Stats:Class 3, 9.8 miles (round trip), 5420 feet of elevation gain.
From the Colorado Trail trailhead sign, follow the trail approx. 0.1 mile to the Colorado Trail. Turn right and hike along the Colorado Trail for approx. 0.3 miles to the sign for the Mount Shavano Trail. Turn left onto the Mount Shavano Trail. Follow the Mount Shavano Trail for about 3.5 miles to the saddle between 16,360 foot "Esprit Point" to the south and Mount Shavano to the north. Turn north and follow a fainter trail to the summit of Mount Shavano.
From the summit of Mount Shavano, continue northwest on Mount Shavano's ridge to the saddle between Mount Shavano and Tabeguache Peak. From the saddle, hike the 0.3 miles or so up to Tabeguache Peak's summit and then return to the saddle between Tabeguache Peak and Mount Shavano. The good news is that from here you do not need to go up and over Mount Shavano to return to the trailhead. Instead, descend to the saddle between Mount Shavano and Point 13,712 then ascend the 332 feet of prominence to the summit of Point 13,712.
The route gets more interesting on the ridge between Point 13,712 and Jones Peak. The ridge is class 3 in spots, with only one or two tricky sections. Follow the 0.7 mile ridge to the summit of Jones Peak.
From the summit of Jones Peak descend (surf) the loose scree down to Shavano Lake. Take a well-deserved rest at the lake. To get back to the trail from the lake you must traverse the hillside, trying to maintain an elevation of 11,900 feet. The route will take you past small cliffs and through occasional tree stands before intersecting the Mount Shavano Trail at 11,900 feet. Be careful not to lose elevation during this bushwack back to the trail or you will miss the trail.
Trail Profile and Map
The trail color represents the class of that portion of the trail.
Green = Class 1
Blue = Class 2
Purple = Class 3
Trail Profile
The vertical unit is feet, and the horizontal unit is miles.
Map
Mount Shavano, Tabeguache Peak, Point 13,712, and Jones Peak from the Shavano/Tabeguache TH.
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