LoJ: #376 (Pre-LiDAR #368) / 13,322' De Anza Peak De Anza B
N 37° 13' 27.06", W 105° 09' 32.54"
(Not Field Checked)
Mariquita Peak
Beaubien Peak
Francisco Peak
Mount Maxwell
Lomo Liso Mountain
Peak Summary
De Anza Peak B as best we can tell may be considered to be on the private property of the Cielo Vista Ranch, and/or, the summit may be a dividing line for the Cielo Vista and Trinchera Blanca Ranch. De Anza Peak (B) is a mostly easy Class 1 & 2 hike along its southern ridge with an approach from Whiskey Pass, or a Class 2 hike along its northern ridge from Mariquita Peak. The hike from the car park below Whiskey Pass up to Whiskey Pass will be the toughest part coming in at perhaps Class 2+ depending on the exact route taken. Access from Whiskey Pass is the most likely way to reach De Anza legally, but the cost may be steep and a 4WD vehicle will be needed regardless of how you approach this summit. Lidar measurements reduced the elevation by 11 feet.
De Anza B via Whiskey Pass Route
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Culebra/Whiskey Pass Accesses - Cielo Vista TH
The Cielo Vista Ranch (translation - "View of Heaven") was previously known as the Taylor Ranch. Total acreage of the property now exceeds 83,000. Be advised that as of August 2017, the ranch property changed hands again and is now under the ownership of William B. Harrison, of William Harrison Cathexis Holdings. Any information provided here may change dramatically depending on any future new ownership. The eastern boundary of the property is the central ridge of the Sangre de Cristo range from De Anza Peak in the north all the way to State Line Peak on the New Mexico border to the south. All of the land on either side of that central ridge is privately owned from Maxwell Mountain on south. Trespassers have been and will be prosecuted. As of the date of this writing, the only property owner allowing access is/was the Cielo Vista Ranch. One newspaper report indicated that the new owner did not plan to change the access policies previously held by the Cielo Vista ranch owners, but there have been some changes that do impact climbers. The property is a virtual wildlife preserve, rich in its diversity, and provides needed resources to the local community.
The main, current website for the ranch is https://www.cielo-vista-ranch.info/product/hiking/. The current site shows a 2024 update. Norton antivirus software wants to block this site as "dangerous." From our personal experience, there appears to be no danger in visiting the site. This is as of 01/2024. Mailing address is: Cielo Vista Ranch; County Road M.5; San Luis, CO 81152. Email contact: [email protected]. Phone: 719-680-0092. (Carlos)
Some items to know up front. Again, these were verified 01/2024:
- There is no climbing allowed from August 1 through the end of December.
- The current fee to climb Culebra/Red Mtn. is $150. For any other summits, it has been reported this season that the fee has increased to $500.
- Winter climbs begin in January with reservations being taken in December.
- Hiking/climbing is allowed only on Friday-Saturday-Sunday.
- A waiver and credit card form must be submitted in advance.
- The gate opens at 6:00 AM and closes at 6:15 AM!
- Sign out is 6:00 PM. Beyond that time, ranch officials will consider your tardiness to warrant a search & rescue situation. You will be instructed to "donate" $100 to the Costilla County SAR.
- Dogs & non-climbers are not allowed.
- Climbing reservations for the 2024 are currently being accepted.
Since all climbers must report to the main ranch headquarters, that location will serve as the main trailhead, however, Whiskey Pass can also serve as a trailhead, after you have registered at ranch headquarters and current policy ALLOWS access from that location. We will divide access as follows: Use the main ranch entrance and the 4WD road up to "four-way" as the TH for Purgatoire, UN13,466, Vermejo, Red Mtn., Culebra, UN13,565, UN13,229 and Miranda. Use Whiskey Pass as the TH for Lomo Liso, Francisco, Beaubien, De Anza and Mariquita. (Note that Mariquita is not actually on CV Ranch property.) We also have a report that indicates some climbers were allowed access up Carneros Creek to climb UN13,229 and UN 13,565. We have no specific information however in regards to that access. Also, for peaks other than Culebra and Red Mountain, Cielo Vista has required climbers to have a hand radio which the ranch supplied. DO NOT ASSUME that current policy allows access to summits other than Culebra and Red. Call or email ahead to obtain additional information.
Driving Directions: From the small town of Ft. Garland, located on HWY 160 east of Alamosa and west of Walsenburg, drive south on HWY159 to San Luis - about 15.5 miles.
Turn left on the P.6 Road (4th street) and drive 4.0 miles to Chama.
In Chama, turn left on L.7 Road.
Drive 3.5 miles on L.7, across a bridge and immediately turn right on dirt Road 25.5. To access Whiskey Pass, you would continue east on L.7.
Go 1/2 mile on 25.5 Road, stop, and turn left on M.5 Road.
Drive another 0.9 miles to reach the North Gate of the Cielo Vista Ranch.
The gates are usually closed and ranch representatives will meet you for an escort to the ranch headquarters.
Once through the north HQ gate, continue 2 miles to the ranch headquarters for check-in.
After check-in, reset your odometer and drive on an easy 4WD road to the upper trailhead. Stay right at about .1 mile and continue driving up the steepening road.
You will reach "Four Way" at 3.4 miles with ample parking, 11,220 ft. N 37° 08' 32.23" W 105° 13' 57.08"
You may be allowed to continue on to the highest point of the road at 4.4 miles. This is the upper trailhead and you may park near a stream. 11,670 ft. N 37° 08' 20.38" W 105° 12' 56.72"The following directions are provided by the Cielo Vista Ranch on their website:
Find San Luis, Colorado. Begin in San Luis, at the Conoco station on main street. You will be driving southbound from Ft. Garland. At the Conoco Station, turn east (left). Drive 3 miles to stop sign. Right turn onto County Road 21. Traveling southbound on CR 21, proceed to County Road L.7. Left turn on L.7, you will be driving eastbound. Continue on CR L.7 to one of several county roads which go south from L.7. (Note that CR L.7 is also the "Whiskey Pass Road.") Each of these short roads will take you to County Road M.5, which parallels L.7, about 200 yards to 500 yards south. Take one is these roads (CR 22.5, 23.5, etc.) south to CR M.5. Left turn on M.5 sends you east. Continue east on M.5 until you reach the large heavy green steel gate, which is the entrance to the North headquarters of Cielo Vista Ranch. Watch for local dogs which are roaming the streets and county roads in the area, at will!
To get to the Whiskey Pass road, once you have reported to ranch headquarters, reverse these directions back to CR L.7 which is the Whiskey Pass Road and head east. The road is drivable by 4WD to about 11,500 feet as reported by Dave Hahn. Once you are back onto this road, the distance to the end of the road will be over 10.5 miles. An overnight camp was allowed. Dave also reported that when he drove to Whiskey Pass in his own vehicle, he was accompanied by ranch personnel driving another vehicle. When you are done climbing peaks off Whiskey Pass, you will need to return to ranch headquarters to report out. This is all PRIVATE PROPERTY. Do not go without permission.
The following link has some interesting history regarding this overall area:
Camping
Unless the ranch owners grant permission to camp on their property somewhere (which is unlikely), there is no close camping available, however, they do state on their website that climbers may camp just outside the main gate if needed.
Click thumbnail to view full-size photo + captionRoute Description
Year Climbed: 2004De Anza Peak B as best we can tell is part of the vast Cielo Vista Ranch which is all private property. The ranch property line extends down the west side of the central ridge of summits that stretch all the way from De Anza Peak B in the north to State Line Peak in the south. You can download a Google Earth map of the property by going to this link and scrolling on the right down to the GE map link: https://www.mirrranchgroup.com/ranches/cielo-vista-ranch/. Permission must be obtained to access any of these peaks. For several decades now, the owners of this ranch property have been the only ones to allow access to these high peaks. CF&I Steel owns some of the land on the east side and has never agreed to any access and will prosecute trespassers. Policies by the ranch owners have varied in the past regarding access to which summits and routes to them are allowed. Before attempting any peaks, make sure you have a clear arrangement with the Cielo Vista Ranch owners/managers. See the "trailhead" description for more details. Reaching any of these summits near Whiskey Pass will likely involve a steep fee.
From the vehicle park on the Whiskey Pass Road at 11,520 ft., you can continue walking on the old roadbed up past two switchbacks and through open trees to where the road comes against the slopes directly below the pass. Then ascend for a steep 1,000 feet on the best route you can find, avoiding minor rock bands and across talus & scree to the pass - Class 2+. From the pass, head north along the narrow ridge crest. As you gain the soft rank 12er summit of 12,955, there will be some minor low cliffs to avoid that may force you off the ridge crest a little and the ascent will be mostly rocky until you begin to level out on the south end of UN12,955. Walk on across the easy, dual summit, descend north to the next saddle and then finish to the summit of De Anza on mostly "thin" tundra with small embedded rock. Class 2.
As with all the peaks on the Cielo Vista, wildlife is abundant. We were visited by a nice group of curious Bighorn Sheep through here. The Colorado Fish & Wildlife requests hikers to not disturb them. That department should perhaps advise the curious sheep to not disturb the hikers. Elk are abundant in the valleys below.
An alternate way to climb De Anza from the vehicle park on the Whiskey Pass Road would be to head NNE up the broad, west shoulder/ridge of UN12,955. This route would avoid the talus and scree of the direct ascent to Whiskey Pass and offer more of an easier tundra ascent. This potentially could save up to a mile round-trip and about 300 feet of elevation gain and loss by not having to go over Pt. 12,955.
Additional BETA
Links to other information, routes & trip reports for this peak that may be helpful. -
