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- Seasonal Trail Positions Closed
– March 7, 2013
CFI is no longer accepting applications for 2013 seasonal positions. If still interested in becoming a member of our 2014 seasonal trail crew, please check … Read More
- Seasonal Trail Positions Open!
– January 9, 2013
Colorado Fourteeners Initiative will have an expanded field presence in 2013. We are looking for 16 enthusiastic, hard-working seasonal staff leaders/members to complete these projects … Read More
- Everyone Poops…Even in the Woods
– November 9, 2012
The end of the season is here. Basecamp is packed out and it’s time to clean the “groover” buckets. For an extra hundred bucks, Andy … Read More
- Finding the Word to Sum Up a Season
– November 2, 2012
What does it feel like to open 3,300 feet of new, durably constructed, sustainably located trail? No one word can describe that specific moment. The … Read More
Sunlight Peak
- Elevation:14,059 feet (39th highest)
- Maps:USGS Quads: Columbine Pass, Storm King Peak, and Mountain View Crest
Trails Illustrated® – TOPO Map # 140
Click here to purchase Trails Illustrated® maps for this route. - Contact:US Forest Service, Columbine Ranger District (970) 884-2512
Recommended Route
Chicago Basin Route—use of this route will help to reduce impacts to these Fourteener’s fragile alpine environments. For detailed route information including photos, maps, and elevation profiles, click here.
Route Information and Additional Resources
Two approaches are available to the Chicago Basin. One is a 18-mile backpack from Purgatory Trailhead off Highway 550 near the Purgatory Ski area. The second is to take the Durango & Silverton Railroad to the Needleton Stop. From the Needleton stop, you hike another 6.5 miles east to the Chicago Basin.
For Windom Peak, gain the Twin Lakes Trail out of the Chicago Basin. From Twin Lakes, hike east to the saddle between Windom Peak and Peak 18. Continue east to the summit of Windom.
Sunlight Peak is often climbed in conjunction with Windom Peak. From Windom Peak travel north-northeast to Sunlight. From Sunlight, you can descend by the same route, or drop down the southern talus ridges. Sunlight can be climbed by itself from the south slopes.
Contact the Durango & Silverton Railroad, at 970-247-2733 for tickets, departure schedules and reservations. Check backpacker policies in place at that time.
The above information does not replace the need to consult additional maps and Colorado Fourteener Guidebooks for more detailed route descriptions. We suggest checking multiple resources before departing on any hike. Keep in mind that not all guidebooks list this recommended route and that each guidebook’s description or route name may vary slightly.
Peak Specific Environmental and Safety Concerns
No wood fires are allowed anywhere in the Needle Creek Drainage.
No wood fires or camping are allowed in the Twin Lakes Basin.