ATTENTION: SNOW DAMAGE!ATTENION: The epic amount of snow from the 2008 winter season in the San Juans may affect your outing! Reading the following and proceed accordingly:
It's likely the Yankee Boy road is rougher this year due to large amounts of snow and resulting run-off. Expect slightly more difficult four wheeling conditions.
The Atlas Camp site was wiped out by avalanche and run-off debris, the toilets were undamaged. A sign stating camping fees would resume in 2008 was also found on the road.
Yankee Boy Basin was a fee use area. The collected fees were supposedly for maintence of facilities, roads, sign construction and other uses. The fee idea was a controversial situation and was found to be inappropriately managed. Questions were raised about which organizations benefits from the fees, and why folks should be charged for access to public lands in the first place. Yankee Boy was the first spot in the nation in which the fees were removed due to public and political pressure. The program was discontinued in 2003.
The area currently does not charge an access fee, and the fee kiosk has been removed. Politics and climbing don't usually mix well, but if you feel strongly one way the other about fee use areas, be sure you make your opinion known to everyone you can, particularly if they're influential. The data and the discussion process will ultimately determine whether fee areas continue, or in this case, return. Approach & Map
Looking down from the Lavender Col crux section.
Photo by SP member Natasha
See the GETTING THERE section on the MAIN PAGE, YANKEE BOY BASIN access.
Drive up the Canyon Creek Road from Ouray into Yankee Boy Basin. Continue driving up the road past the turn-off to Imogene Pass to your desired starting point. Above Coors Falls (the twin waterfalls in the basin), the road gets rougher, and eventually ends at the start of the Blue Lakes Pass trail. Hiking the road adds time and elevation gain to your trip, which must be seriously considered in questionable weather.
The approach can also be from the Blue Lakes area. Take Highway 62 west of Ridgway to Telluride. 4.7 miles later, be on the lookout for a national forest access sign to East Dallas Creek, a left turn off the highway. County road 7 winds up through gorgeous rural farmland and well placed signs lead you to the end of the road 9 miles later. You're at the foot of Mt. Sneffles here, and this is where the Blue Lakes trail begins. The Blaine Basin trail crosses East Dallas Creek. Stay on the trail on the west side of the creek. It's a three mile hike to the lower Blue Lake, and another steep mile and a half to the pass. This approach should be considered as an over-night option. At Blue Lakes Pass, follow the trail into Yankee Boy Basin. At the sign, go left up the scree field to begin the Lavender Col ascent.
Click on the map to view detail of the Lavender Col and South Ridge routes.
Route DescriptionFrom the end of the Yankee Boy jeep road, follow the well defined trail westward toward Blue Lakes Pass. After ¼ mile, you’ll come to a sign denoting the pass and the route up Sneffles. Take this right turn and scamper over boulders toward the base of what is known as the Lavender Col. This great slope’s light colored center is comprised of hard packed scree and can be a tiresome pull. The 14ers Initiative group has built a nice trail up the left side of the scree, making the ascent less tiresome on a more stable surface.
Once in the saddle east of Sneffles, the great 600’ southeast couloir presents itself. Climb up the couloir, working the left or right side the higher you go for better footing and handholds in the cliff walls. Altitude is gained quickly. This dramatic place is a great spot to develop early scrambling skills.
For an impressive view, proceed to the top of this couloir and take a peek over a convenient chest high rock down Sneffle’s north face. About twenty feet below the top end of the couloir is a V shaped notch to the left. Approach this notch on solid footing and climb up through it. Rocks have been placed as stepping aids beneath the notch, and handholds are abundant. Exposure during this crux move is considerable but brief. Other more exposed scrambling routes abound in this area, but if you are following this pedestrian route, this V notch move must be executed to gain the summit.
Above the notch, scramble to the right another fifty feet, south about twenty feet, then scamper up to the summit. Revel in your victory, take in the unparalleled view and enjoy the dramatic experience of being on top of Colorado’s classiest fourteener.
Return the same route. Depending on where you start your climb, elevation gain will be between 2,000 and 3,000 feet and mileage will be between 4 and 8 miles round trip.
The Colorado Fourteener Initiative (CFI), a volunteer organization devoted to trail construction and preservation of the natural beauty of the Colorado fourteeners, worked on improving this route during the 2003 summer season. According to SP member Wayne Afflick, they did an excellent job.
Essential Gear
View due southwest from the summit of Mount Sneffels
Photo b SP member DSnell
Good boots and standard hiking gear for a day outing.
Ice axe and crampons along with standard winter gear is recommended for winter and early season climbs. Snow shoes or skis are essential for rapid coverage of the Yankee Boy Basin area in winter.
Images
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Sneffels Range, Colorado
