Mt. Harvard Trip Report 09/11/2016

Report Type	Full
Peak(s)	Mt. Harvard - 14,424 feet
Date Posted	09/11/2016
Date Climbed	09/10/2016
Author	50Stater

Harvard With a Zero
I had waited all summer for a 0% percent change of precip. Beer Delivery Guy hawked the weather all week and said, "You've got your zero on Saturday." Since our tent sleeping days ended with back and knee surgeries, for me to bag Harvard we'd have to go 15 miles from the bottom to top. We started from the Harvard Lake Trailhead at 5:25AM. We were cruising at 2.5 miles an hour head lamps lighting the way. People zipped passed us, all good, we had the zero and if it took us all day so be it. The first five miles go by in the blink of eye, sun comes up, head lamps come off, clothes are shed, eat, walk, eat, walk simple Saturday. And after about 6.8 miles the hike actually starts. I mean that, until that point it really is a class one walk up with a phenomenal trail through the rock, lots of cairns, can't say enough about what folks have done.The last 700 feet is a little dicey but if you can do Yale boulders and such, totally doable. It took us an hour to do the last 700 feet and the last 70 feet is a tester for us Class 2 hikers. Beer Delivery guy has 30 peaks, Harvard was my 28th and only two have made me hesitate and say, "I don't think I've got this." The two were Tab from Jennings Creek and Columbia; made both but only with the reminder that I couldn't have the pizza waiting in the car if I didn't bag it. I decided I was going to the top regardless of my fear of heights. I think that is a key, decide you're doing it, don't hesitate, watch someone go up and follow (if they're right). When you see the nasty shoot on the left that looks like it drops into the sky, look right for a flat rock, if you're short like me, lay on the flat rock, grap the right rock above your shoulder, have someone standing near above your left arm and haul yourself up to 14,420'. I'll go up again and use the hike as an early season trainer. I'll maybe stop at the second basin and top off a solid 12 mile walk. To do it again and summit, I'd have to have another zero percent chance of precip because I wouldn't want to be on the last section with less than perfect conditions. Summary Ascent 5.5 hours (our combined age is 113 years) Descent 4.0 hours 15 miles (measured twice) Having bagged individually Harvard and Columbia, we think Harvard is mentally harder than Columbia but Columbia is physically harder than Harvard The Missouri Crux is a piece of cake compared to the final 70' on Harvard Tab from Jennings Creek is harder. At least with Harvard you're always going up rather than false summit after false summit Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Harvard With a Zero

I had waited all summer for a 0% percent change of precip. Beer Delivery Guy hawked the weather all week and said, "You've got your zero on Saturday." Since our tent sleeping days ended with back and knee surgeries, for me to bag Harvard we'd have to go 15 miles from the bottom to top.

We started from the Harvard Lake Trailhead at 5:25AM. We were cruising at 2.5 miles an hour head lamps lighting the way. People zipped passed us, all good, we had the zero and if it took us all day so be it. The first five miles go by in the blink of eye, sun comes up, head lamps come off, clothes are shed, eat, walk, eat, walk simple Saturday.

And after about 6.8 miles the hike actually starts. I mean that, until that point it really is a class one walk up with a phenomenal trail through the rock, lots of cairns, can't say enough about what folks have done.The last 700 feet is a little dicey but if you can do Yale boulders and such, totally doable. It took us an hour to do the last 700 feet and the last 70 feet is a tester for us Class 2 hikers. Beer Delivery guy has 30 peaks, Harvard was my 28th and only two have made me hesitate and say, "I don't think I've got this." The two were Tab from Jennings Creek and Columbia; made both but only with the reminder that I couldn't have the pizza waiting in the car if I didn't bag it.

I decided I was going to the top regardless of my fear of heights. I think that is a key, decide you're doing it, don't hesitate, watch someone go up and follow (if they're right). When you see the nasty shoot on the left that looks like it drops into the sky, look right for a flat rock, if you're short like me, lay on the flat rock, grap the right rock above your shoulder, have someone standing near above your left arm and haul yourself up to 14,420'.

I'll go up again and use the hike as an early season trainer. I'll maybe stop at the second basin and top off a solid 12 mile walk. To do it again and summit, I'd have to have another zero percent chance of precip because I wouldn't want to be on the last section with less than perfect conditions.

Summary
Ascent 5.5 hours (our combined age is 113 years)
Descent 4.0 hours
15 miles (measured twice)
Having bagged individually Harvard and Columbia, we think Harvard is mentally harder than Columbia but Columbia is physically harder than Harvard
The Missouri Crux is a piece of cake compared to the final 70' on Harvard
Tab from Jennings Creek is harder. At least with Harvard you're always going up rather than false summit after false summit

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

FalseIdols

Traverse
9/21/2016 10:27pm

Did you find the ridge a bit scary? It's no more than class two, correct?

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