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San Luis PeakVia Stewart Creek
August 8, 2004
Approximately 12 Miles Roundtrip
3600ft Elevation Gain
Helpful Hints
The most difficult part of this peak may be finding the TH. The directions provided in my version of the Roach Bible are also accurate except some of the road numbers have changed. The following directions were basically obtained from Bill Middlebrook and have the updated road numbers.
Take U.S. 50 to the junction of Colorado 114 just east of Gunnison.
Turn south onto Colorado 114.
Drive about 20 miles and turn right on NN-14 road.
Drive about 6.7 miles to two small lakes called Dome Lakes and turn right on 15-GG (15-GG will eventually evolve into FR 794 when you reach National Forest).
The road goes around the lake to a junction - stay left on the main road.
From the start of the 15-GG road, drive approximately 20 miles following the signs for the Stewart Creek trailhead by continuing on 15-GG and eventually the 794 road.
Watch for the signed trailhead.
The road is extremely good – better than some paved roads. I think even a Miata could drive to this TH.
If camping at the TH, be sure and take Mosquito repellant – they were thick the evening we were camping and I was glad we had the spray.
Report
After climbing Crestone Needle, Lindsey’s Class 3 route and an aborted attempt on Wetterhorn, I was ready for a brainless hike that required no route finding and no worries about coming down the wrong couloir and San Luis seemed to meet those requirements. The trail requires no thinking and it is virtually impossible to get off route.
The first part of the hike has very little elevation gain and this is a bit discouraging (if I am hiking up a mountain, I prefer to be making progress upwards not just sideways). Eventually, after a seemingly endless amount of time in the basin you break above treeline and the remainder of the hike is quite enjoyable. A bit of scree exists for a short while but it has been groomed by someone (possibly the CFI) and is very easy to walk on. Visibility was quite good on Sunday and we were able to see Wetterhorn, Uncompadre and the rest of the San Juans.
Because of the relatively benign nature of the trail one can make pretty darn good time coming down – particularly on the top section. Eventually you reach the basin part of the trail and the speed down is about the same as the speed was going up. One could make a circuitous route by taking the Skyline route either up or back and this might make the trek back more enjoyable. |
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