Teakettle Mountain rises above Yankee Boy Basin in the Sneffels Range west of Ouray, on Uncompahgre National Forest land. The name makes sense the moment you see it: a circular rock arch on the south side forms the handle of the kettle, and the whole peak is a heap of loose volcanic rock.
The southeast ridge route starts at the Mount Sneffels trailhead in Yankee Boy Basin (11,380 feet), off the Camp Bird Road. The last stretch is 4x4 only; passenger cars stop near the Governor Basin turnoff, about 2 miles lower. From the 4WD parking it is about 3.6 miles round trip with 3,200 feet of gain, mostly Class 2+ with Class 3 scrambling. The summit block is Class 4 or low Class 5, capped by one committing move up a short crack about 10 feet high, and some parties bring a rope for the exposure.
Rock quality is the defining hazard. Chips and plates come loose underfoot and in hand, the descent is looser still, and parties stacked in gullies can knock rock onto each other, so wear a helmet and climb when the route is quiet. Teakettle pairs naturally with neighboring Potosi Peak and the little Coffeepot spire, and recent trip reports cover those combinations.
