Another Sangre Backpack

Colorado peak questions, condition requests and other info.
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HikerBox
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Another Sangre Backpack

Post by HikerBox »

Looking to do some peak bagging with a friend in the northern Sangre's July 20-25. 6 named 13'ers, 3 14'ers and I think 2 unnamed 13'ers. Daily mileage is lower than normal but the elevation gain/day is generally 4-6k so we should have our work cut out. I also want to get off the ridges by the early afternoon. Here's the route: http://caltopo.com/m/F6JA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'm mostly concerned about that traverse from Kit Carson to that saddle by UN 13799, looks pretty complicated. I'll probably print out the summitpost route info and some pictures to help. If the snow is still in issue we could use an alternate route that skips Carson but gets us over to the South Colony Lakes - any ideas?
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ezabielski
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Re: Another Sangre Backpack

Post by ezabielski »

The 13ers north of Venable Pass are pretty sweet and easily linked by the continuous tundra ridgeline, if that's what you're into. You could start further North and grab Rita Alto, Hermit, and Eureka. Venable Peak is a short out and back from the top of the Phantom Terrace. There's good camping between Venable Pass and the Phantom Terrace at those small lakes.

One of my dreams for awhile now is a big one-day linkup of that line from Spread Eagle to Horn Peak, potentially 7 13ers in a day all on the same ridge, never dropping below treeline! I've done some of the more northern ones in that line.
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jdorje
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Re: Another Sangre Backpack

Post by jdorje »

Hit up venable peak. It's offset from the main ridgeline and has great views, and is quite easy ~600 ft from the venable-spring saddle. If you skip Phantom Terrace it's even faster; the ascent from Venable Pass is class 2/2+ (but is a steep traverse).

Horn Peak is a fair bit out of your way.

The fluted-adams traverse - specifically the north ridge of 13325 - is no slouch. Not sure the best way around the big "steps"; they might be bypassable with a slight descent or it might be better to drop from fluted straight down to N crestone lake. Looks like you've done research on this already, but don't underestimate it.

The traverse from Kit Carson to Columbia is pretty significant also. Class 3+, but only with careful route finding. I haven't done that one, but I know you can descend straight south from KC into spanish creek basin and then regain bears playground easily enough.

The ridge from bears playground to humboldt is class 3.

The easiest way up broken hand by far is straight up the hill from the broken hand-crestolita saddle. You can get there from just west of broken hand pass with less elevation loss; I did it straight up the line from the pass but it took some scrambling and a lot of up-and-down. There is no way it's climbable from the east side...surely it can't be climbable from the east side??? Great view of the Needle.

How important to you is hitting the peaks? You could make a much longer distance if you skip some of those. I think N Crestone->Phantom Terrace->Comanche Peak->Fluted->N Crestone Lake could be done in a day, and would save you a lot of work descending to Comanche Lake.
"I don't think about the past, and the future is a mystery. Only the present matters."
HikerBox
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Re: Another Sangre Backpack

Post by HikerBox »

ezabielski wrote:The 13ers north of Venable Pass are pretty sweet and easily linked by the continuous tundra ridgeline, if that's what you're into. You could start further North and grab Rita Alto, Hermit, and Eureka. Venable Peak is a short out and back from the top of the Phantom Terrace. There's good camping between Venable Pass and the Phantom Terrace at those small lakes.

One of my dreams for awhile now is a big one-day linkup of that line from Spread Eagle to Horn Peak, potentially 7 13ers in a day all on the same ridge, never dropping below treeline! I've done some of the more northern ones in that line.
That's an interesting idea - I'm keeping the first day easy because my friend is very fit but coming from sea level. I'm also not 100% sure how much of the drive we'll be doing on Day 1, depends on my work situation on "day 0". Also I'm having trouble finding information on the trailheads north or north crestone creek, the limiting factor being the 4" or so of ground clearance on my honda civic. I added a potential alternate - that ridge from eureaka to venable pass looks like it might give us some trouble. Have you been up there?
jdorje wrote:Hit up venable peak. It's offset from the main ridgeline and has great views, and is quite easy ~600 ft from the venable-spring saddle. If you skip Phantom Terrace it's even faster; the ascent from Venable Pass is class 2/2+ (but is a steep traverse).

Horn Peak is a fair bit out of your way.

The fluted-adams traverse - specifically the north ridge of 13325 - is no slouch. Not sure the best way around the big "steps"; they might be bypassable with a slight descent or it might be better to drop from fluted straight down to N crestone lake. Looks like you've done research on this already, but don't underestimate it.

The traverse from Kit Carson to Columbia is pretty significant also. Class 3+, but only with careful route finding. I haven't done that one, but I know you can descend straight south from KC into spanish creek basin and then regain bears playground easily enough.

The ridge from bears playground to humboldt is class 3.

The easiest way up broken hand by far is straight up the hill from the broken hand-crestolita saddle. You can get there from just west of broken hand pass with less elevation loss; I did it straight up the line from the pass but it took some scrambling and a lot of up-and-down. There is no way it's climbable from the east side...surely it can't be climbable from the east side??? Great view of the Needle.

How important to you is hitting the peaks? You could make a much longer distance if you skip some of those. I think N Crestone->Phantom Terrace->Comanche Peak->Fluted->N Crestone Lake could be done in a day, and would save you a lot of work descending to Comanche Lake.
Thanks for pointing out the fluted to adams traverse - I did some digging and found a thread from a while back: http://www.summitpost.org/forum/sangres ... 61098.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It looks like you could drop down below the steps on the west side, stick to the top of the scree/talus slope and regain the ridge by a gully just south of step 1.

Thanks for the info about KC to spanish creek - where exactly would you descend? the gully to the east of the summit?

We're both pretty comfortable on class 3, I haven't done much class 4 but don't anticipate an issue as long as it's easy climbing.

For broken hand looks like I drew the route on the wrong side, oops! Following the summitpost description: http://www.summitpost.org/west-slopes/161966" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; it seems like you have to traverse on grass below the needles, is that what you're referring to? I'm confused how you could get to the summit directly.

I think the important part of this trip is just doing a lot of traverses on high ridge lines. The peaks are all optional if the weather is bad or we're not feeling comfortable with the route. I do want to check off as many as I can but I'm not 100% "list" driven.
HikerBox
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Re: Another Sangre Backpack

Post by HikerBox »

Just finished the trip and went exactly as planned!

We bagged 11 peaks over 4 days and hiked out on the 5th! Venable, Comanche, Fluted, Horn Peak, Adams (the north ridge goes without dropping down!), Kit Carson, Challenger, Columbia, Humbolt and Broken Hand! Thanks for the help everyone!
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