Pigeon Peak

Colorado Rank: 57 - this makes this peak very desirable for those trying to complete Centennials (= the highest 100 peaks in Colorado).

 

Best Time to Climb: July, August (snow does not melt until then), September.

 

Commonly done together with Turret Peak, which is easier to climb. 

Pigeon as seen from Turret Peak
Good morning below Pigeon Peak	Pigeon Peak as seen from Camper's meadow at 11,740 feet

History: Pigeon has a rich climbing history, starting with 1908 first ascent by Cooper and Hubbard, and continuing to this day with assaults on the great east face. Rosenbrough in his The San Juan Mountains - A climbing and hiking guide - writes that the first party to be lured into the Needles solely by its climbing possibilities was William S. Cooper and John Hubbard in 1908. A couple of years earlier in 1906, Cooper had visited Silverton and climbed Kendall Mountain. From the summit of Kendall, he saw "mountains that I must see again and at the earliest opportunity; the whole San Juan country, the Needle Mountains in particular, and, first of all, Pigeon Peak".

 

Cooper and Hubbard approached Pigeon from New York Basin. They were forced to abandon an attempt on the south face, next to the east-facing precipice. A rain shower and an uncomfortable smooth granite slope leading to a series of two or three steps of giant size forced them to retreat and try a gully on the south face further face. Two or three hundred feet below the summit, they were forced left (west) from their direct route to a notch on the southwest ridge from which they were able to reach the summit. After sunbathing there for two and half hours, their final deed was to look down the 900 foot (they thought it was 1500 foot) 85-degree east face - almost as spectacular as the east face of Longs. 

 

Pigeon was next climbed by two well known pioneers in Colorado mountaineering history. In 1920, Albert R. Ellingwood and Barton Hoag reached the summit via "the large, prominent crack or couloir running up the south face". This was probably the same route taken by Cooper and Hubbard. Ellingwood and Hoag did not find any evidence of the 1908 ascent and in their report incorrectly assumed that they had made a first ascent. Ellingwood and Hoag also climbed neighboring Turret Peak and apparently did achieve a first ascent of it. 

 

During the 1930s, Pigeon Peak received renewed interest. In August of 1935 H.L. McClintock, and Lewis Giesecke discovered what is now the standard route on Pigeon. From a camp in Ruby Basin above Ruby Lake, they walked up the grassy ledges on the west side of the north face. They made the first traverse of Pigeon by descending the southeast chimney. 

Needle Mountains

The Needle Mountains are a vast climber's paradise. The fact that they are wild and rugged, with few roads and trails, has tended to make them a preserve for mountaineering. Only the Chicago Basin area saw any of the mining activity that swarmed over the rest of the San Juan in the last century. Except for ascents in Chicago Basin, and of Pigeon Peak, many of the first ascents of major peaks were not accomplished until Colorado Mountain Club and San Juan Mountaineer expeditions of the 1920s and 1930s. each decade since has seen new routes and climbs established, especially technical ones. There are still new routes to be explored on remote pinnacles and cold, dark north and east faces. In fact, there is a lifetime of climbing possibilities here. The Needles proper, as part of the large Weminuche Wilderness, lie between the Animas River to the west and Vallecito Creek to the east. In a general sense, the term Needle Mountains also encompasses the West Needle Mountains, west of the Animas River, and the Mount Oso group, to the east of Vallecito Creek.

Needles TOPO

Pigeon Peak as seen from Trinity Peak.

List of peaks - Needle Mountains

Peak	Elevation	Access	Note
Mount Eolus	14,083 feet	Needle Creek Access	fourteener
North Eolus	14,039 feet	Needle Creek Access	not recognized as a separate fourteener; it is a short scramble from the low point between Eolus and North Eolus
Glacier Point	13,704 feet	Needle Creek Access	route goes up its easy southeast ridge from lakes
Twin Thumbs	13,420 feet	Needle Creek Access	the north Thumb is harder, rope is needed for short sections
Peak Eleven	13,540 feet	Needle Creek Access	climb from the col between Twin Thumbs and Peak Eleven
Sunlight Peak	14,059 feet	Needle Creek Access	fourteener
Sunlight Spire	13,995 feet	Needle Creek Access	technical route rated 5.10 or easier if aided
Windom Peak	14,082 feet	Needle Creek Access	fourteener
Jupiter Mountain	13,830 feet	Needle Creek Access	several non-technical routes, or a very difficult Windom-Juniper ridge
Aztec Mountain	13,310 feet	Needle Creek Access	can be climbed from Columbine Pass
Heisspitz	13,262 feet	Noname Creek Access	4th class scramble in a gully
Peak Four	13,410 feet	Noname Creek Access	again 4th class scramble in a prominent gully
Peak Five and Peak Six	13,283 ft and 13,705 ft	Noname Creek Access	both go from the 12,900 foot pass between them
Jagged Mountain	13,824 feet	Noname Creek Access	is one of the more difficult and certainly one of the most rewarding climbs in the Needles
Gray Needle and Noname Needle	13,430 ft and 13,620 ft	Noname Creek Access	interesting technical climbs
Leviathan Peak	13,528 feet	Noname Creek Access	climbed by its southwest ridge, 3rd class scramble
Vallecito Mountain	13,428 feet	Noname Creek Access	3rd class scramble
Knife Point and Peak Ten	13,265 ft and 13,400 ft	Noname Creek Access	are climbed from the col between them
Peak Twelve	13,120 feet	Noname Creek Access	the route not very technical from pass south of the great wall of Monitor Peak
Monitor Peak	13,695 feet	both Noname Creek and Ruby Creek Access	high east face has some of the longest rock climbs in San Juans
The Index	13,400 feet	Ruby Creek Access	technical peak, route rated 5.7
Animas Mountain	13,786 feet	Ruby Creek Access	both technical and nontechnical routes
Peak Thirteen	13,705 feet	Ruby Creek Access	both technical and scramble routes
Little Finger, Peak Sixteen, and Peak Fifteen	13,200, 13,500, and 13,700 ft	Ruby Creek Access	all these peaks are technical and hard to get to
Pigeon Peak	13,972 feet	Ruby Creek Access	little scramble, but also technical routes possible.
Turret Peak	13,835 feet	Ruby Creek Access	hike up the talus from Pigeon-Turret saddle
Hope Mountain	13,012 feet	Vallecito Creek Access	can be approached on an old road that crosses north of it going east to Hazel Lake
Grizzly Peak	13,700 feet	Vallecito Creek Access	there are several Grizzly Peaks in Colorado, climb obvious ramp from Jupiter-Grizzly saddle
	13,554 feet	Vallecito Creek Access	usually done via ridge from Grizzly to McCauley
Echo Mountain	13,309 feet	Vallecito Creek Access	steep southwest slopes to the ridge west of the summit
Thunder Mountain	13,108 feet	Vallecito Creek Access	has a 0.5 mile long, sheer cliff face that stops any attempts from the basin, better to climb from by its southeast ridge
Greylock Mountain	13,575 feet	Vallecito Creek Access	is the only walk up in Grizzly Gulch Basin
Florida Mountain	13,076 feet	Vallecito Creek Access	can be climbed most of the way by an old road that traverses south out of Vallecito Basin to Trimble Pass 12,840
Bullion Mountain and Mount Valois	13,182 ft and 13,185 ft	Vallecito Creek Access	0.5 miles west of Trimble Pass, and Valois 0.5 miles southeast, are easy walk ups.
Emerson Mountain, Sheep Mountain, Amherst Mountain, Organ Mountain	all thirteeners	Vallecito Creek Access	to visit these thirteeners follow the trail south from Trimble Pass three miles to Florida River (good camping)
Peak Seven	13,682 feet	Vallecito Creek Access	is the northernmost peak of Needles Proper, it is climbed by angling over to its easy north ridge

What a list of peaks! What a project to climb them all!

Purgatory Trailhead - a nice trail, starts close to Durango Mountain Ski area.  The trail starts at the Purgatory campground located on U.S. 550; 26 miles north of Durango or 24 miles south of Silverton. From the Purgatory campground, the trail steeply descends 1.5 miles through the wooded Purgatory Creek drainage to Purgatory Flats.

 

Once in Purgatory Flats, the trail turns south and follows the Cascade Creek drainage for a lift more than 3 miles down to the Animas River. (the trail never crosses Cascade Creek, I made that mistake on my first trip and tried to figure out a way across. There used to be an old bridge, which got washed away). The Purgatory trail is easy to follow, and you reach the Animas River at 7,700 feet, 3.7 miles from the TH. Cross the Animas river across a nice suspension pedestrian bridge, and then follow Animas River Trail for 5.1 miles to Needle Creek (turn off for Chicago basin) and another 0.9 miles to Needleton train station.

 

Do not go east up Needle Creek Trail but continue 0.7 miles north on the Animas River Trail to the East end of the footbridge over the Animas River at Needleton. The trail is very scenic, you can see the  Durango Silverton train going by at some section. There are beautiful campsites along the trail. This approach is long, can be done in 1 day with a climb by hardcore people:) I used it to get Duchess in that way since pets are not allowed on train. I hike it twice now, and after my 2nd trip - I was thinking it is time to use the train. 

 

Round trip distance: about 30 miles. This would be the same approach as for Chicago Basin, except for Ruby Basin you have to walk further north. 

 

Needleton Trailhead via Ruby Creek or North Pigeon Creek - this is the stop of Durango Silverton train. You board your train in Durango. The train is rather expensive (I believe about 85$ per trip and they also charge 10$ per backpack), but very scenic, and you can drink beer en route. The Durango & Silverton Train operates from May 1 through October 30. During the peak summer season, four trains daily run on the line. Because of the numerous schedules, it is very important to make reservations in advance. 

 

Get off at Needleton and cross the suspension bridge to the Animas River's east side.

Round trip distance: 12 miles

 

Ruby Creek Trail start: From the east end of the Needleton footbridge, walk north on a wide trail past several private cabins - there is a sign on a tree marking this as  "Pigeon Creek". Cross Pigeon Creek (very shallow and easy), pass a rusty rail car and walk 0.2 miles north on the continuing Animas River Trail to a long meadow at 8,260 feet.

 

There are several idyllic campsites here, and Gerry Roach calls it in his Colorado 13ers guidebook "Camper's Meadow". Walk north as the meadow narrows and enter the meadow's 100 yard long northern lobe. Gerry Roach is describing that there is a difficulty to find a trail past here, but the trail was very obvious in 2014. The trail will take you through the trees slightly uphill. This trail, the Ruby Creek Trail, did not connect to the Animas River Trail in the past. And again, as I mentioned I just followed a trail and it was all connected in 2014.

 

Leave the Animas River Trail and head north on a well-established trail which is now the Ruby Creek Trail. Hike 100 yards east through small trees to the southern edge of another idyllic meadow called "Upper Camper's Meadow". There is a nice established campsite, which I headed for. I lost a trail here. The trail should be taking a surprise turn to the south - again I did not see an established path, but walking across the meadow was easy. Look south from the established campsite (fire pit and huge logs to sit on). There are 2 blue ribbons hanging on a tree and a cairn marking the spot where the trail enters a forest. The trail is strong and easy to follow inside the forest. 

 

Follow the Ruby Creek trail 0.3 miles NE to a rounded ridge at 9,200 feet. Continue 0.2 miles east on the trail as it enters the North Pigeon Creek drainage and climbs to North Pigeon Creek at 9,500 feet. Cross to North Pigeon Creek's north side and here the trail splits: the obvious main trail (per Gerry Roach obvious, to me a more obvious trail heads up) angles NW across the slope. This is not the shortest approach. This trail is a variation, which would bring you to Ruby Creek and Ruby Basin. 

A lesser trail (again to me a more obvious trail) climbs steeply NE above the creek. Take this one. I am not kidding the trail is steep here! especially if one carries a heavy backpack. The drainage along the North Pigeon Creek above this point is rough, and it is not recommended a direct ascend up the creek. The creek will run in a small gorge with cliffs.

 

From North Pigeon Creek crossing, climb 0.15 miles NE on the brutally steep Ruby Creek trail and follow it up a tiny ridge to yet another faint trail junction at 9,800 feet. The Ruby Creek approach and the North Pigeon Creek approach diverge at this junction (the Ruby Creek trail will leave the tiny ridge and traverses NE).

 

The junction is marked by an aspen tree with a columbine carved into it (the tree is about 7 meters from the junction, on Ruby Creek Trail). Trail to Ruby Creek turns north (left), and a small trail - Pigeon Creek Trail - continues straight up - east. This is the shortest approach for Pigeon - The North Pigeon Creek Trail. If Pigeon, or Pigeon and Turret are your only objectives, this is the best approach. If you plan to climb other peaks from Ruby Basin, then you should head for Ruby Creek Trail. There are no difficulties following the trail up to this point. The challenge is coming though. 

 

The North Pigeon Creek approach leaves the Ruby Creek Trail at the 9,800 foot trail junction and continues up the tiny ridge. Climb 0.2 miles east up the tiny ridge, following a faint trail that fades to a cairned route that in turn fades into bushwhacking. At 10,200 feet, bushwhack 0.6 miles east-SE up and across steep slopes to 11,000 feet in the upper North Pigeon Creek drainage. Do not cross the creek.

 

The drainage gets easier here, and the worst part of the approach is over. I headed mostly east 85% of the time, and 15% of the time was traversing uphills southeast. It was a little interesting from the point that about for 3/4 hr I had no signs of trail (other than game trail), and cairns. Finally, I was able to catch a glimpse of Pigeon Peak through the trees. I knew I was heading in the right direction.  

 

Climb 0.5 miles east-SE through open trees in the drainage to the west end of a large flat meadow at 11,740 feet. Stroll 0.1 miles east-SE into the idyllic meadow - great spot for camping. Pigeon Peak rises dramatically 0.7 miles to the east. Turret is hidden. This meadow is truly amazing - great views of Pigeon, well protected, and a small stream running through it. Mountain goats frequent the area. It is worth to come here… I would not recommend to plan the bushwhack section at night. I think seeing Pigeon Peak is a great orienting point and would imagine finding the meadow in the dark a much more difficult task.