Miriam Peak 13,136'

Mount Koven 13,293'

Gannett Peak 13,811'

“Spearhead Pinnacle” 13,225'

Mount Warren 13,743'

July 07-10, 2025

~52.8 Miles, ~15,500 Gain

TH: Sacred Rim/Pole Creek Trailhead (~7 hours from Denver)

Max difficulty: Class 5.6

Introduction: A Long Approach

With Wyoming 13er beta being as scarce as breathable air at 13,000 feet, I figured it's worth adding some. Gerod and I rolled out of Denver late on July 6th and crashed that night at the Sacred Rim/Pole Creek Trailhead. The next morning, July 7th, we hit the trail at 7:20 AM and settled in for the long, scenic slog to Titcomb Basin.

The Pole Creek Trail winds north toward Photographers Point (~5 miles in), where the Winds make their first dramatic appearance. From there, we followed signs to Eklund Lake, then to Seneca Lake (~9 miles), and then on to Island Lake (~12.5 miles). We finally pushed to the sizable double lakes in Titcomb Basin (~15 miles). It's a beautiful hike but Titcomb is deceptively long, especially when you're hauling a pack full of food, climbing gear, snow gear, and camping gear.

North of the second Titcomb Lake, the trail faded into talus and patchy snow and became challenging to follow. After a slow grind, we reached the top of Bonney Pass (~20 miles) around 6:20 PM, where we ditched our 33lb packs (which somehow felt like 60 by then).

First Stop: Miriam Peak

Our warm-up peak was Miriam, a newly ranked Wyoming LiDAR 13er. From Bonney Pass, we scrambled southwest up class 2 talus to the jagged summit ridge just shy of the high point. The ridge crest was a no-go so we skirted the right (northwest) side, navigating class 2-3 ledges to Miriam's southwest ridge. An interesting class 4 move got us up to the ridge proper, and from there, it was a class 3-4 scramble to the summit. We topped out at 7 PM just in time to catch a jaw-dropping view of Gannett and the surrounding peaks: a proper “welcome to the Winds” moment. After soaking in the view, we descended back to Bonney Pass and dropped to the base of Dinwoody Glacier to set up camp before dark.

Next Up: Mount Koven

With Koven's remote location, we figured it made sense to knock it out early. We left camp a bit before 6 AM, followed the Gannett Peak Trail towards Gooseneck Pinnacle, and then broke off at 11,900 feet at a glacial moraine to cross the base of Gooseneck Glacier. The snow was in great shape and a mellow snow climb put us at a col below Gannett's east shoulder. From there, we aimed for Koven's south ridge. Originally, I thought we were taking the easier east face couloir, but nope, I didn't read the fine print. We ended up on the south ridge (I thought it went at a moderate grade), thinking we might simul-climb it. The ridge immediately gave us a reality check: boots on slick rock, exposed moves, and route-finding galore. I swore it was 5.2, but then I found myself scratching up a 5.6 chimney. "Wyoming 5.2 is legit," I muttered.

For the most part, we stayed on the shaded west side near the ridge crest. The crux? A surprisingly solid 5.7 hand crack to regain the ridge proper after a sharp spire. After five rope-stretching 30-meter pitches on chossy rock, we finally spotted the line where our original beta made sense. The next section on the ridge looked harder (5.8-ish) so we opted for a short 80-foot rappel down the east side to some friendlier class 4 terrain. Unroped scrambling got us back on the ridge crest below a sizable gendarme which we skirted on 4th class ledges to reach a notch on the far side. Finally, we were back on route. From there, we followed the west side of the ridge, navigated a dramatic airy step, and tackled one last 5.2 slab/crack (appropriately rated, haha) section before reaching the summit ridge. At 11:00 AM, we tagged the summit. It should be noted, upon further research after reading more beta at home, Koven's South Ridge can be climbed at 5.3 if staying WELL below the ridge crest following ledges on the ridge's east (right) side.

We returned to the south side of the prominent gendarme and down-climbed to the bottom of our rappel from the ridge and made a 100-foot rappel down a steep slab, followed by a short 20-footer to reach easier ledges. That's when we realized the real crux of Koven wasn't the climb, it was the bergschrund now yawning between us and the glacier. Luckily, we found a decent snow bridge and rappelled 70 feet to regain the glacier. Well, that was time-consuming.

Gannett: Gerod's Only Desire

We made it back to our packs at the base of Koven's south ridge around 12:15 PM, refueled on snacks, and started the familiar shuffle back up to the col on Gannett's east shoulder. From there, we dropped down our ascent couloir, cruised across Gooseneck Glacier, and made our final push up Gannett's standard route. The snow was softening under the afternoon sun but conditions were nearly perfect, just mellow snow plodding and a bit of mixed talus.

By 2:50 PM, we were standing on Wyoming's tallest peak. The views were wild but our legs? Less so. My original plan had been to keep pushing southward to climb Pinnacle Ridge and Woodrow Wilson, but both of us were dragging from the long Day 1 approach and the altitude wasn't doing us any favors. So instead of heroics, we turned back and recharged at camp for the next day's climb.

Spearhead Pinnacle: The Gem

Stiff but determined, we rolled out of camp around 6:00 AM and slogged back up Dinwoody Glacier toward Bonney Pass. Surprisingly, the ascent didn't suck as much as expected and we were soon back on the south side where we ditched our overnight gear around 11,600 feet. We climbed an enjoyable moderate snow couloir (soon to be hideous scree once melted) to a col just south of Spearhead Pinnacle. From there, we hugged the upper Helen Glacier and then found another moderate snow couloir that led us to the base of Spearhead's north ridge. If there hadn't been snow, this climb would be top-notch awful.

From the col, we skirted a funky lizard-head gendarme on the right (west, class 2). Then the ridge ramped up fast and we found ourselves scrambling up the crest (class 4) until a short but punchy headwall crux. I climbed an awkward chimney (maybe 5.5?) to gain a narrow bench, though in hindsight, the slab-and-crack before the chimney might have been easier. Then came the best part: a fantastic, knife-edge ridge that felt like something out of an alpine dream. Massively exposed and thrilling but mostly class 3. Sorry Capitol Peak, but this ridge steals the show. A final class 3 scramble above the knife-edge brought us to the actual summit pinnacle, a class 4 block with a summit no bigger than a coffee table. We stood on top at 12:10 PM, soaking in the incredible views. The descent went smoothly and we down-climbed the knife-edge, did a short 40-foot rappel past the crux, and scrambled back to the base of the gendarme.

One More for the Road: Mount Warren

Gerod was content and ready to start the long journey out but I couldn't leave Mount Warren sitting right there so we split at the col below Spearhead Pinnacle's north ridge and I dropped down onto Helen Glacier once more to tackle Warren's southwest face. A 300-foot snow climb got me to the one obvious weakness in the cliffy face. I crossed some talus and started scrambling up a water-slicked class 3 gully. After about 200 feet, the scrambling eased into a classic class 2 talus grind. I hit an upper snowfield, curved right below some cliffs guarding the summit, and gained Warren's east ridge. From there, it was a short final jaunt to Warren's summit, arriving at 2:20 PM. The descent was swift and uneventful, and I met back up with Gerod at the col south of Spearhead Pinnacle. We dropped back down the couloir to our stashed camp gear and began the long, astonishingly mosquito-saturated march out. That evening, we camped near Little Seneca Lake, and the next morning, we knocked out the final 10 miles back to the trailhead. The trip was a fantastic introduction to the Winds. Now, I'm excited to work on the Wyoming 13ers. Partners anyone?