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 Peak:  Humboldt Peak
 Route:  East Ridge
 Range:  Sangre de Cristo
 Posted By:  Gibson135
 Date of Info:  5/24/2016
 Date Posted:  5/31/2016
Details

The snow line is was pretty far above the Rainbow trail. If you plan on starting in the dark like I did, I highly advise downloading the .GPX file for the left off of the Rainbow trail was very easy to miss. With no snow for awhile and in the dark, hiking from waypoint to waypoint was necessary.

Eventually, large mounds of snow were showing up. Alternating between 10-50 yards of snow knee to waste deep and then the same with dry ground so it took some time to give in and get out the snow shoes. They were necessary though.Eventually not far from treelike the snow became solid both by being consistent and not postholing. T

This was well before sunrise and the temp was estimated around 29 that night at that altitude. If you're in the dark and the conditions haven't changed, I wouldn't expect or plan on using the trail too much after the first hour.

After the treeline it was pretty straight forward and solid so snowshoes were fine for awhile. Eventually cramp ons were needed. This was still before sunrise.

The wind was very strong so warmer gloves were needed (It was much warmer at the trailhead so a smaller, thinner pair were fine). The snow was very solid so the crampons gripped very well.

All I can say about the peak is that the view was amazing, the sky was 100% clear and the wind made it almost unsafe to leave your gloves off very along. Also, if you do take your gloves or anything off, don't expect them to be there too long if you're not keeping them secure somehow.


Heading back the temp went up fast so the snow conditions changed tremendously. The angles are moderate so it didn't matter, but form the little I know about the I would have been thinking about wet avalanches if it were steeper for it was around my ankles.

Another note, the temp was so warm by the time I got back to the Rainbow trail I was wearing a short sleeve gym shirt and could have worn shorts.

In terms of skiing: It would have been quite awhile before you would have been doing any skinning. And except for very close to the peak, you would have been avoiding rocks quite a bit coming back. The East Ridge. I don't regret not skinning.



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