PT 13,557 (Huerfano cluster, Sangre de Cristo)¶
At a glance — recommended day
12.2 mi · 5,544 ft gain · Class 2 · 1 peak · ~4.7 h drive
Researched: 2026-05-21
NOAA weather link: PT 13,557 Weather
CalTopo research map: https://caltopo.com/m/KQCQ1L6
Status in DB: 0 ascents (unclimbed). Cluster status: this is the LAST UNCLIMBED ranked 13er in the Huerfano cluster.
⚠️ Naming confusion: 14ers.com labels this peak "Unnamed 13557" (peakid 10631) and several TRs call it "PT 13577" in the title (typo / misread on the older USGS quad). It is NOT the same as PT 13,577 (a separate ranked summit, ~2.2 mi away, already climbed). Confirm via lat/lon: this peak = 37.61311, −105.45581.
Note: the recommended route was distilled from 13 recorded GPS tracks of real trips (14ers.com · ListsofJohn · peakbagger · Kyle's recordings) — all layered on the interactive CalTopo research map.
Other climbers: Emily Sharpe — not yet · Shawn D Keil — ✓ climbed
The peak¶
| PT 13,557 | |
|---|---|
| Elevation | 13,557' |
| Lat / Lon | 37.61311, −105.45581 |
| 14ers.com peak page | https://www.14ers.com/peaks/10631/13er-unnamed-13557 |
| Range / Wilderness | Sangre de Cristo / Sangre de Cristo Wilderness |
| Class (standard) | 2 (tundra walk per TRs) |
| Peak DB id | 268 |
| Notes | No formal route description on 14ers — "Sorry, no route descriptions have been added… Try the Trip Reports." |
Cluster context — last one standing¶
All ranked 13ers within 8 mi of PT 13,557 are already done:
| Peak | Dist | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Huerfano Peak | 0.99 mi | ✓ |
| "Huerfanito" | 2.02 mi | ✓ |
| Mt Lindsey | 2.11 mi | ✓ |
| PT 13,577 | 2.22 mi | ✓ |
| California Peak | 2.35 mi | ✓ |
| PT 13,656 ("NW Lindsey") | 2.67 mi | ✓ |
| Ellingwood Point | 2.91 mi | ✓ |
| Blanca Peak | 2.95 mi | ✓ |
| Twin Peaks A | 3.81 mi | ✓ |
| Little Bear Peak | 3.93 mi | ✓ |
Implication: there's no link-up to chase — drive in, bag PT 13,557, drive out. Could be tacked onto a re-visit of Lindsey or California if you're already in the Huerfano basin for company, but as a solo objective it's a half-day.
Recommended route — from Lily Lake TH via Raspberry Trail ⭐¶
The only documented modern route. Sourced from WildWanderer's 6/10/2022 TR (the only standalone PT 13,557 trip in the 14ers DB).
| Route | Stats |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Class 2 (tundra + minor deadfall) |
| Distance | 8.88 mi RT |
| Gain | 3,538' |
| Time | ~5 hr solo |
| Aspect | South/SE off the summit ridge |
Route sequence¶
- From Lily Lake TH (or a dispersed campsite ~10,350' just before the downed-tree section), walk the 4WD road north
- At the Raspberry Trail (#1307) junction, leave the road and head west on the Raspberry Trail
- Sign in at the register; navigate around large blowdown (a downed tree blocks the path); cross the Huerfano River on downed logs
- Follow the Class 1 trail as it switchbacks up the W side of the drainage — multiple downed trees obscure the trail but it's always findable
- Where the trail levels off near fire rings, leave the trail and head south into open forest to treeline (no trail, downed-tree dodging but easy nav)
- Once on tundra, continue south. PT 13,557 comes into view quickly
- 1.5 mi tundra walk along the ridge to the summit — simple but long, mostly grass with rock patches
Descent: retrace. Navigation in the lower trees is the only tricky bit — head north until you intercept the Raspberry Trail. Expect deadfall obstacles.
Getting there — Lily Lake TH (= Huerfano TH area)¶
| Location | Huerfano River valley, accessed via Gardner / Redwing → CR 580 / FR 580 |
| Drive from Boulder | 4h 41m via Google Maps (244 mi, origin: 1162 Peakview Circle) |
| Vehicle | High-clearance helpful; 4WD recommended for the final section before the TH (downed trees beyond ~10,350' campsite) |
| Start elev | ~10,200' (Lily Lake TH) / ~10,350' (last good dispersed campsite) |
| Camping | Plentiful dispersed sites along the road below the TH — fills up by Thursday night in summer |
| Facilities | None |
Already a known trailhead for previous Huerfano-cluster trips (Lindsey, California, Huerfanito, PT 13,577, etc.).
Permits / access:
- Sangre de Cristo Wilderness — no permits required
- San Isabel National Forest — no fee
- Public access throughout (unlike the Cuatro / Trinchera / Cielo Vista cluster further south)
Gear & season¶
- Best window: mid-June through early October (Huerfano basin holds snow late)
- Trail hazards: significant deadfall on the Raspberry Trail and in the lower forest leaving the trail — not blocking, but slows nav
- Storms: standard exposure on the 1.5-mi tundra ridge — early start mandatory
- Stream crossing: Huerfano River crossed on downed logs (WildWanderer mid-June) — should be straightforward in standard summer flow
- No technical difficulty above treeline — Class 2 tundra walking
Cell coverage:
- 14ers.com community DB: 0 reports for PT 13,557 (Unnamed 13557) and 0 for the Huerfano/Lily Lake TH (typical for non-14er Sangre access points)
- Geographic reasoning:
- TH and lower drainage: dead — deep in a N-S valley between the main spine and California Peak
- Above treeline / summit: likely some signal at 13,557' with LOS east toward I-25 / Walsenburg, but nothing west
- Standard recommendation: carry an InReach. The Huerfano basin is a known dead zone.
Trip reports¶
| Date | Source | Stats | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/10/2022 | WildWanderer TR 21666 | 8.88 mi / 3,538' / 5 hr | Recommended baseline. Only standalone PT 13,557 TR. Solo, mid-June, Raspberry Trail approach. GPX in 14ers library. |
| 8/14/2022 | Mtnman200 "Another Mountain, Another Planet" | 4-peak day | PT 13,557 + 13,577 + 13,654 + 13,656 — useful if you ever want to revisit and ridge-link the area |
| 7/6/2020 | supranihilest "Choss? In the Sangre?" | 6-peak combo | Huerfano + Iron Nipple + Lindsey + NW Lindsey + Huerfanito + 13,557. GPX in 14ers library. |
| 5/9/2020 | kwhit24 "Frustrating Loop" | 4-peak | Huerfanito + Huerfano + Iron Nipple + 13,557 |
| 12/21/2016 | Dad Mike | Winter cents | 5 winter peaks including PT 13,557 — winter route reference |
GPX library: 4 entries (2 TRs + 2 library uploads "Lindsey and Friends" / "Huerfana, Huerfano, Iron Nip"). GPX library locator.
Existing CalTopo data (map C105AEV)¶
Already layered from prior Huerfano cluster planning: - Markers: "Unnamed 13577" (mislabeled, but in the right vicinity), Huerfano TH, Blanca Peak, California Peak, Ellingwood Point, Little Bear Peak, "Huerfanito", Twin Peaks A, Unnamed 13660 A, Jaws 1, Jaws 11 - Tracks: como Approach (x2), To Jaws 1 (x2), Twin Peaks Partial_actual, LB-B-E, 62s Dump tracks, multiple Kyle Knutson tracks
→ When building a dedicated PT 13,557 research map, layer the WildWanderer Raspberry Trail GPX on top of the existing Huerfano basin data, and verify which marker is the actual PT 13,557 vs PT 13,577 (the naming confusion runs through this area).
Sources checked: 14ers.com · listsofjohn.com · peakbagger.com