Windom Peak, with an elevation of 14,082 feet, is the 33rd highest peak in the state of Colorado. Windom's considered the easiest of the
Needle Mountains' Fourteeners to climb, and is usually climbed in conjunction with neighboring Sunlight Peak. The route to the summit
can be reached via the Needleton trailhead, which in turn can be reached via the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.
The Durango and Silverton train, as of 2006, runs from May 1st to October 30th and takes 2.5 hours to reach the Needleton Trailhead
(reservations through the Animas River Railroad are required). Once off the train, use the footbridge to cross the Animas River and
head east for .75 miles until you reach the trail for Chicago Basin. The hike from Needleton to Chicago Basin is 6.6 miles.
Camp at Chicago Basin, then follow the creek further east and north to the Twin Lakes at 12,500 feet. Then climb east into another basin
and south to Windom's west ridge before following the ridge all the way east to the summit (there is a bit of scrambling near the top).
You can then reverse course to the basin east of the Twin Lakes before heading up the Red Couloir to bag Sunlight Peak (see the Sunlight
Peak page for more information).
Sources: peakware.com, summitpost.org, Dawson's Guide to Colorado's Fourteeners, Volume 2: The Southern Peaks
