
Starting up Nellie Creek Road on foot.

Higher up on Nellie Creek Road.

View back.

A stream crossing along the road.

View back as I near the hairpin turn where most cars can't continue.

Past the hairpin turn (not pictured), I continued on Nellie Creek Road, made a right at a road junction, and followed this side-road a short way to its end. To start along the trail to Crystal Peak, I crossed Nellie Creek here and located the trail on the opposite side.

The trail is just an old road, easy to follow.

Ascending the trail. Gorgeous colors. The cool pinnacle-filled ridge you see on the left is the ridgeline shooting south from Peak 13106.

Continuing along the old road/trail.

A flooded section of trail. It was easy to follow, but there were a couple of overgrown sections.

View back as I ascend the old road/trail.

Almost above treeline.

View back as I emerge from treeline.

Crystal Peak top center. The old road switchbacks through the tundra.

View back toward the way I came.

The old road/trail continues for a bit through the tundra. I left the trail once it curved north and instead ascended the grassy slope in the center leading to the ridgeline above.

Close-up back the way I came after leaving the road/trail (seen on the right). Also visible is the scary storm coming my way, lovely.

On the ridge, headed toward Crystal Peak.

I started running, hoping the storm would miss me. It did, yay.

Crystal Peak ahead.

Final push to Crystal Peak.

View back from just below Crystal Peak toward Uncompahgre Peak (left) and Peak 13091 on the right.

Crystal Peak, view down into the Modoc Creek drainage at the peak's base. Nellie Creek is on the other side of the ridge in the center of this photo.

Crystal Peak summit, view toward Crystal Lake and Lake City in the center.

A close-up toward Uncompahgre Peak, center. Peak 13158 (my last peak of the day) is the little nubbin along the ridge to the left of Uncompahgre.

Along the lovely tundra toward Peak 13091 (center).

View back toward Crystal Peak.

Peak 13091 ahead. Cool rock formations along the way.

View back toward Crystal Peak, just past the cool rock formations.

Class 2 talus, with one Class 2+ move to gain the rim of Peak 13091.

View back from above the Class 2+ move, Crystal Peak center.

Along the rim of Peak 13091. Onward to Peak 13106.

View back toward Peak 13091 (left) and Crystal Peak (right).

Peak 13106's eastern reaches visible top right. To reach it, I kept to the right in this photo, ascended above the minor cliff band, and ascended to the summit via the tundra and light Class 2 in the center of this photo.

View back toward Peak 13091.

A long walk along the ridge leads to Peak 13106. Uncompahgre Peak visible on the right. Also, another storm coming my way. Again.

View back along the Class 2 blocky ridgeline. You can pull Class 3 moves if you don't wrap between the blocky maze-like formations.

Peak 13106 summit, view toward Uncompahgre Peak (right) and Peak 13158 (left).

Class 2 down from Peak 13106. I ran through the tundra on the right to reach the trail.

View back up toward Peak 13106.

Along the tundra to the trail.

I reached the Big Blue Creek Trail. Peak 13158 visible above.

Descending the Big Blue Creek Trail's switchbacks. Uncompahgre Peak visible center.

Nellie Creek Road is down there in the center.

Junction with the Nellie Creek Trail. I ascended the trail.

View back as I ascend the Nellie Creek Trail. Peak 13106 visible center. I descended via the Big Blue Creek Trail on the left in this photo from the grassy ridge.

Ascending Nellie Creek Trail, the standard route for Uncompahgre Peak, which is visible ahead. The pretty little waterfall on the left marked when I'd be leaving the trail to ascend the rocky ridge on the left in this photo.

Close-up of the little waterfall.

I crossed the creek and ascended the talus on the top right.

View back as I ascend the Class 2 talus. Peak 13106 visible top right.

Easy, gorgeous tundra walking with interesting boulders amongst the rolling grassy hills.

Peak 13158 comes into view.

Close-up toward Uncompahgre Peak as I ascend to Peak 13158.

Close-up back toward Peak 13106 as I ascend to Peak 13158.

I reached the base of Peak 13158. Now to ascend to the saddle in the center.

Class 2 steep talus/tundra to reach the saddle.

At the saddle, ascending the ridge to Peak 13158.

Class 2 along the ridge.

View back. The saddle I came up from is visible center bottom. Uncompahgre Peak and Wetterhorn Peak visible.

Class 2 to Peak 13158.

Another shot back toward the gorgeous landscape. Uncompahgre Peak right of center, Wetterhorn and Matterhorn center, Broken Hill far left.

Close-up of Broken Hill (left), Wetterhorn and Matterhorn.

Another close-up (couldn't help myself, omg so beautiful) of Uncompahgre Peak and Wetterhorn Peak.

Wide shot of the route I took. Crystal Peak visible right of center in the distance.

Close-up down toward a little tarn and my early traverse in the day from Crystal Peak to Peak 13106.

Close-up into the Nellie Creek drainage. I spotted the El Paso Creek Trail below on the right, and decided to descend to it.

Somewhat loose Class 2 off Peak 13158's south slope.

View back up toward Peak 13158.

Descending tundra to the El Paso Creek Trail.

View back toward Peak 13158.

Almost to El Paso Creek Trail.

El Paso Creek Trail. I followed this down to Nellie Creek Road.

Leaving the Uncompahgre Wilderness.

Now below treeline.

Emerging into a little meadow.

View back through the meadow toward Peak 13158 (top right).

Nice forested walk.



Nellie Creek Road ahead.

Close-up of the trail sign, which is placed far enough from the road that I can understand why this trail is rarely visited.

I reached Nellie Creek Road and followed it down back to my car.
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