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LoJ: #387 (Pre-LiDAR #373) / 13,313' "East Storm" Formerly UN 13325
Tower Mountain
Storm Peak
Dome Mountain
Peak Summary
S. Cement Creek SE Ridge Route
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S. Fork Cement Creek TH
From the town of Silverton, drive east to the edge of town and one block past the courthouse, where the paved road splits, go straight. Then, drive north on Road 110, (or 10 according to some sources), a graded dirt road, all the way to the old townsite of Gladstone. Note that another fork of this road 110 goes up along the Animas River from out of Silverton if using the Trails Illustrated map #141. The road along the Animas is signed with a blue sign that reads County Road 2. Do not take that fork. At the intersection around Gladstone, head SE a brief distance, follow a switchback up a very short hill, then turn south immediately on road 52 that climbs into the upper South Fork of Cement Creek where it terminates just below a small, unnamed lake. Park here. The last two miles on road 52 will be rougher. A higher clearance vehicle is recommended.
Camping
You can car-camp overnight at or around the trailhead or at a few other possible spots on the last two miles in above Gladstone. Be careful regarding private property.
Route Description
Year Climbed: 1997Follow the trailhead and route description for climbing Tower Mountain (#219), until you reach the elevation marker on the ridge NW of the Tower summit that's marked 13,060 ft. From here, another ridge leads off to the SW that looks down into Boulder Gulch. The ridge crest drops off steeply on either side, but particularly on the north. At first, you'll be mostly on tundra. The crest of the ridge is punctuated by some easily-bypassed rocky outcrops until you come to the ridge low point and a large rock pinnacle/gendarme. Bypass the pinnacle on the south side staying as high up toward the base of the tower as comfortable. Though much of this route still has no definable trail as of 2023, you may find a faint path of sorts through the talus. Once past the rock tower, there are any number of ways to gain the summit, all of which will involve steep ascending on sparse tundra and lots of broken, small rock. There's not much here to hang onto safely. We suggest regaining the ridge crest as soon as you can after the rock tower. Depending on the route you take, you can easily end up in some Class 3 terrain. Here's where the definition of class 3 becomes debatable. Using the definition that at Class 3, you begin using your arms to gain elevation by pulling up with the arms and not just pushing up with the legs, then there will most likely be brief places where you will employ some class 3 moves. Exposure alone on a steep slope however, does not constitute Class 3. Along the ridge crest, there are a few more minor obstacles to encounter that may require Class 3 maneuvers to get around. As of 2023, we saw no clear paths or cairn-marked route and no summit register.
From this summit, enjoy the spectacular view back down into the S. Cement Creek valley far below and then contemplate your fate should you consider continuing on over to Storm Peak. The connecting rocky ridge will offer many difficulties. Otherwise, turn back and follow the ridge you approached on back to the 13,060 elevation point and retrace your route back to the trailhead. In mid-summer, this is an excellent wildflower viewing area.
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