Cronin Peak stands apart above Baldwin Gulch and Deer Canyon, southwest of Mount Antero in the southern Sawatch and San Isabel National Forest. It honors Mary Cronin, who in 1934 became the first woman to climb all of Colorado's fourteeners, and its separation from the surrounding 13ers gives it a quieter feel than the Antero traffic across the gulch.
The north ridge route begins on the Baldwin Gulch jeep road (#277) off County Road 162. Drive or walk about 3 miles to a stream crossing near 10,850 feet, then follow road #278 across Baldwin Creek and leave it around 11,600 feet. There is no maintained trail from here: pick through downed timber and willows, cross the creek, and climb to a clearing with the ridge in sight. Talus and easier rock lead to the crest, where stretches of climber's trail cross a false summit before a steep but still Class 2 final pitch. From the bottom of the jeep road it is about 11.75 miles and 4,500 feet of gain round trip.
The summit gives a full circle of Sawatch peaks. Snow covers parts of the route into early June, and the season runs July through November, with a high-clearance 4WD vehicle recommended for the road and a Forest Service parking permit required. Summer storms build quickly over this range, so start early.
