Mount Silverheels is the big, rounded mountain rising just east of Mount Lincoln and Mount Bross, about five miles northeast of Alma in Pike National Forest. It carries one of Colorado's better mining-camp legends: Silverheels was a dance hall girl who nursed miners through a smallpox epidemic, and the peak took her name. The slopes are mostly tundra, gentle enough that it's considered a good family thirteener in summer.
The north spur from Hoosier Pass starts at 11,550 feet on Highway 9, climbs onto the west end of Hoosier Ridge, and follows it east to a turning point near 12,814 feet. From there it heads south, drops to about 12,400 feet under the power lines, and climbs a 1,100-foot rib to the summit ridge. It's Class 2, about 9 miles and 3,500 feet round trip, and the favored winter line. On the descent, the turn back onto the north spur is easy to miss. The west ridge route is shorter, about 6 miles and 3,470 feet, but gives back close to 300 feet crossing Beaver Creek before climbing the west slopes to a big rock windbreak on top.
Private land borders some approaches. The old single-track road start, about 2.5 miles south of Hoosier Pass, was posted No Trespassing in 2018, so check current access before going. Check current postings and stay off anything marked private. The alpine climate brings snowy winters and summer thunderstorms, so start early.
