James Peak, Snow-covered James Peak trail (~8 miles round trip, ~3000 ft gain/loss, snowy)

James Peak

Route:

Snow-covered James Peak trail

~8 miles round trip, ~3000 ft gain/loss, snowy

A nice winter morning beat-the-storm ascent of a thirteener.

Region: Colorado
Elev: St. Mary's Glacier Trailhead Elev: ~10,400 ft; James Peak Summit Elev: 13,294 ft
Type: 
Date(s): March 4, 2022 (Fri)
Partner(s): solo

Intro

James Peak is the namesake of James Peak Wilderness. It is a popular summit since it is above 13,000 feet with a straightforward and reasonably short approach mostly above treeline, all-year access, and grand views from the summit. The standard route (what I did) goes by St. Marys Lake and St. Marys Glacier.

The forecast called for clouds and snow, but I predicted a morning window before the storm rolled in. Indeed, I was treated to a nice sunrise and morning light, and then enjoyed watching the development of a wintery cloud cover. My round trip time to the summit of James Peak was 4 hours and 20 minutes. I did not need snowshoes due to the windblown nature of this terrain. I relished having the entire area to myself, as I did not see a single other person up there.

Below is a sampling of photos from my morning lap of a thirteener. 

Photos

Comments Pertaining to this Page / Trip Report

Useful beta. Updated route information. Corrections. Historical notes. Interesting facts. No fluff please.
Please do not put links in your comment, as my spam filter will filter those comments out.
Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *