Humboldt Peak - Colorado 14er (14,068) скачать в хорошем качестве

Humboldt Peak - Colorado 14er (14,068)

This is our summit of Humboldt Peak on Labor Day Weekend 2024. Great weekend, great views. Enjoy the adventure! Trail Report: Humboldt is just outside of Westcliffe, CO and is best accessed from South Colony Lakes trailhead. RT from the upper 4WD trailhead was around 11.7 miles. Most reports call this a “class 2” scramble, but there are a few sections where I would give this a “difficult class 2”. There were a few moments where we found ourselves making some class 3 moves. While route finding is very simple coming down a class 2 path, often times it was a bit tricky staying on trail. going up. There is one move at the summit block that is a bit technical; however, there is very little risk and zero exposure involved so it’s not too bad. The trail is pretty straight forward and fast moving until you reach the switchbacks, then it starts quickly gaining elevation as you head up to the saddle. From the saddle to the false summit, it’s steep and relentless. The rock is pretty solid overall. The trail pretty much follows up the left side of the ridge all the way up to the false summit until the very end where it cuts across and then heads up the right side of the false summit. If you stay left, the rock becomes unstable and you turn a class 2 into an upper class 3 with serious exposure and fall hazard. Once reaching the false summit, the true summit comes into view and the trail becomes a very clear path up to the top. As you approach the summit block, there is about a 8’ rock wall. Once you shimmy up that tricky spot just below the summit cap, you are just a few hundred feet away from the top. At the summit, there is a wind blocking wall where you will find the trail register and can take shelter on a strong, windy day. Most days, Humboldt is known for its great views and high winds. We were fortunate to have a VERY mild day with the wind in the summit. Heading back down is pretty fast, even on the western slope of the ridge. The section from the saddle back down to the Lower South Colony Lake camping areas is pretty steady pace. From the lake to the old road is pretty quick, but the 2.6 mile section from where the trail meets back up with the old road and heads back down to the upper trailhead is very fast. Even at a careful, tired pace, any hiker should knock this section out in 45-55 minutes coming down. If you don’t have a 4WD vehicle with high clearance, don’t attempt the drive up. My Jeep TrailHawk did great, but still had a few moments where we could have used a little more clearance. If you go on a weekend, you might be able to catch a ride up or down and save the miles. Overall, this hike is a 9.5 out of 10 for me. I imagine if I had to start at the lower trailhead, it would be a 7 out of 10. The first 2.5 miles on the old road are a bit boring, but they make for fast hiking. But the views of the Crestones and brokenhand pass when you reach the Lower South Colony Lake area are incredible.