San Miguel & Lake Point
Date: 08/27/2024
Trailhead: Lake Hope
Summits:
San Miguel (Solo, Kristi Henes)
Lake Point (Solo)
Distance: 7.5 miles
Ascent: 3660ft
Duration: 5hrs 30min
San Miguel 14ers.com Page
Lake Point 14ers.com Page
This little gem of a loop just outside of Telluride has some fun scrambling, incredible colors and unparalleled views.
If you just want to climb San Miguel, and are not climbing Lake Point, you can descend the southeast ridge. In retrospect, the southeast ridge is probably the easiest way to climb San Miguel... however you would miss out on the cool northeast ridge.
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7.5m - 3660ft - 5hrs 30min
![San miguel lake point 02]()
On approach a view of the basin I descended between San Miguel and Lake Point
![San miguel lake point 03]()
After a short time on a nice trail I cut across some grass to the northern tip of Lake Hope. The slopes to San Miguel's northeast ridge are gentle and filled with granite and grass
![San miguel lake point 04]()
Lake Hope and V9
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Lake Hope with Hope Pass which leads to Rico Silverton
![San miguel lake point 06]()
San Miguel's northeastern flank
![San miguel lake point 07]()
Avoid the loose rock and stick to the solid class 3 scrambling
![San miguel lake point 08]()
Almost to the summit ridge
![San miguel lake point 09]()
Lake Hope below and Pilot Knob, Vermillion, Fuller and Beattie behind
![San miguel lake point 10]()
Kristi on San Miguel's summit ridge
![San miguel lake point 11]()
The ridge goes smoothly until a significant notch just before the summit. Carefully down climb loose terrain on climbers left then ascend surprisingly solid rock near the yellow lichen in this image
![San miguel lake point 12]()
Kristi clears the notch
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Grizzly looking impressive from San Miguel's summit
![San miguel lake point 14]()
Northeastern views across the summit ridge to Vermillion and the Ice Lake peaks
![San miguel lake point 15]()
Southeastern views to Rolling Mountain
![San miguel lake point 16]()
Grizzly to the south with V10's fun summit ridge on the right
![San miguel lake point 17]()
The next stop is Lake Point and it's 5.2 nipple in the sky - somebody put a pastie on that thing! Wilsons in the distance
![San miguel lake point 18]()
San Miguel's west ridge is steep and has a reputation for being loose but I didn't find it so bad. Maybe the last little bit is tedious?
![San miguel lake point 19]()
Hiking to a scrambly spot on Lake Point's south ridge
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The scrambly spot has loose rock but with a little patience and careful foot placement it isn't bad
![San miguel lake point 21]()
Looking back to San Miguel and it's west ridge
![San miguel lake point 22]()
Excited to hop up on the nipple!
![San miguel lake point 23]()
The scramble to the easy and un-exposed 5.2 move to Lake Point's summit is on the southeast aspect
![San miguel lake point 24]()
The ridge between Lake Point and Sheep is scary impressive. Sheep's summit is the round mound at the top of the picture. However if you climb Sheep, be sure to get up on it's exposed tower. Believe it or not there is an actual ladder at it's base!
![San miguel lake point 25]()
The Ice Lakes peaks. L2R: Pilot Knob, Golden Horn, Vermillion and Fuller
![San miguel lake point 26]()
Sorry... had to do it... after all this is how the peak got it's name
![San miguel lake point 27]()
One last look at Grizzly before descending into the basin. I retraced my steps a little further than needed across the ridge to find the softest/surfiest spot to descend
![San miguel lake point 28]()
The descent was eye popping and went as smooth as you could ask
![San miguel lake point 29]()
I stayed in this gully for a bit and glissaded on intermittent patches of snow
![San miguel lake point 30]()
After going over to the waterfalls for the view I found some animal trails that took me down the remaining steep sections and traversed back to the trail
![San miguel lake point 31]()
Until next time Lake Point
