14ers.com • Peak Condition Update

Peak:	Columbia Point (13er)
Route:	Columbia and Obstruction from the East
Range:	Sangre de Cristo
Posted By:	CoHi591
Date of Info:	05/18/2020
Date Posted:	05/18/2020

Details
Info still similar to the last CR. There's some snow below treeline on the Humboldt trail, and some blowdown, occasionally requires a little extra attention to find the trail in the dark but didn't even think about putting spikes on, didn't posthole on the way back around noon. From the Humboldt saddle to Columbia, all snow is avoidable. The wind was absolutely insane. Knocked me down once or twice, not pleasant. I'll add pics in a sec of Broken Hand and Kit Carson. Photos (click for slideshow):

Details

Info still similar to the last CR. There's some snow below treeline on the Humboldt trail, and some blowdown, occasionally requires a little extra attention to find the trail in the dark but didn't even think about putting spikes on, didn't posthole on the way back around noon.

From the Humboldt saddle to Columbia, all snow is avoidable.
The wind was absolutely insane. Knocked me down once or twice, not pleasant. I'll add pics in a sec of Broken Hand and Kit Carson.

Photos (click for slideshow):

Comments or Questions

Grisel	Insane Wind 05/18/2020 20:34 Agreed on the insane wind today. I turned around at 13,500 on Humboldts east ridge because of it, could barely stand in it
Timmay_37	Kit Carson 05/19/2020 06:27 Did it look like Kit Carson could be climbed from Columbia while avoiding snow or no?
CoHi591	Kit Carson 05/19/2020 08:17 There was a good bit of snow in the gully usually used to summit. From what I remember of the route, though, I think the rock along climbers left of the gully was decent to scramble on. If you look at that pic I posted, it looks like you could skirt the bottom of the snow and ascend left of it and summit without snow. From what I noticed, the descent from Columbia and everything else looked dry.
ltlFish99	so much wind 05/20/2020 15:45 Indeed, the wind was crazy on Monday up there. My hiking partner and i think it was gusting to 60mph on the summit, maybe more. Several times coming off the top I had to crouch down close to the ground until a gust would quiesce.