Lewis Mountain, Snowstorm Peak, and Columbus Mine Loop in San Juan National Forest, CO

Hike Lewis Mountain, Snowstorm Peak, and Columbus Mine Loop San Juan National Forest, CO

Class 3 6.4 miles 3300 gain 4-6 hrs Loop Jul 14, 2018
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude

Lewis Mountain, Snowstorm Peak, and Columbus Mine Loop GPX Track

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The photos are looking a bit rough because I broke my lens and condensation was building up inside. New lens coming soon!

Even though a dirt road leads right into the Columbus Basin up to the historic mine, this route takes you far above, semim-circling around the basin and bagging two very pretty peaks in the La Plata Mountains. Starting from a pull-off along the Columbus Basin Road (or a few hundred feet before that if your car can't make it up the rocky uphill), bushwhack up a steep and grassy slope to gain the ridgeline, which undulates up to Lewis Mountain, nothing harder than Class 2. Once you reach Lewis Mountain's summit, the ridgeline scramble to the saddle with Snowstorm Peak is a great introduction to Class 3 ridges, and there are super nice views of the surrounding mountains, including Babcock and Spiller Peaks. From the saddle, you'll see a use trail that you'll be taking to get down to the Columbus Mine. However, Snowstorm Peak is so close, and there are nice views from the top of that peak as well, so just scramble over on Class 2 stuff, with one minor obstacle.

After Snowstorm Peak, switchbacks from the saddle take you to the historic Columbus Mine, and then the dirt road leads back to your car.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)
Peaks on hike
Elevation
Prominence
1
Lewis Mountain
12682 ft
n/a rise
2
Snowstorm Peak
12511 ft
311 rise

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Starting up the Columbus Basin dirt road.
Starting up the Columbus Basin dirt road.
Turn off the dirt road and bashwhack up a grassy slope.
Turn off the dirt road and bashwhack up a grassy slope.
It gets steep, but not too bad.
It gets steep, but not too bad.
Looking down the grassy slope.
Looking down the grassy slope.
Reached the ridgeline. Lewis Mountain is hidden behind the ridge.
Reached the ridgeline. Lewis Mountain is hidden behind the ridge.
Looking back along the ridgeline as I continue toward Lewis Mountain.
Looking back along the ridgeline as I continue toward Lewis Mountain.
Image 6 from gallery
Looking across the basin toward Snowstorm Peak (left) and that ridgeline leading up to it. Columbus Mine far right.
Looking across the basin toward Snowstorm Peak (left) and that ridgeline leading up to it. Columbus Mine far right.
Looking back the way I came.
Looking back the way I came.
Lewis Mountain center right. You can see the Columbus Basin Road on the bottom left.
Lewis Mountain center right. You can see the Columbus Basin Road on the bottom left.
iPhone pano (womp). Babcock/Spiller visible on the far left. Ridgeline I just came up center, Snowstorm Peak far right.
iPhone pano (womp). Babcock/Spiller visible on the far left. Ridgeline I just came up center, Snowstorm Peak far right.
Continuing up to Lewis Mountain.
Continuing up to Lewis Mountain.
Some fun Class 3 scrambling to gain the Lewis Mountain summit.
Some fun Class 3 scrambling to gain the Lewis Mountain summit.
Lewis Mountain false summit ahead.
Lewis Mountain false summit ahead.
Lewis Mountain false summit looking back along the ridge.
Lewis Mountain false summit looking back along the ridge.
Continuing to the true Lewis Mountain summit.
Continuing to the true Lewis Mountain summit.
Lewis Mountain summit looking back.
Lewis Mountain summit looking back.
Heading down from Lewis Mountain, Snowstorm Peak on the left.
Heading down from Lewis Mountain, Snowstorm Peak on the left.
Rocky ridge toward Snowstorm Peak.
Rocky ridge toward Snowstorm Peak.
Looking back toward Lewis Mountain.
Looking back toward Lewis Mountain.
Image 20 from gallery
Image 21 from gallery
Nearing the saddle of Lewis Mountain and Snowstorm Peak, where a trail appears that I took to get down after summitting Snowstorm.
Nearing the saddle of Lewis Mountain and Snowstorm Peak, where a trail appears that I took to get down after summitting Snowstorm.
Looking back toward Lewis Mountain, almost at Snowstorm Peak.
Looking back toward Lewis Mountain, almost at Snowstorm Peak.
Snowstorm Peak ahead, Cumberland Mountain far right.
Snowstorm Peak ahead, Cumberland Mountain far right.
Snowstorm Peak summit looking northeast to Cumberland Mountain. You'll probably see people down there at the pass who drove up.
Snowstorm Peak summit looking northeast to Cumberland Mountain. You'll probably see people down there at the pass who drove up.
Snowstorm Peak summit looking back toward Lewis Mountain. You can see the dirt road on the right that you take back to complete the loop.
Snowstorm Peak summit looking back toward Lewis Mountain. You can see the dirt road on the right that you take back to complete the loop.
Heading down from the saddle along a social trail.
Heading down from the saddle along a social trail.
Looking down the Columbus Basin from the social trail.
Looking down the Columbus Basin from the social trail.
Approaching Columbus Mine.
Approaching Columbus Mine.
Columbus Mine.
Columbus Mine.
Columbus Mine, looking up toward the saddle I came down from.
Columbus Mine, looking up toward the saddle I came down from.
Follow the dirt road back.
Follow the dirt road back.

Hire me or show me some love!

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!