Jacque Peak (Gore Range)¶
At a glance — recommended day
10.3 mi · 3,473 ft gain
Written for Shawn — peak unclimbed on his 13er checklist.
Researched: 2026-05-28 (base) / 2026-06-05 (Shawn)
NOAA weather link: Jacque Peak Weather
CalTopo research map: https://caltopo.com/m/R2NF0S2
Status for Shawn: Unclimbed. CO Rank 482, ranked and prominent (Rise 2,296').
Note: the recommended route was distilled from 12 recorded GPS tracks of real trips (recorded trips) — all layered on the interactive CalTopo research map.
Other climbers: Emily Sharpe — not yet · Kyle Knutson — ✓ climbed
The peak¶
| Jacque Peak | |
|---|---|
| Elevation | 13,212' (LiDAR; map 13,205') |
| Lat / Lon | 39.45485, −106.19713 |
| 14ers.com peak page | https://www.14ers.com/peaks/10229/13er-jacque-peak |
| listsofjohn.com | https://listsofjohn.com/peak/603 |
| peakbagger.com | https://peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=5781 |
| Range / NF | Gore Range / White River NF (NOT in Eagles Nest Wilderness) |
| Class (standard) | 2 |
| CO Rank | 482 |
| CO Prominence Rank | 58 (Rise 2,296' — high prominence!) |
No same-drainage ranked 13er link-up: Bartlett Mtn (5.74 mi, the only nearby ranked peak) is across Climax Mine / Fremont Pass — a completely different drive. Tucker, Union, and Copper Mountain are all sub-13k. Effectively a standalone day for a ranked-peak tick.
Recommended route — Copper Mountain base ⭐¶
Up through Copper ski terrain, over Union Mountain (12,313'), then long ridge walk + boulder hop to Jacque's summit. The most common modern approach.
⚠️ During active ski season (roughly mid-November through early May): hiking through Copper ski terrain requires mandatory annual uphill registration + visible armband. Free for Copper Season Pass or Ikon Pass holders — but you must still register online and pick up the armband at the Mammut Store in Center Village before going. Route 1 (Aerie/PHQ, the relevant approach) is mornings only, 5am–8:30am, and you must descend the same route. Details: Copper uphill access page.
Once the ski lifts close for the season (typically early May), the terrain reverts to standard USFS access — no registration, no restrictions, hike freely.
| Route stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Class 2 (talus/boulder fields; one short section of "actual climbing" per Gaab) |
| Distance | ~10.2 mi RT |
| Gain | ~3,500' |
| Time | ~3h (fast) to ~5.5h (typical) |
| Start elev | ~9,712' |
Route sequence: 1. Park at Copper Mountain base (I-70 Exit 195) — free summer lots 2. Hike up under Woodward Express lift (easy ski-run grading) 3. Over Union Mountain (12,313') — gentle ridge 4. Continue west along broad ridge above Copper Bowl 5. Long talus/boulder hop to summit (false summit first — Stratmoen flags it) 6. Descend the same way, or drop down Copper ski runs for a shortcut
Alternates¶
Graveline Gulch from CO 91 — ~7.5 mi RT, 3,700–4,000', ~5.5h - Shorter mileage than Copper side; no ski-area crossing - Game trail on climbers' right most of the way (Lochary 4/10/2026) - ⚠️ Park before the concrete mine barriers on CO 91
Winter via Copper ski terrain: requires mandatory annual registration + visible armband. Free for Copper Season Pass or Ikon Pass holders — register online, pick up armband ($5 new) at the Mammut Store in Center Village. Non-pass holders can purchase an Uphill Access Pass. Must use designated routes only; Route 1 (Aerie/PHQ, 2,210 ft) is mornings only, 5am–8:30am, and you must descend the same route. Details: coppercolorado.com/events-activities/winter-activities/uphill-access/
Winter (skip the ski area): Graveline Gulch from CO 91 is the cleanest option — no registration needed. Mayflower Gulch crosses the tailings pond, confirmed trespassing (Westra 3/16/2025), don't do it.
Don't bother: Searle Gulch is no longer viable due to active mining (per Stratmoen).
Getting there — Copper Mountain base (from Edgewater)¶
| Drive from Edgewater | ~1h 50m via Google Maps (~76 mi, I-70 W → Exit 195) |
| Primary trailhead | Copper Mountain Resort base village, I-70 Exit 195 |
| Vehicle | Anything — paved to base village |
| Start elev | ~9,712' (base village) |
| Parking | Free in summer. In ski season: interior lots free before 8:30am and after 2pm; pick up a hangtag at the Mammut Store when you get your uphill armband |
| Facilities | Full village amenities (food, restrooms, water) in season |
Alt TH — CO 91 / Graveline Gulch¶
| Location | East side of CO 91, ~1.5 mi south of Copper exit, across from closed mine |
| Drive from Edgewater | ~1h 50m via Google Maps (similar to Copper) |
| Start elev | ~10,500' |
| Parking | Side of CO 91 — park before the concrete barriers (mine has aggressive No Parking enforcement) |
Permits / access:
- White River NF — no permits, no fees
- NOT in Eagles Nest Wilderness
- ⚠️ CO 91 / Graveline: park before the mine barriers; don't cross the mine boundary
Gear & season¶
- Best window: late June through October
- Afternoon storms: exposed west ridge — start early
- Winter: Copper route requires uphill registration (free for Copper/Ikon pass holders, mandatory armband, mornings only 5am–8:30am on Route 1). Graveline Gulch (CO 91) avoids the ski area entirely — multiple winter PB ascents on record via both options
- Cell coverage: Copper base village strong signal (full resort coverage); Copper Bowl approach strong (east-facing ski terrain); west ridge / summit good — line-of-sight to I-70 corridor towers (Vail, Frisco, Copper). Carry InReach as standard; coverage should be solid the Copper side
Trip reports¶
Data from Kyle's research (2026-05-28) — within 2 weeks, reused as-is.
14ers.com (15 reports)¶
| Date | Source | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 7/10/2025 | mountain_guy TR 23116 | "Jacque Peak and Friends — A Day in the Southern Gore Range" — multi-peak |
| 7/10/2024 | Peaks4Days TR 22610 | "Jacque Peak Loop" — solo loop |
| 7/10/2024 | WildWanderer TR 22609 | "From Copper Mountain Ski Area" — Jacque + Union (standard modern route) |
| 9/4/2022 | d_baker TR 21988 | "My Summer Vacation" — big multi-peak day |
| 7/21/2019 | supranihilest TR 19639 | "Jacquerebleu" — Jacque + Copper trifecta |
| 7/1/2017 | rajz06 TR 17861 | "Just Between Jacque et Moi" — Jacque + Copper trifecta |
| 9/18/2016 | WillRobnett TR 17481 | "Gore Range 13ers" — 10-peak mega-traverse including ranked peaks |
| 6/29/2016 | dillonsarnelli TR 17183 | "Jacque to Music, and Some Extra Credit" — Jacque + Music + Savage |
| 11/3/2012 | piper14er TR 13115 | "Jacque-ularity" — Copper trifecta |
| 5/26/2012 | milan TR 11905 | "Mosquito Memorial" — Jacque + Tweto + Mosquito + Pennsylvania + W Buffalo |
| 4/22/2012 | skiingrock TR 11674 | "Duffy's Rage" — solo ski |
| 7/30/2011 | BobbyFinn TR 10818 | "Jacque the Long Way" — solo |
| 7/22/2010 | kaiman TR 8587 | "Jacque Peak via Copper Creek" — solo |
| 11/11/2007 | stevevets689 TR 3984 | "Tour de Tucker Gulch" — solo |
| pre-2007 | TR 2986 | "Jacque Peak Take 2: A Postcard Day" |
listsofjohn.com (6 reports)¶
| Date | Climber | Stats | Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-09 | Andrew Wahr TR 29420 | 11-peak Vail Pass ridge traverse | Mega ridge day, sub-13k partners only |
| 2024-07-30 | josephnephi TR 27037 | Jacque + Copper + Tucker + Union | Copper trifecta, sub-13k partners |
| 2021-08-30 | PaulStratmoen TR 20181 | Jacque + Union, via Woodward Express | Ski-area route |
| 2017-12-28 | jacolc TR 27210 | 8.2 mi / 4k' / 9h46 winter | Copper trifecta winter |
| 2012-11-03 | avalletta TR 1721 | 7.5 mi / 3,700' / 5.5h Graveline Gulch | CO 91 start, sub-13k partners |
| 2008-11-01 | RyanKowalski TR 1548 | 7.5 mi / 4,000' Jacque + Copper | CO 91 start |
peakbagger.com (193 members ascended; 5 recent ascents detailed)¶
| Date | Climber | Stats | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-10 | Michael Lochary | — | Graveline Gulch. "nice game trail on the climbers right most of the way" |
| 2025-08-23 | Lee Newton | 3,422' / 9.8 mi / 5h29 | Single Jacque, from ~Copper base |
| 2025-08-08 | Alex Gaab | 3,500' / 10.2 mi / 3h | Copper Mountain. "Long scrambles, a few actual climbing spots, but never anything truly dangerous, rock was stable" |
| 2025-03-16 | Xander Westra | 2,249' / 9.1 mi / 7h14 from 10,963' TH | Mayflower Gulch. ⚠️ crossed tailings pond — "do not recommend, learned it is trespassing." |
| 2025-06-22 | Jack Murdoch | — | — |
Sources checked: 14ers.com · listsofjohn.com · peakbagger.com