Bent Peak/Carson Peak/Point 13581

Statistics

Date - 09/07/2026
Elevation - 13,393'/13,657'/13,581'
Route - Southeast Slopes/East Ridge/Northwest Slopes
Miles - 6.9
Elevation Gain - 3,702'
ACME Mapper - Link
CalTopo - Link
Partners - Not Applicable

Description

After working through half of the Colorado Bi-Centennial Peaks, I have obviously found it more difficult to hike additional mountains on the list due to their distance from where I live. So far in 2026, I was only able to hike three more Bi's, so I took some use or lose time off from work and made a trip to the San Juan Mountains. By spending four days in southwest Colorado I was hoping to be more efficient with my trip and climb multiple peaks.

I drove from my residence to Carson Pass south of Lake City, Colorado, on Sunday afternoon. The road to Carson Pass is more difficult than Cinnamon Pass and a four-wheel drive is necessary. I camped on the pass and struggled with sleep due to wind and rain. I was afraid the trip was getting off to a bad start and wasn't sure about my success for the day. I woke around 5:00 am and changed into wet weather gear and waited for things to clear.

There was a short break in conditions, so I started up Bent Peak with a hard shell and pack cover on. If things got too bad, I figured I could at least endure Bent Peak and maybe Carson Peak before bailing on the day. The wind was tolerable and the rain was light or simply a mist as I began the day. As the sun rose and I reached Bent Peak, the weather seemed to improve and I became more optimistic. The traverse over to Carson Peak went fairly quickly and I was happy to have at least reached one Bi-Centennial Peak.

It appeared as though the weather was holding, so I committed to the rest of the day by descending off the south slopes of Carson Peak rather than returning to Carson Pass. I lost around 1,700' dropping into Lost Trail Creek and crossing the Colorado / Continental Divide Trail. The climb from the basin to Point 13581 was steep, and the top of the northwest slope route to the ridge that I completed was miserable and loose. Nevertheless, I made the summit and was glad to have completed my goal for the day.

Had I done more research on the peak I most certainly would have descended the east ridge and northeast slopes to return to Carson Pass; however, I wasn't sure if it would go at the time so I simply returned the way I ascended and carefully worked my way back down the steep and rotten gully. It wasn't the worst, nor was it enjoyable. Once I reached the valley floor again, I picked up the Colorado / Continental Divide Trail and hiked back to my vehicle at Carson Pass.

I'm fairly slow as I age; however, the loose route up and down Point 13581 was somewhat challenging and certainly added to the day also. I started at 5:45 am and returned to the trailhead by 1:45 pm for an 8-hour car-to-car day with 15 minutes on each summit. I drove back down Wager Gulch to County Road 30 to make contact with my wife and then proceed to the Cooper Creek Trailhead for my next hike.

The map/LIDAR elevations for Bent Peak are 13,393'/13,405'. The map/LIDAR elevations for Carson Peak are 13,657'/13,662' which moved it from #167 to #168 when considering all other elevation changes. The map/LIDAR elevations for Point 13581 are 13,581'/13,587' which moved it from #195 to #196 when considering all other elevations changes.

Photos