La Plata Peak

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 10/23/2026, By: Drea303
Info: Snow and ice condition starting at about 11,500 feet. Traction was needed above 12,000 feet. Snow drifts were about knee deep in spots. Definitely freeze thaw conditions so some of the lower snow conditions are getting very icy but it’s just mud up to 11,000 feet. 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 10/3/2026, By: amorgan
Info: Arrived at trailhead at 4am and on the trail by 4:15. Trail was in great shape; some mud at below treeline but minimal. Consistent snow on the trail above 12,800’. Largely tracked through. Probably would’ve benefited from putting microspikes on for the descent with some slick spots, but managed in hiking boots with poles. Beautiful fall hike. 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 9/30/2026, By: Argysc
Info: Started my hike at 6:15 am and was the first hiker on the trail. A little wet/muddy in patches, but clear of snow all the way up to about 13,500 ft. After that, some snow patches/drifts up to ankle height at the tallest, but only for a few feet at a time until very close to the summit. Brought spikes but didn't use them - winter boots and poles were enough to keep me from slipping. Snow was reasonably soft/fresh. First on the summit at 10:15am with visibility of about 25 feet in front of me due to fog. No rain or snow on me all day, though, which was a nice surprise after a wet forecast. 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 9/20/2026, By: Jwilder
Info: Summer conditions- no snow anywhere on route. No rockfall today in the gully, thankfully. Lots of people out there. On the upside, fall colors are at peak in the area, so the views are incredible -although weekend traffic was pretty rough! 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 9/18/2026, By: Dan1124
Info: There was another scary, near-miss rockfall incident in the switchback gully at 11,400 feet on 9/17. Multiple rocks, with the largest in the 40lb range, fell from the ridge above the top of that section of trail. Even the smaller pieces were travelling fast enough to cause serious injury. Definitely natural rockfall.
Thanks to the report from 9/12, our party was on high alert and was able to quickly notice, call out, and avoid the rockfall.
Be aware and move quickly through this section. 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 9/12/2026, By: Jwtemme
Info: Had a scary experience descending the narrow gully below treeline (pic #9 on route description) on the Northwest Ridge route today. My GF and I had a large (2ft diameter) rock come blasting down the gully, missing us by about 6ft. A hit would likely have been fatal, and we didn’t hear it until it was whizzing past us.

I shouted up asking if anybody above us had dislodged the rock, but got no response. I can’t say whether this was natural or human-caused rockfall, but either way it could have ended very badly.

If doing this route, BE MINDFUL that there is real rockfall danger in this gully. Take a break in a safe place before entering it, recharge, and move through it as quickly as you can. And please, if you or someone in your party kicks a rock down, YELL ROCK!!

Otherwise a great day, but a good reminder to never get complacent - even on class 2 routes like this one. 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 9/5/2026, By: Mark Goldstein
Info: It was another beautiful day in Caffee County. Traffic was easy. No smoke in the area from the previous fires. The trailhead parking lot had 9 vehicles noted by 5:45 AM. The water crossing was simple and easy. The trail below tree line was flat, easy and well-marked. Great job for the staircase well maintained. The trail going up to the switch back and ridge were identifiable. Very windy on the trail approaching the summit. Upon approaching the summit, it was a little bit scattered. Had to look for the trail. Make sure you go to the left and not the right. No wind on the summit and you could see for miles. Saw the Colligates and beautiful mountains in Aspen and the Elk Range. A very sunny day with some clouds.  Upon coming back down, there were several trail options. Stay high to see the trail. The summit temperature was 35 degrees, and the high was 58 degrees. A bit chilly on the switch back heading up and down. Definitely wear warm gloves.  A gorgeous day for a hike.  

Route: Southwest Ridge
Posted On: 8/23/2026, By: Sekwof
Info: The road to Winfield was easy for all vehicles. The AWD/4X4 road split off was clean but very bouncy up to the trailhead. High-clearance vehicles highly recommended for this section. Vehicles with good approach angles are very helpful here, as many times you will have steep drops and rises with jutting-out rocks at times. Not meant for sedan vehicles to be traversed.

Once the hike began, the trail was well-marked and easily followed, and the ground was soft up into/through the meadow. A few freshly fallen trees from a storm put two trees down in various spots in the lower section before the meadow. The trail in the meadow is well marked. The ground was soft and muddy at times. A few log bridges help avoid some muddy areas. Upon reaching the vertical chute near the mine, the trail is extremely slippery, slow, and has very few foot holds at times. Falling/slipping hazard is high up to the notch; expect to climb much slower here. Upon reaching the notch, a nice long walk along the alpine grass trail to the boulder field. A much-needed leg break.

The real challenge is the 1000-1200 feet of ascent in the poorly marked boulder/scree field to climb the first false summit. The path up is very hard to follow at times, and at times, some scrambles become class 3 when summiting this false summit. A few trail sections with cairns get slippery with dirt/sand/loose scree at times. The boulders are remarkably solid, so oftentimes bouldering vertically was an easier climb than following the exact path, with some zones becoming brief hard class 2 or class 3 scrambling. Reaching the top provides you with a clean view of the summit, with two more false summits. Each false summit can be skipped, but you still climb most of these to reach the next zone. Boulders and scree were pretty solid here with very little slip hazards when dry. The summit was dry, clean, and had plenty of rock/dirt space to sit and rest to take in the views.

Final note: This route takes much longer than anticipated for a 7-or-so-mile RT hike. Plan for this hike to take longer than expected. Our hike took 8 hours total, with about 7 hours of moving time. We did encounter a storm in the alpine grass zone (with hail!), and that slowed us down some when going down from the notch, down the dirt chute into the meadow. The hardest part of the ascent is the boulder field up with constant slow route finding/climbing, but the dirt chute descent is by far the hardest if you stay on trail. While I dont recommend ever walking on the grass and staying on the trail is almost always a must, the conditions were slick enough that descending on the dirt path was a certain slip hazard given the very steep grade. We had to step off the trail many times to not fall. The rain we encountered made the dirt grippy, which helped, if dry, it would be much more slippery. 10/10 mountain and hiking path. The views are spectacular, and one of the best class 2/3 mountains you can hike in the Sawatch Range. Great for all hikers of any skill level, but be prepared, you will earn every step you take on this climb. The GPX file helps at times, always good to have and reference. Stay positive and keep climbing! Make sure to peek into the mine! 

Route: Ellingwood Ridge
Posted On: 8/4/2026, By: BigC
Info: A full trip report is forthcoming, but for now a conditions update--full summer conditions and a beautiful day spent on the mountain. Absolutely 100% an enjoyable, exhilirating sufferfest of misery and joy. No snow on this route at all. That said, some notes.

The trail to Ellingwood is difficult to navigate at 3:00AM. In places, hardly more than a brush track. Also, it seems windstorms downed several large copses of trees, none of which are easily avoided, all of which obscure the way forward. On the boulder field, tread carefully, especially if you're there before sunrise. These are large, loosely stacked boulders at the base, and toaster to microwave-sized rocks underpinned by talus and scree as you gain elevation. Slide risks are high.

Once you gain the ridge, prepare for loose, rotten "trail" conditions--if it can even be called a trail. This was mostly a class 4 choose-your-own-adventure for me. Plan ahead for an extremely long, much longer than you anticipate, day. As soon as you think you've solved the immediate problem before you, you'll cliff out. Over. And over. And over. It was absolutely incredible, but not for the faint of heart. Bring a helmet and wear it for the entirety of the ridgewalk. I would characterize the risk of rockfall as extreme, not high. If you are attempting to stay low and to the east with a climber above you navigating the ridge proper, it will be a bad day. Whether using hands, feet, or both to make moves: Check. Every. Hold. This is not stable rock.

In general, for a "less" demanding experience, stay to the east of the ridge. Staying on the ridge will result in, at minimum, a class 4 day (or higher). There is a sort of impossible-to-explain sweet spot where you are neither too high nor too low on the ridge. In general, you won't find it. Mentally prepare for a lot of cliffing out and up-and-down.

A final note, worth all-capsing for emphasis--DOWNLOAD THE .GPX FILE and use it. Please. It may not save you any time, but it will save you much grief and mitigate some risks. Do not count on there being many cairns--I found myself wondering (multiple times) if it was a cairn, or just a pile of rocks that had sheared off from somewhere above. 

Route: Ellingwood Ridge ascent w/ standard descent
Posted On: 7/1/2026, By: sethjameslittle
Info: Air quality was poor due to the fires in the San Juans and near Leadville. The air cleared some after the approach hike. Our route was clear of snow besides a few short, relatively flat patches near the summit. Trail conditions above tree-line on the northwest ridge were loose, and sometimes, there isn't a trail at all, or there are multiple footpaths through the steep gravel. 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 6/19/2026, By: Bobak Radbin
Info: Summer conditions. A few small snow patches remain above 13,000 ft but are easy to avoid on rock and microspikes are not needed. Trail is dry and easy to follow through treeline. Some route finding is required on the upper ridge, but cairns and social trails make navigation manageable. Started at 4:40 AM on 6/18 and had excellent weather with light to moderate wind. Wildflowers are blooming and the trail is in great shape overall. 

Route: Ellingwood Ridge
Posted On: 6/14/2026, By: kelseyd
Info: 2 small, low-angle snowfields remain that you'd have to drop realllly far down to avoid. We stayed mostly ridge proper, so you might hit more if following the "trail" to the east/left. 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 6/13/2026, By: YankFrankTank
Info: Saturday parking at 6 AM is “summer conditions”; TH lot full and 20 cars pulled off on both sides of road. Trail was moderately busy but not bad. Friendly folks. Small Snow fields still up top as previously stated but you can go west of them; talus hopping. Dry trail on switchbacks can be slippery on descent. Beautiful day and amazing views. 

Route: Northwest Ridge
Posted On: 6/8/2026, By: robbcaz
Info: Quick pointer for those very early in the morning it's hard to see the right trail to access the bridge. I talked to another couple as well that accidentally went the wrong route to what looks like a rock wall and huge stream flow. The bridge is just downstream from here. I tried to mark the way with rock.

Snow pack was limited only places you had to go through were melted to the ground from previous foot traffic. Up top you have option of snow or rock. I was on the upper snow at 6 am / still frozen (freeze thaw cycle). It was hard to dig my microspikes into. Eventually didn't trust my spikes with too much exposure and too little kick in so I traversed into rock. Watch for thin ice in the morning on the dirt. Hit an unexpected patch and yes ouch....elbow bruise. 

Route: Ellingwood Ridge
Posted On: 6/8/2026, By: Been_Jammin
Info: Fact: Route is ALMOST in full summer conditions.
Opinion: This route is a proper sufferfest and a benchmark for hard (endurance wise) CO ridge scrambling.