UN 13543

Leave no trace..

The Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) and Leave No Trace founded the Care for Colorado Coalition in 2020. Now an alliance of more than 170 statewide organizations, state/federal agencies and businesses, the coalition is dedicated to educating Coloradans and visitors on how to protect the state’s extraordinary natural and cultural resources.

The coalition promotes the seven Care for Colorado Leave No Trace Principles, which were created as a direct response to concerns about visitor impacts on our cultural and natural resources. Our goal is to encourage widespread adoption and awareness of these principles by communities, residents, and visitors, empowering everyone to protect the experiences they love in Colorado. The seven Care for Colorado Leave No Trace Principles are:

1. Know Before You Go
2. Stick To Trails
3. Leave It As You Find It
4. Trash the Trash
5. Be Careful With Fire
6. Keep Wildlife Wild
7. Share Our Parks & Trails

Overview

Elevation: 13,543' (LiDAR)

13,541' (Previous)

CO Rank: 229

CO 13er Rank: 176 of 583

Range: Sangre de Cristo

Lat/Lon: 37.99141, -105.59178

Getting There

Horn Creek Trailhead

From the intersection of CO Highways 69 and 96 in Westcliffe, drive south on CO 69 for 3.4 miles and turn right (west) on Schoolfield Road. After 1.7 miles, turn left (south) on CR 129. Continue nearly 2.0 miles and turn right (west) on Horn Creek Road (CR 130). Drive 2.4 miles to reach the Sky Ranch. Turn right and drive 0.5 mile to the marked trailhead and large parking area, at 9,100'.

Route

The Horn Creek trail starts off at a parking area along the rainbow trail.  To access the Horn Creek trail you need to hike south along the Rainbow trail about a mile to the intersection with the Horn Creek Trail.  

The Rainbow Trail runs for approximately 100 miles along the east side of the Sangre De Cristo mountains from south of Salida to south of Westcliffe. It is a relatively low elevation trail and offers continuous access to the foot of the mountains along the Westcliffe valley.  It is a multiuse trail allowing 4 wheelers, horses, as well as foot access.  

The Horn Creek Trail takes off from the Rainbow trail heading west and will be uphill pretty much the whole way.  There’s not much other option in these mountains.  The trail is not terribly difficult, mostly just a steady climb for about 5 miles.  The trail initially runs mostly on the northern side of the valley that leads up to the Horn Lakes.  Below is the creek that drains from the lakes and surrounding mountain cirques.   After a couple of miles past the intersection you will have gained enough elevation to cross the creek and walk on the other side of it for a time while you gain tree line. 

Right around tree line, which is about 4.3 miles into your hike or about 3.3 miles up the Horn Creek Trail, you cross the creek again to continue on up the valley on the north side of the drainage again. At this point you are mostly above tree line with clusters here and there.  The views up the valley are very beautiful.  

You may think you are almost there, but it is another mile and a half up to the larger lake at the end of the valley.  The trail follows the north side of the valley floor and begins winding across scree fields and through brush that has grown up.  You eventually get close enough to see the lakes with the farthest one being the largest and a couple of smaller ones below.  There are some rocks and open areas to sit on around both lakes. The elevation here is around 11,800 feet. My mileage showed about 6 miles by the time I reached the lakes from the parking area.  From this point it's all about gain elevation. Pick your own route to the top of Little Baldy Mountain, be ready, it's going to be steep and slow hike. Once on top of Little Baldy Mountain you can see what lies ahead of you toward UN 13533, mostly it's class 1 ot class 2. Views from top of UN 13533 are very impressive and spectacular. Summiting UN 13543 is next stop on ridgeline, UN 13533 is unranked peak, .5 miles SE following ridge is prominent summit of UN 13543. 

Red Tape

The 220,803 acre Sangre de Cristo Wilderness was designated by congress in 1993. All of this wilderness is located in Colorado and is managed by the Forest Service and the National Park Service. The Sangre de Cristo Wilderness is bordered by the Great Sand Dunes Wilderness to the west.

Sangre de Cristo is Spanish for "Blood of Christ," but no one is quite sure why the region was given this name. Was it because of the bloody hues washing the slopes at sunset, or the cry of the dying priest, "sangre de Cristo," as his martyred blood flowed onto the ground near here? Regardless, there is no doubt of the colorful Spanish influence in these mountains and in the San Luis Valley below. Two four-wheel drive roads over Medano Pass and Hayden Pass, as well as access to Lily Lake, were slim exclusions from wilderness designation and split the area into four distinct sections.

Unlike most of Colorado's mountains, the high and magnificently rugged Sangres were uplifted suddenly in massive blocks, creating a range of dramatic vertical proportions. Four fourteeners are clumped together in the midsection of the wilderness, including Crestone Needle (14,197 feet). Many climbers, consider the Needle to be Colorado's most challenging 14,000-foot peak. Three more fourteeners stand together just south of the boundary. Melting snow feeds many creeks and small lakes, and nourishes a forest of oak, aspen, and spruce. Black bears and mountain lions live here, along with elk, deer, and bighorn sheep.

The long and narrow Sangre de Cristo Wilderness is the state's third largest. Most of the 180 miles of trails end at alpine lakes set against virtually unclimbable walls. 

Please always use Leave No Trace techniques to help keep these areas wild, clean, and pristine.

When to Climb

Spring / Summer/ Fall / Winter

- Weather Forecast

“If you have to turn around, no worries,” said Mountain Rescue Aspen’s rescue leader coordinator Scott Messina. “The mountains will always be here. Enjoy the journey.”

Camping

Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands Forest Supervisor Office

2840 Kachina Drive Pueblo, CO 81008 719-553-1400 TTY: 719-553-1404 M-F 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Camping:

• Camp sites must be at least 100 feet from trails, lakes, streams and any water source. Please use an existing site. Before leaving, 'naturalize' your campsite by removing signs of your use.
• Obey posted signs prohibiting camping or other activities. Some campsites may be closed to allow the area to recover from overuse.

Campfires 

• A lightweight backpacking stove is recommended. If a campfire is desired, build it in a manner that minimizes impact. Campfires should be at least 100 feet from lakes, streams and trails. Collect only dead and downed wood less than three inches in diameter. Remember: if you can't break it by hand, don't use it.
• Use existing fire rings. Avoid building fires above tree-line. Dead wood removed from Krummholz (dwarf trees near timberline) affects their survival.
• Do not build a fire on exposed rock surfaces to prevent scarring.
• If possible, use a fire blanket or a fire pan (like a pan used to change motor oil). Place several inches of soil in the bottom of the pan and build the fire on this. Always use extreme caution and avoid building fires in dry or windy conditions.

External Links

- 14ers.com

- Peakbagger.com

- Listofjohn.com