Williams Creek Trailhead

Trailhead condition requests, questions, alerts, etc.
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1brokedad
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Williams Creek Trailhead

Post by 1brokedad »

Is it possible to summit Sunshine Peak from the Williams Creek TH?
Aphelion
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Re: Williams Creek Trailhead

Post by Aphelion »

Williams Creek is on the opposite side of the San Juan range from Sunshine. It's about 30 miles one-way as the crow flies, a lot more on foot. So I suppose it's technically possible, but not as a casual hike.
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madmattd
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Re: Williams Creek Trailhead

Post by madmattd »

Aphelion - there is a Williams Creek Trailhead a few miles East of Mill Creek somewhat near Redcloud/Sunshine.

1brokedad - sure, anything is possible. I'd ask why though? The normal route up Sunshine is either via Redcloud from the Grizzly Gulch/Silver Creek Trailhead, or from the SouthEast at Mill Creek Campground. The SouthEast approach is the standard winter approach if that's what you're looking for? There's no direct route from Williams Creek to Sunshine, you can go up to the ridge top by PT 13,811 and ridge-run from there but it's a pretty big day. There's some old roads in that valley South of the ridge that might string together enough of a route to connect to the East Ridge coming from Mill Creek, but then you might as well just start at Mill Creek.
Last edited by madmattd on Tue Oct 19, 2021 12:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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justiner
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Re: Williams Creek Trailhead

Post by justiner »

Aphelion wrote: Tue Oct 19, 2021 11:47 am Williams Creek is on the opposite side of the San Juan range from Sunshine. It's about 30 miles one-way as the crow flies, a lot more on foot. So I suppose it's technically possible, but not as a casual hike.
Different Williams Creek. You could summit Sunshine from Williams Creek TH, but first you'd go over UN18632, drop down the col between UN18632 and Redcloud, then traverse to Sunshine. Better to just start up the road and use this route (Mill Creek CG),

https://www.14ers.com/route.php?route=suns4
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Scott P
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Re: Williams Creek Trailhead

Post by Scott P »

justiner wrote: Tue Oct 19, 2021 12:02 pm first you'd go over UN18632
Don't we all wish. 😉 Just messin'. I know what you meant and don't want to derail the thread. Such a peak sure would be cool though.
I'm old, slow and fat. Unfortunately, those are my good qualities.
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Trotter
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Re: Williams Creek Trailhead

Post by Trotter »

justiner wrote: Tue Oct 19, 2021 12:02 pm
Aphelion wrote: Tue Oct 19, 2021 11:47 am Williams Creek is on the opposite side of the San Juan range from Sunshine. It's about 30 miles one-way as the crow flies, a lot more on foot. So I suppose it's technically possible, but not as a casual hike.
Different Williams Creek. You could summit Sunshine from Williams Creek TH, but first you'd go over UN18632, drop down the col between UN18632 and Redcloud, then traverse to Sunshine. Better to just start up the road and use this route (Mill Creek CG),

https://www.14ers.com/route.php?route=suns4
+1
Its a very long way to get sunshine from williams creek. Nice trail almost all the way to UN 13811 though
After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. -Nelson Mandela
Whenever I climb I am followed by a dog called Ego. -Nietzsche
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