The Sultan Mountain cluster of peaks west of Silverton are some of Colorado's most wonderful mountains. Easy access, casual hiker friendly, and simple, unassuming beauty define these peaks. For me they were a mental reset from a spate of physically and mentally draining climbs, at a time when the exhaustion was starting to wear me down. I wasn't really sure if I even wanted to do these peaks before heading out, and had texted Whiley that I wasn't sure if I could continue at the pace I'd been going, that I just felt like the 13ers were something I wasn't sure I wanted to do anymore. For those who know me or have read my reports, you know that's very unlike me. I was at a low point in energy and motivation and almost said "screw it" and went back home to Boulder. I had to force myself to get my act together and head into the mountains, and I was glad I did. These peaks were just what the doctor ordered.

I started at Little Molas Lake Trailhead after work. It was a sweltering day, and felt unusually humid. I was sweating sitting still, so this would be a hot hike as well. I followed the Colorado trail northwest for a short distance and then left the trail going almost due north through unusual terrace-like rock bands and benches. The hike started off nice and reasonably angled and open. As mentioned the peaks were unassuming but attractive, which was great. I didn't want a nasty scramble on loose rock, I just wanted to walk and lose myself in the hills.

I picked my way through the terraces and headed in a generally northern direction, aiming for the saddle between "West Turkshead Peak" and "Turkshead Peak", which I assumed would give access to Sultan, Grand Turk, and Spencer. It'd be a ways around otherwise, and I didn't know if there was any access from elsewhere. (There is, for reference.) Along the way I ran into a short section of awful, 8- to 10-foot tall willows that I powered through, which was the only unpleasant part of the entire hike. Once past the view-blocking willows I got phenomenal views of the two Turkshead twelvers and the passage between them.

The upper valley closer to the peaks was green and vibrant, and it felt good to be there. I could feel my spirits rising, even though I was going much slower than my usual pace. I may have been depleting my body's tank on this one, but my mind's was being refilled with the joy that only the mountains can create. Travel as I neared the peaks improved, and I ran into a trail below "Turkshead Peak"'s southwest face.

The trail ascended through a very brief, loose section of Class 1+, then deposited me in the grassy upper meadow in the triangle between the Turksheads and Spencer Peak.

The trail snaked around the east side of a bump, then around and up some small, shoddy towers on Spencer Peak's south ridge at the saddle.

The little towers were pretty junky, but they were over quickly and contained maybe a couple moves of Class 2+. There were at least two options through or around them as well. A large portion of the remaining route became visible in this section.

Past the towers the trail continued up to a junction with the left branch heading towards Sultan and Grand Turk, and the right branch going up to the summit of Spencer. I went left.

The trail split again underneath Grand Turk's short south ridge, and I again took the left branch towards Sultan. It shot across Grand Turk's southwest face across steep, dinnerplated rock. The rock was a little shifty underfoot, but not too bad.

The remaining hike up Sultan from the saddle was easy, though by now it was apparent all of these peaks were basically just big lumps of multi-colored talus.

A hop, skip, and a jump later and I was on top of Sultan Mountain, with the usual San Juan breathtaking views to behold.

After a few minutes of taking it in I returned to the saddle with Grand Turk, then headed directly up its west ridge instead of following the trail back around.

What initially started out as the boilerplate gray talus of the area turned into grainy, red, sand-like scree with a healthy heaping of aforementioned gray talus on top.

A few minutes of slipping and sliding around on the sand and talus led back to pure talus, then tundra on the wavy summit ridge. There's a few bumps on the ridge and it's difficult to tell which is the highest, so I went out to the farthest but the one in the middle is in fact the highest.

It was mid-afternoon by now and the skies were in some quantum state of both looking threatening and actively raining nearby, so I didn't stay too long.

Spencer was super easy to add on my way back, as its summit was less than 100 feet off the main trail anyway.

Given that Spencer was unranked and really didn't afford any new sights, I stopped only to take a few photos before continuing south down the short bit of trail off the summit to the main trail, back through the rickety gendarmes, and made my way towards the lumpiest of the day's peaks, twelver "West Turkshead Peak".

The hike up "West Turkshead" was uneventful, pretty, and a rejuvenating way to finish the day off.

It was still surprisingly muggy on "West Turkshead" and I had no desire to navigate what looked like an unpleasant climb up "Turkshead Peak", so I began making my way back down to the trail and benched slopes to the trailhead.

Having had my undesired encounter earlier in the day with willows I found a way around them by following the trail until there was a reasonable path through, and then staying east of the main bulk of them. It worked out pretty well and was much easier than my earlier 'whack. Once past I trended southwest back to the trailhead along the numerous little terraces dotting the area.

Simple and short though this little thirteener cluster may have been, they ended up being my favorites of the entire year. I'd been going too hard for too long and needed this gentle reminder that I can both do more than I think, and that I don't always have to do more than I think or want. Sometimes slowing down to smell the flowers is more beneficial than having the pedal to the metal all the time, and that can be a difficult thing to both realize and act upon when the latter is your default mode. I repeated these peaks in spring 2021 with my friend Heather and she also enjoyed their simplicity. A trip to the Sultan's Palace is a great treat full of Grand Turk(ish delights) and royal comforts, and I will be sure to make calls upon it when the need arises. With a bow and a turn on my heel, I bid you adieu, Sultan.

Statistics

Climbers: Ben Feinstein (myself)
Trailhead: Little Molas Lake

Total distance: 8.99 miles
Total elevation gain: 3,790 feet
Total time: 4:21:51
Peaks: Two ranked thirteeners, one unranked thirteener, one ranked twelver

• Sultan Mountain, 13,368'
• Grand Turk, 13,180'
• Spencer Peak, 13,087' (unranked)
• "West Turkshead Peak", 12,894'

Splits: