West Willow Creek — 5 La Garita 13ers from San Luis Pass (2-Day)¶
At a glance — 2-day trip
5 peaks · ~5 h drive
- Day 1 (Trio): 12.4 mi · 3,558 ft gain · Class 2 · 3 peaks
- Day 2 (Bridge pair): 10.2 mi · 3,594 ft gain · Class 3 · 2 peaks
✅ Climbed 2026-06-13 & 14 — actual: ~22.6 mi / ~7,150 ft over 2 days (all loops)
Kyle did it as two day-loops from the upper TH (not a backpack): Day 1 (Baldy Lejos trio) 12.4 mi · 3,558 ft, Day 2 (PT 13,308 + 13,166) 10.2 mi · 3,594 ft — vs the ~19 mi / ~6,800 ft estimate. Right trailhead both days; ~15–25% longer per day. GPS tracks on file.
Researched: 2026-06-10
NOAA weather link: West Willow Creek Weather
CalTopo research map: https://caltopo.com/m/9PQM9TT
Status in DB: all five climbed (2026-06-13/14).
Note: the recommended route was distilled from 19 recorded GPS tracks of real trips (14ers.com · ListsofJohn · Kyle's recordings) — all layered on the interactive CalTopo research map.
Five ranked 13ers around one West Willow Creek upper TH (orange). The two magenta day-loops are the recommended routes — the trio to the NW, the bridge pair to the E/SE — each radiating from the same camp. Per-area route detail + interactive maps: trio (4278RCG) · bridge pair (9VGDUR3).
Other climbers: Emily Sharpe — not yet · Shawn D Keil — 3 of 5 (Baldy Lejos, PT 13,115, PT 13,030)
Peaks covered¶
Five ranked 13ers around one West Willow Creek upper TH above Creede — this consolidates two day-reports that launch from the same trailhead: the Baldy Lejos trio and the PT 13,308 + PT 13,166 bridge pair. One trailhead, one camp — two day-loops, or one big push. Hardest move: one Class 3 on PT 13,166; the rest benign Class 2 tundra. (The eastern PT 13,408 + 13,026 pair is not part of this — it's a separate Cochetopa/Eddiesville trailhead, a different drive.)
| Peak | Day loop | Elev | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Baldy Lejos" | 1 — trio (NW) | 13,118' | 2 |
| PT 13,115 | 1 — trio (NW) | 13,115' | 2 |
| PT 13,030 | 1 — trio (NW) | 13,030' | 2 |
| PT 13,308 | 2 — bridge pair (E/SE) | 13,308' | 2 |
| PT 13,166 | 2 — bridge pair (E/SE) | 13,166' | 3 |
All five sit in the La Garita Wilderness (Rio Grande / GMUG NF) — no permits/fees, foot-only beyond the TH.
Itinerary options¶
All five share the West Willow Creek upper TH (~11,500'). They fall into two natural loops that meet along the high divide — the trio NW of the TH, the bridge pair E/SE:
Recommended — 2 days from one camp: camp high near the upper TH (or up toward San Luis Pass) and do one loop each day. Order is flexible — save PT 13,166's Class 3 for the more stable-weather day.
| Day | Legs | Distance | Gain | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Trio loop, NW ("Baldy Lejos" · PT 13,115 · PT 13,030) | 12.4 mi | ~3,560' | 2 |
| Day 2 | Bridge-pair loop, E/SE (PT 13,308 · PT 13,166) | 10.2 mi | ~3,590' | 3 |
Big-day option — all five in one push:
| Day | Legs | Distance | Gain | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | All five, one loop along the divide | ~18 mi | ~6,000' | 3 |
Actually a touch shorter than the two days combined, because a single loop links them along the divide without two separate trailhead returns. But it's still an 18-mi Class 3 day at 12–13k', deep in the La Garita — a genuine ultra-day. The 2-day split (camp high, one loop each day) is the sane recommendation.
Getting there — Creede & the West Willow Creek road¶
| Drive from Boulder | ~5 h to Creede via Google Maps, then up Willow Creek. |
| Access | From Creede, up Willow Creek Rd (FR 503); ¾ mi above town bear onto West Willow Creek Rd and climb toward San Luis Pass. 2WD ends near the Equity Mine (~6.7 mi up); the 4WD continuation to the ~11,500' upper TH has been FS-gated in recent years — confirm it's open, or expect to walk (and add miles) from lower. |
| Trailhead | West Willow Creek upper TH, ~37.955, −106.967, ~11,500'. |
You do not drive to San Luis Pass — that's a hiking destination; the TH is named for the trail that starts there.
The days, in order¶
Day 1 — Baldy Lejos trio (Class 2)¶
A rolling tundra loop NW of camp: up onto the divide, north to Baldy Lejos (13,118'), back south over PT 13,115, then PT 13,030, and down. Benign Class 2 — the day is length + altitude, not difficulty. Full route, trip reports, and GPX: Baldy Lejos trio report.
Day 2 — PT 13,308 + PT 13,166 bridge pair (Class 3)¶
E/SE of camp: a loop tagging PT 13,308 and PT 13,166, the latter carrying a Class 3 move — do it in good weather and dry rock. More gain than the trio for similar mileage. Full route, trip reports, and GPX: PT 13,308 + 13,166 report.
Camps & water¶
- La Garita Wilderness — dispersed/backpack camping allowed beyond the TH (foot travel only). Camp near the upper TH or up toward San Luis Pass to sit central between the two loops.
- High and exposed; water from the upper West Willow / basin creeks (treat).
Gear & season¶
- Best window: July–September. High, remote La Garita; the West Willow road and upper basins open late.
- Terrain: rolling alpine tundra Class 2; one Class 3 move on PT 13,166 — wants dry rock.
- Storms: wide-open tundra, no fast escape — start early both days, watch the sky.
- Cell coverage: dead. Deep in the La Garita; no reception at the TH or on the peaks. Carry an InReach / satellite messenger.
Sources checked: 14ers.com ✓ (logged in, "letsgocu") · listsofjohn.com ✓ (logged in) · peakbagger.com ✓ (logged in) · climb13ers.com ✓ — synthesized from the two underlying day-reports.