Savage Peak + PT 13,002 (Sawatch Range / Holy Cross Wilderness)¶
At a glance — recommended day
13.4 mi · 5,721 ft gain · Class 2-3 · 2 peaks · ~3.6 h drive
Researched: 2026-05-28 · PT 13,002 combo added: 2026-06-09
NOAA weather link: Savage Peak + PT 13,002 Weather
CalTopo research map: https://caltopo.com/m/QL51DBE
Status in DB: both 0 ascents (unclimbed). Cluster status: - ✗ PT 13,002 (1.92 mi) — unclimbed ranked, Class 3 ← closest neighbor; see "Adding PT 13,002" below - ✗ PT 13,089 "Ribbed Peak" (4.25 mi) — unclimbed ranked ← 13,002's natural ridge partner - ✗ PT 13,100 A (5.17 mi) — unclimbed ranked - ✗ Homestake Peak (5.72 mi) — unclimbed ranked, also on Kyle's list — different drainage, see Homestake report's combo analysis - ✗ Pika Pk (7.15 mi) — unclimbed ranked, different drainage - ✗ Gold Dust Pk (7.88 mi) — unclimbed ranked, different drainage - ✓ Done nearby: Fancy Pk (2.76 mi), Whitney Pk (4.56), PT 13,786 (4.97), Holly Cross Ridge (5.73), Mt of the Holy Cross 14er (6.32), PT 13,253 (6.57), PT 13,443 (6.71), Mt Jackson (7.31)
The Fancy + Savage combo (the standard "Holy Cross 13er day" in TRs) doesn't apply for Kyle since Fancy is already done. The best ranked pairing is PT 13,002 — the closest unclimbed neighbor (1.92 mi), which is reachable from Savage's own Missouri Lakes TH. See Adding PT 13,002 below.
Note: the recommended route was distilled from 15 recorded GPS tracks of real trips (Kyle's recordings) — all layered on the interactive CalTopo research map.
Other climbers: Emily Sharpe — not yet · Shawn D Keil — 1 of 2 (Savage Pk)
Peaks covered¶
| Savage Peak | |
|---|---|
| Elevation | 13,135' (LiDAR; map 13,139') |
| Lat / Lon | 39.38053, −106.52061 |
| 14ers.com peak page | https://www.14ers.com/peaks/10810/13er-savage-peak |
| 14ers.com NE Ridge route | https://www.14ers.com/route.php?route=201207031210033 |
| listsofjohn.com | https://listsofjohn.com/peak/674 |
| peakbagger.com | https://peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=15199 |
| Range / Wilderness | Sawatch / Holy Cross Wilderness |
| NF | White River NF |
| Class | 2 |
| Peak DB id | 674 |
| CO Rank | 539 |
| CO Prominence Rank | 302 (Rise 1,136' LiDAR) |
| County | Eagle |
| Quad | Mount Jackson |
| Member ascents | 284 (14ers) + 132 (LoJ) |
| 14ers GPX library | 6 entries |
| 14ers winter ascents | 1 / Ski descents 29 — popular ski peak (Savage Couloir) |
Recommended route — Northeast Ridge from Missouri Lakes TH ⭐¶
The 14ers.com official route (BillMiddlebrook, May 2023). Solid Class 2 ridge climb with a documented line. 8 mi RT / 3,200' gain from the 2WD TH at 10,000' for Savage on its own — the "at a glance" headline above is the full Savage + PT 13,002 combo (see Adding PT 13,002).
| Route | Stats (14ers official) |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Class 2 (stay left of rocks on the grassy point near 11,700') |
| Distance | 8 mi RT (14ers) / 7.6 mi (avalletta 2013) / 8.7 mi (PB aid 1487386) |
| Gain | 3,200' (14ers) / 3,100' (avalletta) / 3,485' (PB) |
| Time | ~4.5 hr (avalletta solo) / ~5–6 hr typical |
| Start elev | 10,000' (2WD Missouri Lakes TH); 10,060' (4WD park 0.6 mi up Missouri Creek) |
| Summit | 13,135' |
| Aspect | NE up to the ridge, then SW ridgeline to summit |
Route sequence (per 14ers route description + avalletta 2013)¶
- From the 2WD Missouri Lakes TH, hike 0.5 mi up the Missouri Lakes trail to a small clearing (4WD TH visible down to your left)
- From the 4WD TH (if you parked higher), cross the creek and walk a short distance to intersect the trail
- Follow the excellent, rocky Missouri Lakes trail — wooden bridges over wet sections, crosses Missouri Creek a couple of times
- After 2.5 mi (2 mi from 4WD TH), cross a stream
- Continue 0.25 mi to a small clearing where you can see Point 12,898' ahead
- Leave the trail here (no need to continue to the lakes). Goal: gain the NE ridge.
- Turn LEFT (south), hike through clearings and past small ponds
- Reach open terrain near the talus slopes below the ridge
- Continue SE along the base of the slope to reach the NE ridge crest near 11,700'
- Turn RIGHT, gain the ridge to the steep grassy point — stay left of rocks to keep at Class 2
- Walk the ridge → steeper terrain at 12,400' → even steeper above 12,600'
- At 13,000' the angle eases near the top of the Savage Couloir
- Continue to summit
Alternates / variations¶
B. From Fancy Pass / Missouri Lakes loop TH (slightly different start) - whileyh 9/12/2020 used "Fancy Pass/Missouri Lakes TH" — same lot - Described as a "popular hikers bucket list loop" — heavy summer foot traffic on the trail - whileyh hit Savage, descended, then went back up Fancy Pass to do Fancy Peak as a separate up-and-down — inefficient but the standard "do both" pattern
C. Long approach from Holy Cross City Rd (Class 2+ — 16 mi) - PB aid 2025016: 3,104' / 16 mi / 9h14 from 10,030' TH — different starting point, longer approach. Reference only.
Adding PT 13,002 — ways to combine¶
PT 13,002 (LiDAR 13,002', formerly UN 12,977) is the closest unclimbed ranked 13er to Savage — just 1.92 mi NW — and climb13ers lists Savage as its neighboring peak. It was missed in the original cluster scan because it had no coordinates in the DB at the time (one of six coord-null ranked peaks, since backfilled).
| PT 13,002 | |
|---|---|
| Elevation | 13,002' (LiDAR; USGS map 12,977') |
| Lat / Lon | 39.39940, −106.54680 |
| Class | 3 (climb13ers: "exposed Class 2+, some consider Class 3"; moderate exposure in short sections near the summit — ice axe recommended) |
| Range / Wilderness | Sawatch / Holy Cross Wilderness (White River NF — same as Savage) |
| 14ers.com | 10872 · climb13ers UN 13002 |
| LoJ / peakbagger | 839 · 113688 |
| Peak DB id | 839 |
| Std route (climb13ers) | Savage Lakes / Carter Creek TH — 11.6 mi / 4,380' RT, Class 3 (long day; non-maintained trail into upper Carter Creek lakes) |
No trip report combines Savage + 13,002 — it isn't a documented standard. But they're close, share the Holy Cross Wilderness, and 13,002 has been climbed from Savage's own Missouri Lakes TH (14ers TR 22657, 7/30/2024), so a combined day is feasible — just big and a grade harder than Savage.
Option A — Savage + 13,002 in one day from Missouri Lakes TH ⭐ (the Kyle combo)¶
Climb Savage by its standard NE ridge (Class 2), then reach 13,002 via the Missouri Lakes trail toward Treasure Vault / Blodgett Lake and up its E/SE slopes (climb13ers lists Missouri Lakes as an alternate access). The two sit on opposite sides of the Missouri Lakes basin (~1.9 mi apart) and don't ridge-connect cleanly, so plan on two ascents from the shared trail — a long day, roughly ~13–16 mi with ~6,000'+ gain, and 13,002 adds Class 3 + exposure + an ice axe. Same Homestake Rd gate constraint applies (below).
Option B — 13,002 standalone from Savage Lakes / Carter Creek TH¶
13,002's standard route: 11.6 mi / 4,380', Class 3 from a graded-gravel TH on the SW side (different drainage, ~9,255'). Cleaner single objective but doesn't combine with Savage — a separate trip.
Option C — 13,002 + the Ribbed Peak ridge (the "knock out the cluster" backpack)¶
13,002 is most often climbed with PT 13,089 ("Ribbed Peak"), PT 13,100 A (13,071'), and PT 13,034 plus sub-13k bumps (LoJ TR 26630) — a long day or overnight from the Fancy Pass / Fairview Lake side. If you'd rather bag the whole Missouri/Holy Cross unclimbed cluster, a backpack linking Savage + 13,002 + 13,089 + 13,100 A is the big-ticket option.
Recommendation: if you only want to pair two, do Option A (Savage + 13,002 from Missouri Lakes) as a long day — but respect the Class 3 / exposure on 13,002. For maximum efficiency on the drive, Option C as a backpack clears four ranked 13ers at once.
Sawatch main ridge mega-day (reference only)¶
jacolc 8/16/2024 (LoJ TR 27181): 15.5 mi / 6,300' / 11h35 — Sawatch main ridge N→S from PT 12,914 to PT 12,470. Includes Savage + 4 sub-13k peaks. Strong all-day ridge traverse but all the additional peaks are sub-13k → doesn't add ranked combos for Kyle.
Getting there — Missouri Lakes TH (off Homestake Rd / FS 703)¶
| Location | West side of Holy Cross Wilderness, accessed via Homestake Rd from Hwy 24 between Leadville and Minturn |
| Drive from Boulder | 3h 39m via Google Maps (origin: 1162 Peakview Circle) |
| From Hwy 24 | From Minturn: ~11 mi south on Hwy 24. From Leadville: ~19 mi north on Hwy 24. Turn west onto Homestake Road (dirt, FS 703). |
| Continue | Drive ~8 mi on Homestake Rd → right onto Missouri Creek Road → continue 2.25 mi to Fancy Lake TH on your right, then turn LEFT to reach Missouri Lakes TH |
| 2WD parking | Yes — Missouri Lakes TH lot at 10,000' |
| 4WD upgrade | Pass through TH parking and continue 0.6 mi (easy 4WD) to an unmarked 4WD parking area along Missouri Creek at ~10,060'. Cross creek + walk 50 yards up hill to intersect trail |
| Start elev | 10,000' (2WD) or 10,060' (4WD parking) |
| Facilities | None |
⚠️ CRITICAL ACCESS WARNING (per Brian Kalet 5/4/2018 TR 18100):¶
"Homestake Rd (FS703) is now gated and closed at US24 from Nov 22 to May 21 each year. Anyone planning to climb or ski the Savage Couloir will need to wait until then or make other plans. This seems to be a fairly recent policy; it isn't mentioned in any of the guidebooks."
Plan accordingly. Late-May through November is your window for vehicle access. Earlier-season skiing requires a long road approach from Hwy 24 (multiple miles before the trailhead).
Permits / access:
- Holy Cross Wilderness — no day-use permits required
- White River NF — no fees
- Homestake Rd seasonal gate (Nov 22 – May 21) is the access binding constraint
- Standard wilderness rules: leash dogs, no motorized, pack out everything
Gear & season¶
- Best window: late May through mid-November (gate dictates). Brian Kalet's gate-closure note is the binding constraint
- Snow: whileyh 9/12/2020 described "mid-calf deep" snow above the trail by Labor Day weekend (i.e. early-fall snow can be substantial). Bring postholing tolerance for shoulder seasons
- Storms: Standard Holy Cross afternoon storm risk on the exposed NE ridge
- Ski: 29 ski descents recorded. Savage Couloir is the named line — accessible once gate opens (post-May 21)
- Trail crowds: Missouri Lakes / Fancy Pass loop is on the local "must-do hikes" lists — expect summer trail traffic on the first 2.5 mi
- Wind: NE ridge is exposed; standard layering
Cell coverage:
- 14ers.com community DB: TODO query (Peak Conditions last updated 7/5/2025)
- Geographic reasoning:
- TH (10,000', drainage): likely weak — Missouri Creek drainage shadowed from Hwy 24
- Lower trail: weak
- NE ridge (~12,000'+): likely better — line-of-sight to Hwy 24 corridor and Vail corridor opens up
- Summit: likely good — high above the surrounding ridges with multi-direction LOS
- Standard recommendation: carry InReach. Drainage will be dead until you're on the ridge.
Other considerations¶
Fancy Peak (climbed, 2.76 mi) — the natural same-day combo per the John Kirk 2016 + josephnephi 2024 + whileyh 2020 TRs (all combine Savage + Fancy). Not relevant for Kyle since Fancy is done.
PT 13,089 ("Ribbed Peak", 4.25 mi) + PT 13,100 A (5.17 mi) — these two are 13,002's natural ridge partners (see Adding PT 13,002), not Savage's. They're a long day / overnight from the Fancy Pass / Fairview Lake side, away from Savage's NE ridge.
Trip reports¶
14ers.com (14 reports)¶
| Title | Note |
|---|---|
| "Shorty and the Savage" | (may include Shorty/short partner peak) |
| "From MIssouri Lakes TH" | standard route solo |
| "SO SAVAGE headbangs furiously" | solo |
| "Savage - Spectacular Holy Cross Wilderness Vistas" | solo, view-focused |
| "Jacque to Music, and Some Extra Credit" | Jacque + Music + Savage (Music sub-13k, Jacque ranked combo) |
| "Three Savages Go Hiking" | 3-climber group |
(Full list at https://www.14ers.com/php14ers/peak.php?peakid=10810 → Trip Reports)
listsofjohn.com (8 reports)¶
| Date | Climber | Stats | GPX | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-08-16 | jacolc TR 27181 | 15.5 mi / 6.3k' / 11h35 — Sawatch ridge traverse | 16374 | 4 sub-13k bumps added |
| 2024-07-29 | josephnephi TR 27032 | + Fancy Pk + 2 sub-13k | 16249 | Standard Savage+Fancy combo |
| 2020-09-12 | whileyh TR 17224 | Snow slog Labor Day, did Fancy after | 8787 | TH usage note |
| 2018-05-04 | Brian Kalet TR 18100 | (gate notice — no climb) | — | ⚠️ Homestake Rd Nov 22-May 21 closure |
| 2016-10-16 | John Kirk TR 7500 | + Fancy + 2 sub-13k | 2804 | Standard combo |
| 2013-07-26 | avalletta TR 2258 | 7.6 mi / 3,100' / 4.5h | 171 | ⭐ baseline solo, matches 14ers route |
| 2009-05-20 | Furthermore TR | — | — | Ski/spring |
| 2007-05-03 | DSunwall TR | — | — | Early season |
peakbagger.com (recent ascents)¶
| aid | Stats |
|---|---|
| 2025016 | 3,104' / 16 mi / 9h14 from 10,030' TH — long approach |
| 1737728 | (no stats) |
| 1691129 | (no stats) |
| 1487386 | 3,485' / 8.7 mi from 10,049' TH — ⭐ baseline confirming Missouri Lakes standard route |
.gpx files (to be downloaded to gpx/savage_peak/)¶
LoJ GPX library:
- savage_16374.gpx — jacolc 8/16/2024 Sawatch ridge traverse (reference)
- savage_16249.gpx — josephnephi 7/29/2024 Savage + Fancy + 2 sub-13k
- savage_8787.gpx — whileyh 9/12/2020 (snow slog)
- savage_2804.gpx — John Kirk 10/16/2016 standard combo
- savage_171.gpx — avalletta 7/26/2013 solo Savage ⭐ baseline track for standard NE Ridge
14ers.com GPX library: 6 entries at https://www.14ers.com/php14ers/gpxlib_locator.php?peakid=10810 — plus the official route GPX from https://www.14ers.com/route.php?route=201207031210033
Generated (to build):
- savage_summit_TH.gpx — summit + Missouri Lakes 2WD + 4WD parking + Homestake Rd gate waypoints
- savage_route_recommended.gpx — from avalletta 171 (solo standard route validation)
Sources checked: 14ers.com ✓ (logged in, "letsgocu") · listsofjohn.com ✓ (logged in) · peakbagger.com ✓ (logged in — 13,002 = Holy Cross Wilderness) · climb13ers.com ✓ (Savage · UN 13002)