San Luis Peak - northeast ridge route

My ascent & descent of San Luis Peak, a remote and reclusive 14er in the La Garita Mountains in southwest Colorado’s San Juan Range. Not climbed all that often due to its remoteness, the mountain affords an idyllic experience which isn’t likely to be too crowded. It is a class 1 hike from trailhead to summit, and so is also a good first-time 14er. If you can get there, that is! Though the roads getting to the Stewart Creek trailhead are pretty good, the road approach is very long, and likely so is the highway drive. The way on foot takes me through the forests and meadows and ponds of the Stewart Creek drainage, then past some memorable old gnarly character-saturated trees as the path nears timberline. After ascending to the saddle, the airy remainder of the trail goes nicely along smooth, restful ridges to a summit with views unlikely to be seen from anywhere else. In this video, as always I have provided maps & descriptions of the route, and also a few bits about the history of the mountain and of the region where it is situated. Most likely its name is derived from the nearby San Luis Valley, which was visited hundreds of years ago by Spanish explorers. As always, take care and take in the ambience! For my climbs of other San Juan 14ers:    • San Juan Range - videos featuring the rugg...  . For climbs of the Sangre de Cristo 14ers, on the other side of the San Luis Valley:    • Sangre de Cristo Range - videos featuring ...  . Here are the contents of this video: 0:00 Views of the mountain, and its naming and survey history, and bits about the history of the overall San Luis Valley region. 1:32 Route overview and statistics. CARPE DIEM & CARPE MONTEM! 3:01 The dirt road car trip to the trailhead. 5:32 Lower approach hike: ~10,500’ to ~12,100’. 18:04 Upper approach hike: ~12,100’ to ~13,100’. 24:56 Northeast ridge, ~13,100’ to the top, at 14,023’. 32:32 Scenes at the top. AMOR FATI! 34:36 Descending. 41:45 Final thoughts. 43:11 Final images. See you next time! #14ers #colorado #mountains #hiking #nature #rockymountains #climbing #mountainclimbing #mountainscenery #naturedocumentary #sanjuanmountains #sanluis Music selections: 1) “Spanish Rose” - Chris Haugen (YouTube audio library) 2) “Barnyard Surprise” - The Whole Other (YouTube audio library) 3) “M Fischer” - The Mini Vandals (YouTube audio library) 4) “Pink Flamenco” - Doug Maxwell (YouTube audio library) 5) “Whirlpool” - The Mini Vandals (YouTube audio library) Additional sources: 1) For maps: U.S. Geological Survey - USGS 2) "A Climbing Guide to Colorado's Fourteeners" by Walter R. Borneman and Lyndon J. Lampert. Pruett Publishing, 2nd edition, 1988. 3) "Colorado's Fourteeners - From Hikes to Climbs" by Gerry Roach. Fulcrum Publishing, 3rd edition, 2011. 4) 14ers.com: San Luis Peak/routes/northeast ridge 5) For signs: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture - USDA 6) "Colorado's Highest - The History of Naming the 14,000-Foot Peaks" by Jeri L. Norgren. John Fielder Publishing, 2020.