Hike Babcock, Spiller, Burwell Peaks (The Knife) San Juan National Forest, CO

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Babcock, Spiller, Burwell Peaks (The Knife) GPX Track

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This route summits Babcock Peak, Spiller Peak, and Burwell Peak using the wonderful traverse route known as "The Knife".

I wasn't willing to take my car up the old mining road, but a 4X4 vehicle could avoid 2k elevation gain and a few miles. Follow an old mining road for a few miles until it ends, and then head up the northeast grassy slope leading to the base of Babcock Peak where you'll see a few gullies you could ascend (photos below). Once in the correct gully, you can make a quick detour up the right fork, which ascends Class 3 to Middle Babcock. Although the eastern summit is marked on maps as the high point, I read in a few places that the middle peak or the west peak is actually highest (including on Lists of John). I decided to do those two. Anyway, from Middle Babacock, a cliff blocks easy access to West Babacock. Instead, I went back into the gully and continued into the left fork. From the end of the gully, scramble up a Class 3 face to the summit and check out the gorgeous knife edge ahead (Class 3), which is commiting because there is no way to bail once you're in the thick of it. This is the Babcock Peak to Spiller Peak Traverse (The Knife), and it's awesome.

Once the knife edge is over, you'll notice a massive gap before Spiller Peak that requires slipping down a golden 100-foot gully before you can get to a reasonable scramble route up the northeast face of Mt. Spiller. From the summit, continue onward to Burwell Peak, a fairly easy ridge traverse on loose rock, which only has a short knife edge and Class 3 section toward the summit. Head down the southeast ridge of Burwell Peak and be aware that there is a hundred foot dryfall just before the end, avoidable by staying in the trees for a while before descending fully.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)

Peaks on hike

Elevation

Prominence

Babcock Peak

13180 ft

540 rise

Spiller Peak

13123 ft

163 rise

Burwell Peak

12664 ft

144 rise

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Follow a dirt road for a few miles (if you don't have 4WD like me).

Burwell in the distance.

Approaching the end of the road.

Head up the boulder field on the right.

Go up the gully in the middle here (the rightmost one with snow).

Looking back down the boulder field.

Within the gully.

Looking back down from within the gully.

There is a junction within the gully. Going right leads to middle Babcock Peak. Continuing up the main gully goes to the knife edge traverse.

Heading up Class 3 toward Middle Babcock.

Scrambling up Middle Babcock.

Middle Babcock summit, looking toward West Babcock.

An anchor for rappelling. Oops. Had to go back to the gully to get to West Babacock (and the knife edge).

Back at the gully junction, looking down the way I came.

Heading up the main gully toward West Babcock.

Looking down the snowfield within the gully.

The Class 3 scramble up to West Babcock.

West Babcock summit looking along the knife edge.

Spiller on the right, Burwell on the left.

The class 3+ section of the knife edge.

Looking back along the knife edge.

Looking back toward the dirty gully after the knife edge. I went down this in order to start ascending Spiller.

Looking back toward the gully I went down (orange) in order to ascend Spiller. Babcock in the distance.

Almost at the Spiller summit.

Spiller summit, looking back along the ridgeline to Babcock.

Starting along the ridge to Burwell.

Close-up of Burwell.

A couple of other hikers.

Looking back up toward Spiller - you can see the other hikers, tiny up there.

One mini knife edge along the way to the summit.

Burwell summit.

I followed the southern ridge for a while to get down. I don't remember exactly what I did.

Heading down Burwell.

Looking back toward Burwell. You can sort of see a series of routes down. It's steep but not too bad. My route was to take that obvious brown gully that zigzags down until it reaches a waterfall. I then traversed into the forest until it was reasonable to

Back to the road to complete the loop.

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Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I’m not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!