Whale Peak via Whale’s Tail Couloir 13er Hike Guide
Whale Peak is a relatively unknown 13er located in the Front Range mountains of Colorado. This 13,078ft mountain has a number of ways to the summit, but the most fun in my opinion is the Whale’s Tail Couloir. This snow climb consists of 700ft of snow and is a moderate climb ranging from 30-40+ degrees in steepness. After exiting the couloir, hikers have about 200 yards to the summit of this 13er. Most will venture down either the southeast ridge or east slopes but for those looking to spice up this hike event more, a ski/board descent down Whale’s Tail Couloir provides an excellent alternative.
Whale Peak via Whale’s Tail Quick Facts
Virtual Trail Guide: Whale Peak via Whale’s Tail Couloir
Whale Peak Rating: ★★★★(4/5 Stars)
Distance: Various Depending on Snow Level – Generally expect a 9+ mile day in the winter, 6-9 miles in the spring and 6 miles in the early summer.
Elevation Start: 9,980ft (From Hall Valley Campground)
Highest Point: 13,078ft
Total Elevation Gain: 3,100ft
Estimated Time to Complete: 6-7 Hours RT
Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult (depending on snow level) What does this mean?
Snow Climb Grade: Moderate – 30-40 degrees max
Class: Class 2 What does this mean?
Season: Year Round – Couloir is “In” November – Early June
Avalanche Forecast: This route and area is avalanche prone, check conditions here.
Directions to Whale Peak via Whale’s Tail Couloir
Trailhead: Hall Valley Campground
Getting Here: From 285 in between Kenosha Pass and Jefferson Colorado, take County Road 60 for 5.1 miles or as far as you can make it towards Hall Valley Campground. If you can make it to the campground, you are in good shape. However, it’s more likely you will have to park somewhere on the side of the road before this point. The road is rough dirt with deep ruts and puddles the closer you get to the campground. A 4×4 is not necessary, but a higher clearance is helpful as the road is not maintained during the winter months.
Fees: There is no fee for this hike.
Parking: The parking situation for this hike is going to entirely depend on the snow conditions and when you visit. In the best case scenario there are several spots to park 5-10 cars and in the worst case scenario you will have to leave your car on the side of the road. In any case there are no restrooms open at any of the parking areas during winter and spring months.
Summary
Camping: Whale Peak has loads of camping options in the later spring and early summer months but not so much in the winter. Obviously Hall Valley Campground is option 1 with lots of dispersed camping to be found along the road to the TH. In the winter you will most likely not be able to drive too far past residential areas which limits all of your camping options for this one.
Dogs: When hiking Whale Peak via Whale’s Tail Couloir, I would leave the dog at home. However, if you are bringing a dog here during the summer months and not climbing this couloir, it’s a dog friendly hike.
Make it a Loop: Most hiking Whale Peak will choose to climb Whale’s Tail and descend either the southeast ridge or East slopes making this a lollipop loop. However, you could certainly ski/board/downclimb the couloir if you wanted to and conditions were safe.
X Factors: Hike Starting Point
In recent years, Whale Peak via Whale’s Tail Couloir has gained popularity making beta easier to find on this hike. However, in general, this is a fairly infrequently hiked mountain. You could be the first hiker on the trail in a week + making the starting point a complete wildcard. Lack of road maintenance, other drivers and frequent snow make the mileage on this hike a complete wildcard. We hiked this in late April and had about 9 miles of hiking, but a 10+ mile day is extremely easy to have in winter and early spring.
Hike Tip(s): When hiking Whale Peak be sure to understand the avalanche forecast from CAIC and also know how to evaluate avalanche terrain when planning your trip. This couloir is east facing which means that the sun will hit it right away making a hard freeze overnight, early start and early exit all necessary for a safe day.
Best Views: Once you leave treeline, which admittedly is most of this hike, the views are great. It’s obvious to see where Whale Peak’s couloir gets its name from and the views in the surrounding valley are great. If you are lucky and Gibson Lake is melted out, it just adds to the beauty of the area. From the summit, views are best north and west with the entire Ten Mile Range in view and Breckenridge Ski Resort seems like a stone’s throw away.
Whale Peak via Whale’s Tail Hike Route
Gear Needed
- Dakine Poacher Winter Backpack
- Hiking/SkiPoles
- Headlamp
- Climbing Helmet
- Mountain Axe
- Crampons
- Crampon Bag
- La Sportiva Mountaineering Boots
- Microspikes
- Gaiters
- Optional: Avalanche Gear: Beacon, Probe, Shovel
- Optional: Snowshoes
- Optional: Skis or Splitboard
- Optional: Goggles
- Optional: Garmin inReach
- Optional: Garmin Fenix Watch
- Optional: Camera and Lens
- Optional: GoPro, Joby Tripod
- *Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you.
Our Trip to Whale Peak: April 2021
Whale Peak had been on my list for a while: it’s close to home, is a nice spring couloir option and best of all, is a perfect line to ride down on the snowboard and back to TH avoiding all the awful postholing most spring hiking brings. A weird spring weather cycle took a lot of the more technical options off the table so Nick and I settled on Whale Peak. We figured we could start super early (4AM) and snag the summit before the warm weather turned the couloir into an avalanche slide path.
We arrived at the surprisingly crowded TH with much colder weather than expected. A nice surprise to start the day, this would allow us to have safer snow conditions in the couloir with a less than ideal avalanche forecast. The snow had melted out making a splitboard start impossible. My friend Nick joined me for this one and although always faster than me, was in especially good shape and he was training for some much bigger objectives. We worked our way through the darkness past Hall Valley Campground up the 4×4 road and finally towards Gibson Lake. Nick suffered through some postholing while I was able to glide on top of the snow with my splitboard. We arrived at the Couloir right around 7AM, perfect timing as the snow was warming fast. The climb up Whale’s Tail was straightforward: mellow then steep in the middle with a relatively easy exit. Nick was so far ahead of me that he was already downclimbing the couloir as I was about to top out. I finished up, tagged the summit and got ready for the ride down.
After a few test cuts on the snow to ensure it was stable, I had an awesome ride down the couloir and eventually back to the car. Whale Peak via Whale’s Tail couloir is a great intermediate snow climb and moderate ski/board option that I would absolutely do again.
