Trip Report: Sangre De Cristo Mountains
Directions to the South Colony Lakes Trailhead from Westcliff, CO: Take CO-69 south and turn right about four miles out from town on Colfax Lane. After six miles there is a right turn marked by a sign to the trail. At the fork be sure to stay straight until you reach a parking area that's off to the right before you hit the cattle guard. This is the trailhead to park at if you've got a standard car. If you have a 4WD vehicle you may continue up the road at your own risk. It will continue for around five miles before ending at a closed gate, at which point you'll have to hike.
Friday
Nick Braunagel, Harry Filas, Jared Leidich and I headed south from
Boulder to bag some fourteen thousand foot mountains. Our original plan was to do five peaks (
Humboldt,
Kit Carson,
Challenger Point, and the
Crestone Needle and
Peak) all on Saturday. But as we approached our campsite at around four in the afternoon we decided we had the energy to go that very evening. After dropping our camping gear we had even more gusto and soon found ourselves atop Humboldt Peak. We descended back down to the same ridge we came up and Jared, Nick and I continued northwest along it towards Kit Carson and Challenger (Harry was feeling ill from a lack of sleep and a head cold, and descended). As we made our way across the rock field we saw the sun slip away and it became dark, and although the headlamps saw us a few steps, we had been relying on ambient light to illuminate the silhouettes of the surrounding peaks. As we kept making our way out towards our goal we climbed a sub-peak known as Colombia Point (previously '
Kat Carson', 13,980'). On our descent from this we ran into a problem- a steep pitch of
Class 4 downclimbing. And we had no gear. An hour of toying with other routes all ended with the same vertical wall descent. So up we went again, knowing that we had put a good bid in for them, but it just simply wasn't the time to be do so.
The descent back to camp was long and
tedious as we lost the trail and had to descend a steep and loose
scree-field. This was done with a slowed care but even so there were many outbursts of "rock!" At the upper lake we found ourselves too far to the west and had to climb back up to hit the main trail leading us back to the much needed warmth and relaxation of our sleeping bags.
Saturday
Woke to Harry trying to talk to us, but in my incoherent coma stage I could make out nothing except the fact that we needed to get up. I made delicious fajitas of canned chunk chicken, peppers, onions, mushrooms, and garlic powder for the troop and we decided it was time to get moving.
As we ascended back up towards the upper lake we stuck to the left (west) side to get better access at the scree field leading to the ridge. There were patches of grass that could be picked at to make a continuous line to the ridge without the risky loose rock. We ate and watched the clouds after gaining the ridge, hoping to see whether the weather would be naughty or nice. A few darker clouds left me a little worried, but we decided to at least drop into the route before we got too scared. The North West Couloir up the Crestone Needle is a straight Class 3 climb which means you don't need protection (climbing gear) but you're still going to be using your hands throughout. We moved quickly despite our initial lack of energy and found ourselves unexpectedly at the summit of "the Peak" at 14,294 feet. (Note: although the route seems to turn towards the right near the end, if you continue straight through the lowest point in the ridge you will come out on an easy trail on the other side of the ridge that will lead you direct to the summit.)
Snapped some shots, signed the log, pounded fists and started back down. Jared and Nick were keen on doing the more direct (but also more technical) ridge connecting the Peak with the Needle, Harry and I just wanted an easy jaunt down Red Couloir off the south side. As it turned out the weather socked in the Needle just as the other two were half way into the route, so we reunited once again on the lower trail. Our circumnavigation of the peak led us to Broken Hand Pass which actually hosts the standard Class 3 route up to the Needle. The weather had cleared and our spirits were high, all that was needed was to coax our pre-faded muscles. Chomping down Clif bars and downing water was enough to give us the second (or was it the third or fourth?) wind and we (minus Harry) made the summit in just over an hour. While gorgeous and a huge relief, we knew the day wasn't over just yet, we still had to make it back to camp. The tedious down-climbing was done in silence, we had no more complaints left to give. Upon finally reaching the lake I dropped my pack and shoes and jumped in the utterly frigid glacial-runoff lake. It was worth it though, the water gave my tightened muscles a reason to keep on living, and my feet kept from swelling due to the coldness.
After a quick bit of pasta we packed up and headed for Westcliff to buy beer and cigars, and kicked back for the night at a little camping area just outside of town.
Elevation Gains
Trailhead to Humboldt: 3,027'
Ridge to Kat Carson: 1,067'
Camp to Crestone Peak: 2,544'
Bottom of Red Couloir to Broken Hand Pass: 665'
Broken Hand Pass to Crestone Needle: 1,162'
Total: 8465'
TOPO
https://webfiles.colorado.edu/reeddb/Sangres% 20Trip%20TOPO%20with%20Key.jpg.
Photos
Coming Soon!