Mt. Evans

Click the “i” on the bottom right of the 360 VR Photo box for captions that follow these directions.

From Summit Lake, follow a wide gravel path counterclockwise around Summit Lake’s shoreline, out of the parking area [1]. Continue to follow the trail up a short rocky hillside as you gain the ridge and leave the gravel path for packed dirt single track [3]. You’ll soon pass by some steep couloirs visible throiugh notches in the ridgeline, with Chicago lakes below. Continue to follow the ridgeline, keeping an eye out for cairns above you [9,10]. The high point of the ridge is Mt. Spalding, 1.2 miles in at 13,830ft [14].

After you descend Mt. Spalding, the trail becomes thinner, but occasional cairns mark the way. You’ll make your way across a plateau, aiming for the area where Evan’s ridge meets the plateau. From the shallow notch [19, 20] where the plateau meets the ridge, the trail becomes harder to follow as it crosses through rocks. Watch for cairns. You’ll stay beneath the ridge [23-29], not topping out until you ultimately hit Evan’s summit [30].