the Stewart Creek trailhead, I was surprised to see probably 15+ vehicles crowded alongside the road. Prominent amongst them was a pickup truck with the CFI logo. I figured I'd meet a work crew the next morning somewhere on the trail. I drove on down the 1/4 mile to the next trailhead and went to sleep. The next morning I hit the trail around 6:15ish and was well into the first, flat part with beaver ponds by sunrise. I turned to look behind me and saw a beaver swimming across its pond - pretty neat! By the trailhead (taken on the return trip.) Beaver ponds at sunrise Resident of said beaver pond The trail appeared newly-maintained. I never did meet a large group of people, but the plentiful willows reaching above my head, but they were all cut well back from the trail. It felt like the time I drove over Independence Pass in a snowstorm, right behind the snowplow the whole way! Pretty awesome. The trail follows Stewart Creek up into the drainage. As we got higher, the trees thinned out and this was the primary view. I played leapfrog with the hikers in this photo. I'm sure many people have been disappointed when they realized that prominent peak is not, in fact, San Luis. No, San Luis is behind it and to the left, obscured by it, even further away! Nearing the end of flattish hiking. The trail eventually climbs steeply up the left-hand wall to the ridgeline. Fall colors starting to show above treeline. This is looking back down the valley toward the trailhead The path continues steeply up the left-hand side of the valley on an awesome, if physically draining, trail. A brief flat area! Once I gained the ridgeline, I could see what was obscured before - another ridgeline that ended in San Luis proper. Note the waning moon here. :-) The rest of the route, taken from the ridge after ascending the Stewart Creek drainage. The trail goes around the left side of the lighter mountain, and then basically follows below the ridgeline until the summit, which is the high point in this photo. At this point, I was feeling the altitude. I'm fortunate to do pretty well at higher altitudes, but I wasn't quite there yet after only 2 days out of San Antonio. I sat about here and drank a ton of water and had a snack. As soon as I rested, I felt great again. So I took it slow from here, deliberately dialing back my pace and making myself stop and catch my breath. The trail meanders mostly below the ridgeline until almost to the summit, and then loops up to the high point. Near the final summit "block," the trail reaches the ridgeline. Here's the view that was hiding behind the ridge. Wetterhorn, Matterhorn, and Unccompaghre are on the right. I believe that's the Sneffels triangle toward the left. Please set me straight if I"m wrong. Taken from about the same spot as the previous photo, this shows the summit (notice the stick figures?) and the rest of the route. It's just a straightforward grind from here. There was a group of people on the summit, and one of them offered to take a photo of me. So we traded phones, I snapped them, and they snapped me. Cheesy summit photo. Even though it's an "easy" 14er, I worked hard for this one, two days removed from near sea level breathing. Obligatory USGS marker. On the summit this time, because there's room and easy access. Ridgeline abstract. Looks thoroughly sketchy, loose, and gnarly to me. Even in boring, flat, midday light, the view was pretty great! After rehydrating and enjoying the view for a while, I headed back down. Here's the trail viewed from the summit. For scale, the two red arrows are pointing at two other hikers. Photos can't convey the brilliant backlit colors A really neat area of bristlecone pines, with their twisted, gnarly trunks. Obligatory aspen photo Nearing the trailhead again. at 100% zoom, there is a vehicle visible in the small break between the trees. That's the trailhead. I was worn out when I finally got back to the trailhead. I'd gone about 14 miles and felt pretty good about how I handled it. Further adventures awaited in Chicago Basin! Thank you for reading. Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

San Luis Northeast Ridge 09/26/2021

Intro

I had ten days in Colorado, and I was committed to Chicago Basin on the fourth day. Coming from nearly sea level, I figured I should get at least a little bit of higher-altitude exertion under my belt before embarking on Chicago Basin. I had looked at San Luis Peak for a while, and the fact that it's so far from anything boded well for a solitary experience. Also, while no 14er is "easy" or a "slam dunk," this one appeared to be about as mellow as is possible for a mountain that pokes that far up into the atmosphere. So two days after I landed in Denver, I found myself leaving the South Fork area (highly recommend North Clear Creek Falls, and in fact the entire area, by the way!) The 40+ miles of dirt road to the Stewart Creek trailhead went quickly in the dark. In late September, neither creek crossing was an issue, although the first one comes up immediately past a sharp turn and feels just .. awkward.

The Hike

At the Stewart Creek trailhead, I was surprised to see probably 15+ vehicles crowded alongside the road. Prominent amongst them was a pickup truck with the CFI logo. I figured I'd meet a work crew the next morning somewhere on the trail. I drove on down the 1/4 mile to the next trailhead and went to sleep. The next morning I hit the trail around 6:15ish and was well into the first, flat part with beaver ponds by sunrise. I turned to look behind me and saw a beaver swimming across its pond - pretty neat!

21458_12 — By the trailhead (taken on the return trip.)

The trail appeared newly-maintained. I never did meet a large group of people, but the plentiful willows reaching above my head, but they were all cut well back from the trail. It felt like the time I drove over Independence Pass in a snowstorm, right behind the snowplow the whole way! Pretty awesome.

The trail follows Stewart Creek up into the drainage. As we got higher, the trees thinned out and this was the primary view. I played leapfrog with the hikers in this photo. I'm sure many people have been disappointed when they realized that prominent peak is not, in fact, San Luis. No, San Luis is behind it and to the left, obscured by it, even further away!

21458_03 — Nearing the end of flattish hiking. The trail eventually climbs steeply up the left-hand wall to the ridgeline.

21458_13 — Fall colors starting to show above treeline. This is looking back down the valley toward the trailhead

21458_04 — The path continues steeply up the left-hand side of the valley on an awesome, if physically draining, trail.

Once I gained the ridgeline, I could see what was obscured before - another ridgeline that ended in San Luis proper. Note the waning moon here. :-)

21458_05 — The rest of the route, taken from the ridge after ascending the Stewart Creek drainage. The trail goes around the left side of the lighter mountain, and then basically follows below the ridgeline until the summit, which is the high point in this photo.

At this point, I was feeling the altitude. I'm fortunate to do pretty well at higher altitudes, but I wasn't quite there yet after only 2 days out of San Antonio. I sat about here and drank a ton of water and had a snack. As soon as I rested, I felt great again. So I took it slow from here, deliberately dialing back my pace and making myself stop and catch my breath.

21458_14 — The trail meanders mostly below the ridgeline until almost to the summit, and then loops up to the high point.

21458_06 — Near the final summit "block," the trail reaches the ridgeline. Here's the view that was hiding behind the ridge. Wetterhorn, Matterhorn, and Unccompaghre are on the right. I believe that's the Sneffels triangle toward the left. Please set me straight if I"m wrong.

21458_07 — Taken from about the same spot as the previous photo, this shows the summit (notice the stick figures?) and the rest of the route. It's just a straightforward grind from here.

There was a group of people on the summit, and one of them offered to take a photo of me. So we traded phones, I snapped them, and they snapped me.

21458_16 — Cheesy summit photo. Even though it's an "easy" 14er, I worked hard for this one, two days removed from near sea level breathing.

21458_19 — Obligatory USGS marker. On the summit this time, because there's room and easy access.

21458_08 — Ridgeline abstract. Looks thoroughly sketchy, loose, and gnarly to me.

21458_15 — Even in boring, flat, midday light, the view was pretty great!

After rehydrating and enjoying the view for a while, I headed back down.

21458_24 — Here's the trail viewed from the summit. For scale, the two red arrows are pointing at two other hikers.

21458_23 — Photos can't convey the brilliant backlit colors

21458_17 — A really neat area of bristlecone pines, with their twisted, gnarly trunks.

21458_18 — Nearing the trailhead again. at 100% zoom, there is a vehicle visible in the small break between the trees. That's the trailhead.

I was worn out when I finally got back to the trailhead. I'd gone about 14 miles and felt pretty good about how I handled it. Further adventures awaited in Chicago Basin!

Thank you for reading.

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

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