Huerfano Peak stands directly north of Mount Lindsey at the head of the Huerfano River, a quiet, high summit that for years carried only a number before its current name took hold. It shares a basin and much of an approach with the fourteener, which makes it a natural second peak on a Lindsey day or a peaceful objective on its own.
The climb begins at the Lily Lake trailhead; the final couple of miles of road are rough and steep enough that 4WD is needed. The standard route follows the Lily Lake trail south through timber to a big meadow, stays on the Lindsey path past the Lily Lake junction, crosses the Huerfano River and climbs through forest and a boulder field to treeline. From the upper basin, talus leads to a saddle near 13,150 feet between the Iron Nipple and Lindsey, then the southwest ridge rises to the summit. It is Class 2, about 8.75 miles round trip with 3,800 feet of gain. The Iron Nipple, a knobby tower on that ridge, offers an optional short, semi-exposed scramble, or it can be bypassed on the east through talus.
Views sweep over Blanca Peak and nearby Lindsey. Above treeline the terrain is rubble and scree with little shelter, so watch summer storms.
