Kit Carson Peak Trip Report 05/22/2016

Peak(s):	Kit Carson Peak - 14,167 feet
Date Posted:	05/22/2016
Modified:	05/23/2016
Date Climbed:	05/22/2016
Author:	youngk2844

Called It Quits at Cole's Couloir on Kit Carson
Edit: Added gpx of route from Zen Center to Cole's Couloir entrance and a few more notes: - There are five stream crossings, all within the first 1.25 miles. A couple will test your balance. - The gpx file and several rock markers will get you through the deadfall efficiently. It really wasn't as bad as I was expecting. - Distance from Zen Center to Cole's Couloir was almost exactly 5 miles with 4,480' of elevation gain. - It took me six hours (but my 51-year-old legs don't move as fast as they used to! - If you are interested in hiking Spanish Creek, you must ask permission from the kind people at the Crestone Mountain Zen Center. Contact Lisa at cmzc@dharmasangha.org. Cole's Couloir is a great way to summit Kit Carson if snow conditions are good. The Spanish Creek approach was not the easiest 5 miles I've ever hiked. I thought starting at 3:30 am would give me enough time to hike in, get up the couloir to the summit and back down before the snow softened up. I was wrong. to get to the Couloir, starting at the Zen Center, it is roughly five miles and 4,000' of elevation. The trail is not a fast one (but neither am I...). I reached the couloir at 9:30 am. The last mile leading to the couloir was snow covered. I was able to snowshoe up the apron to the couloir entrance. The snow was very good and seemed stable but the sun was now out and starting to soften the snow. The couloir was in shade and the snow looked good all the way up. There was evidence of wet slides probably from the day before on the slopes left of the couloir. As tempting as the couloir looked I knew the sun was heating things up quickly and it would take me too long to get up, summit, and get back down. I called it quits at the entrance to the couloir, put on my crampons and started heading back down the apron. It was softening up quickly. I was sinking in to my lower shins. I thought about the mile of snowshoeing and hoped the snow would hold up long enough for me to get past that. It held although I post-holed about a dozen times. Camping at treeline would have been the way to do it... next time. Over all, it was an amazing day. The views from the Spanish Creek side are awesome, worth the extra effort. I'll upload a gpx file soon. Blow down area free of snow. Snow started about 11,200' The meadow was beautiful! South Side and The Prow Cole's Couloir and small slide to left A parting look up Cole's - so tempting My GPS Tracks on Google Maps (made from a .GPX file upload): Login required to view this map... Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Called It Quits at Cole's Couloir on Kit Carson

Edit: Added gpx of route from Zen Center to Cole's Couloir entrance and a few more notes:

- There are five stream crossings, all within the first 1.25 miles. A couple will test your balance.
- The gpx file and several rock markers will get you through the deadfall efficiently. It really wasn't as bad as I was expecting.
- Distance from Zen Center to Cole's Couloir was almost exactly 5 miles with 4,480' of elevation gain.
- It took me six hours (but my 51-year-old legs don't move as fast as they used to!
- If you are interested in hiking Spanish Creek, you must ask permission from the kind people at the Crestone Mountain Zen Center. Contact Lisa at cmzc@dharmasangha.org.

Cole's Couloir is a great way to summit Kit Carson if snow conditions are good.
The Spanish Creek approach was not the easiest 5 miles I've ever hiked.
I thought starting at 3:30 am would give me enough time to hike in, get up the couloir to the summit and back down before the snow softened up.
I was wrong. to get to the Couloir, starting at the Zen Center, it is roughly five miles and 4,000' of elevation. The trail is not a fast one (but neither am I...).
I reached the couloir at 9:30 am. The last mile leading to the couloir was snow covered. I was able to snowshoe up the apron to the couloir entrance.
The snow was very good and seemed stable but the sun was now out and starting to soften the snow. The couloir was in shade and the snow looked good all the way up.
There was evidence of wet slides probably from the day before on the slopes left of the couloir. As tempting as the couloir looked I knew the sun was heating things up quickly and it would take me too long to get up, summit, and get back down.
I called it quits at the entrance to the couloir, put on my crampons and started heading back down the apron. It was softening up quickly. I was sinking in to my lower shins. I thought about the mile of snowshoeing and hoped the snow would hold up long enough for me to get past that. It held although I post-holed about a dozen times.

Camping at treeline would have been the way to do it... next time.

Over all, it was an amazing day. The views from the Spanish Creek side are awesome, worth the extra effort.
I'll upload a gpx file soon.

My GPS Tracks on Google Maps (made from a .GPX file upload):

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

Jvinro

Good judgment
5/23/2016 2:44pm

Summit another day.

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