Peak of the week No. 10: Crestone Peak
Elevation rank: Seventh of 54
Location: Sangre de Cristo Range
Directions: Take Colorado Highway 115 south to Florence and turn left onto Colorado 67. Drive for 11 miles and turn right onto Colorado 96. Go 26 miles and turn left onto Colorado Highway 69. Drive 4.6 miles and turn right onto County Road 119. Go 5.6 miles and turn right onto County Road 120. Follow to trailhead.
Crestone Peak stands highest at the center of a group of mountains known in the 1870s as the Trois Tetons — a tribute to their likeness to Wyoming’s Teton Range.
The dramatic and unmistakable silhouette of this group is often the backdrop of photos from Great Sand Dunes National Park.
The trail leading to Crestone Peak was made 2 miles longer in 2009, when the U.S. Forest Service closed the road much lower to reduce the impact that people were having on the valley.
The change has benefited the area and, though the hike is longer, it’s all the more enjoyable. The lush South Colony valley, with its trout-filled lakes, is accented with several stunning peaks.
Once you cross Broken Hand Pass, you’ll reach another paradise that’s even more remote. The poorly named Cottonwood Lake (it’s above treeline) rests in a hanging valley well over 12,000 feet in elevation. The beauty is almost enough to distract you from the fact that you have to descend 500 feet of hard-earned elevation to reach it.
Shortly after passing Cottonwood Lake, the trail reaches an amazing feature of this hike — a solid red line to guide you the rest of the way. It’s a gully comprised of red rock that is dramatically different from the gray conglomerate that makes up the rest of the mountain.
The red rock is slightly weaker than the rock that surrounds it and has eroded a bit more, providing a direct path by which climbers ascend the peak. The climb in the gully reaches class 3 in some sections and is steep, but after gaining and losing elevation on Broken Hand Pass, you’ll appreciate the direct finish.
Crestone Peak’s summit is split in two by the strip of red rock. The twin peaks are only 400 feet apart but are separated by a 160-foot drop. Officially, the western summit is the higher of the two. However, some people, myself included, believe the eastern summit is actually the higher point. If you do find yourself on the summit of Crestone Peak and can’t decide for yourself, just visit both, as it’s a short trip and the views are surprisingly different from each.
From the eastern summit, you can see the gnarled ridge and its gendarmes that connect Crestone Peak to Crestone Needle. This ridge is dubbed as one of the four classic Colorado traverses by mountaineer Gerry Roach.
—
Friesema is a Colorado native who’s scaled each of the state’s 14,000-foot peaks. He’s been a member of Teller County Search and Rescue since 2003. Read about his high-country adventures at hikingintherockies.com.
